Manufacturer
Micro-Trains Line Co.
P.O. Box 1200
Talent, OR 97540
www.micro-trains.com
Era: early 1900s to present
Comments: If your Z scale layout is set in farm country, Micro-Trains’ grain elevator and storage shed will be must-have additions for your model railroad. The laser-cut wood kits use tab-and-slot construction and feature peel-and-stick doors, windows, and trim; signs; printed paper roofing; and clear window glazing.
At just under 31/2″ tall, the grain elevator certainly looks the part of a Z scale prairie skyscraper. A piece of aluminum wire is included for use as the grain spout; it must be bent to shape by the modeler following the template in the instructions. The covered truck-unloading area features a one-piece ramp with factory-milled board detail. The elevator’s footprint is 2-3/8″ x 2-7/8″.
The storage shed is a companion structure to the grain elevator. The shed has a footprint of 1-1/4″ x 2-1/4″. There are two loading doors on each side, so a siding can be located on either side of the building.
Probably the coolest features of the shed are the peel-and-stick gas and power meters. They both have separately applied readouts! Yes, these parts are quite tiny.
The grain elevator and storage shed kits both have well-written and illustrated instructions, making them easy to build for both newcomers to the hobby and experienced modelers.
