Description
The HO Scale Dairy Transfer Stand from American Model Builders is based on the origin point for traffic that was hauled by milk trains. At one time milk trains were important components in the food chain supplying large city consumers with a supply of milk, butter, and cheese from the outlying farming communities. Before World War II and the prevalence of electricity in rural areas, farmers would need to make daily runs to the railroad station in their local towns in order to transport the day's fresh milk, which was carried in cans, to the creameries in the big urban areas for processing. Often a group of farmers far removed from a township would setup collection points, whereby the milk cans would be gathered and taken to a dairy depot of sorts. From here, wagons would be loaded up with the large group of milk cans and be taken to the train station, where the milk would be unloaded on one of the station's trackside platforms for loading into milk reefers or baggage cars.
After electrically powered refrigeration became a possibility for the local farmer, milk was not as time sensitive of a commodity any longer, and while milk cans were still collected locally, transportation to the dairy by truck on a slower schedule would take the place of these daily milk trains by the early 1950s.
The Dairy Transfer Stand laser-cut wood kit is based on rural milk can collection points and includes two platforms. The smaller platform represents an individual farm's milk can stand that may have been situated on its acreage nearest the county road. From here, the milk cans from area producers would be picked up by a cooperative and hauled to a main dairy hub such as the larger platform in this kit. Signs in this kit are based on the Behrenwald Farms Dairy, a real Michigan based family owned dairy farm still in operation today.
The Dairy Transfer Stand kit features tab and slotted wall and roof assembly; peel and stick windows, doors, and trim; simulated metal roofing; both cracked and solid office window glazing; platform side ladders; full color signage with large cow-shaped rooftop billboard; and an assortment of resin cast parts depicting milk cans, salt sacks, a hand truck, and other details for accessorizing the larger platform/office structure. The finished Dairy Transfer Stand structures measure:
Platform with office: 2-5/8 x 3-1/2 x 2-3/4" 6.7 x 8.9 x 7cm
Small Platform: 1-3/8 x 1-3/8 x 1/2" 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.3cm
After electrically powered refrigeration became a possibility for the local farmer, milk was not as time sensitive of a commodity any longer, and while milk cans were still collected locally, transportation to the dairy by truck on a slower schedule would take the place of these daily milk trains by the early 1950s.
The Dairy Transfer Stand laser-cut wood kit is based on rural milk can collection points and includes two platforms. The smaller platform represents an individual farm's milk can stand that may have been situated on its acreage nearest the county road. From here, the milk cans from area producers would be picked up by a cooperative and hauled to a main dairy hub such as the larger platform in this kit. Signs in this kit are based on the Behrenwald Farms Dairy, a real Michigan based family owned dairy farm still in operation today.
The Dairy Transfer Stand kit features tab and slotted wall and roof assembly; peel and stick windows, doors, and trim; simulated metal roofing; both cracked and solid office window glazing; platform side ladders; full color signage with large cow-shaped rooftop billboard; and an assortment of resin cast parts depicting milk cans, salt sacks, a hand truck, and other details for accessorizing the larger platform/office structure. The finished Dairy Transfer Stand structures measure:
Platform with office: 2-5/8 x 3-1/2 x 2-3/4" 6.7 x 8.9 x 7cm
Small Platform: 1-3/8 x 1-3/8 x 1/2" 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.3cm
