The Amoco oil refinery was the first heavy industry structure built after movingback to Minnesota from Japan. The basis is a Walthers refinery, crude storage tanks andload-out rack. Vollmer fractionating columns and a Plastruct petrochemical refinery wereadded. The flare tower is scratchbuilt and operational with grain alcohol.
The Birch Island Depot is scratchbuilt and is based on the Milwaukee Road depot in Spencer, Iowa. The depot performs a function by being a stop for the push-pull commuter trains bringing workers to the mill.
	By 1985, the period when the layout is set, the Milwaukee would not have been able to afford an SD-60M. But with artistic license, an SD-60M in the Hiawatha scheme and an FP-45 pass through Birch Island. The SD-60M is built from a Rail Power shell and the FP-45 uses an Athearn shell. Both have scratchbuilt frames and fuel tanks.
The Steelworkers of America's District 11, Local 61 union hall is located across the mainline from the works. The bar next door is appropriately named the "Hot Metal Bar" with a ladle of molten steel pouring into a cocktail glass.
	It is always a good idea to check other areas of the hobby shop. The "Psycho Mansion" by Polar Lights is HO scale. For a little fun, added "Mother" to the upper window and a motel named after a past infamous resident of central Wisconsin who Robert Bloch based the "Psycho" story on.
A Milwaukee "patrol" (local freight) switches the Green Giant cannery (one of the few non-heavy industries on the layout) in Birch Island. The late-model GP-9 is a Life-Like model that has yet to be detailed and repainted.
	A Milwaukee SD-10 and Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range SD-9 pull an empty ore train past the nickel plant on the way back to the Iron Range via the old NP and GN lines to Duluth. The SD-10 is modified Life-Like SD-7 with a Cannon cab, new brass handrails and Milwaukee details. The "555" was the only SD-10 with a newer EMD cab.
Milwaukee GP-40 and GP-35 haul a grain train across the fictional Minnesota River truss bridge. Eventually, Twin Cities & Western GP-20s and road slugs will traverse the line with grain cars, along with coal, coke and limestone cars for the CRSC coke works and Blue Circle lime kiln along the line.