Build an animated sawmill and storage shed

It’s nice to have structures on our railways. You can often see coaling towers, sand stations, water towers, and sometimes a sawmill.

A sawmill can also be a source of additional industries, such as a lumber store for cut planks or a log storage area, featuring an overhead crane.

You might add animated features to your sawmill. The saw blade might have an alternating or a simple rotating saw movement. The carriage carrying the logs might be moving on the rails as the log is cut. There is no limit to details that can be added to such a model!

I built a French-type sawmill that looks like something located in the Alps.

wood pieces on white background — The saw installed into the support frame. Gérard Villibord photo

I chose to build a swing-blade sawmill. The saw is inserted into a wooden frame. The log carriage contains a head block and knee block to keep the log in alignment as the saw blade passes by.

illustration of log carriage and saw frame — In this 1968 illustration by Jack Work, you see a view of the log carriage and saw frame. See more in the July 1968 issue of *Model Railroader*.

I also built a shed to contain the saw, keeping in mind that I wanted one wall exposed to let viewers see the inside. The roof is made from wood plank slices, replicating what was typically done in this region.

partially built side of wood sawmill — The sawblade frame has been installed in place of the sawmill. Gérard Villibord photo

Power for the sawmill might come from several sources. In my case, it’s via a water wheel. I built a wooden wheel from scratch and installed an electrical motor below the sawmill’s ground floor.

wood model of log carriage and saw frame — The log carriage is positioned at the head of the saw frame. Gérard Villibord photo

To make the sawmill more realistic, I added several tools like a spare linear saw, hammers, screwdrivers, lanterns, etc. I included plenty of windows in the rear wall to let in natural light and also show the countryside.

model of wooden water wheel with two figures — The author built a wooden water wheel to power the sawmill. The wheel rotates via a motor mounted under the sawmill’s ground floor. Gérard Villibord photo

I used a section of Code 350 rail to build an overhead crane. I linked the rail to the sawmill building on one side, and added a frame on the opposite end. I built a moving hoist out of styrene sheet, added miniature wheels for the pulleys, and used some chain from old costume jewelry. The crane carries logs from an open-air storage area to the saw carriage.

model of sawmill storage shed — The sawmill before the roof was added. One side was left exposed, to allow viewers to see the details inside. Gérard Villibord photo

The storage building stores the wooden boards made by the sawmill. This is a two stage structure needing a staircase (not an easy task!). The ground floor houses the girders, while the boards are on the first floor.

closeup of details inside model sawmill — The author added tools and other details inside of the sawmill. Gérard Villibord photo

The three units (saw mill, crane, and storage building) are installed along a track on Gérard Villibord’s railway. It’s quite a long assembly of more than 140 cm (55 inches)!