M28 (3) Industrial pipework & fittings - medium bore - N GAUGE -
Picture includes illustration of model when completed, requires assembly and painting.
Finished picture shows medium bore (M28) set at the top and large bore (M27)set at the bottom.
Each pack contains pipe and fittings to be used as desired but it will make the two configurations shown.
Industrial pipe-work is produced in various sizes and includes system-solution uses for the carrying and transference of compressed air, hot & cold water, waste liquids, hot steam, gases, petroleum’s and many other liquid chemicals depending on the manufacturing processes taking place. These systems installations sometimes look simple with a sewage pipe or two running into or across a river or they can look very complex as in an oil refinery. From a modelling point of view it can look like whatever you like, limited only by imagination. Railway modelling uses could be pipework supporting a small industrial works, a water processing plant, a vehicle tank cleaning facility, fuel-oil or gas depots, chemical manufacturing plant, wood-pulp paper production, cement works, power generating, coal mining and so on.
Although pipes are made in various diameters and of different materials they are normally manufactured in 6m (20ft) stick lengths for ease of transportation, although other longer lengths are provided to special order. Large diameter pipe are always supported when not buried underground. Supports are usually placed at a maximum of 6m between centres often of concrete blocks with saddles and straps but structural steel supports are also common.
From a practical modelling point of view we have selected two approximate pipe sizes representing a large (12in) bore and a medium (9in) bore at n-gauge size, suitable for N-Gauge 1:148 to 1:160 scales. The actual pipe is also provided in cut lengths of tube at approximately 40mm long representing the 6m (20ft) tube lengths.
For each of the two sizes we include 5 lengths of pipes and these can be cut down to shorter lengths or joined using straight connectors or other fittings as provided in the kit. Remember for straight pipe runs exceeding 15m scale length (100mm) a U-shape section of pipe or Slip-joints would be included to allow for expansion, the U shape also making an interesting feature particularly at the end of the run where the U shape is used to turn pipe through 90 degrees. Other point to note is that hand-wheels are not always fitted to valves, where interference would interrupt a process or cause a safety issue, so these need not be fitted everywhere. More recently straight lever valves are used. Separate flanges have been included for use at every joint, although some fittings have these preformed as part of the casting, these flanges being left off if welded pipe joints are to be represented. When joining two fittings together the pipe-connection spigot can be cut-off and any integral flanges can be reduced in thickness and butt-jointed but ensure ends remain flat and square prior to gluing together. Pipes are sometimes colour-coded to indicate what they carry and are always labelled at demountable joints, valves etc. A joint flange could be painted a particular colour to represent the labelling