Mill Towns

[GrizzlyBuilder 0]

I'm thinking of making a mill town like Lowell,  Massachusetts or Manchester.  I'm asking for ideas for what to use and layout.  Also what can I use for the mill itself

[jay_allen1978 0]

the stex is useful, there are a couple of mills there. goodluck

[connor_v 3]

I live in a mill town. Some things you might consider is a seperate railway landing at the mill, a large log yard as well. Some things I don't think will be on the stex will be logyards and Porta-cranes. Porta-cranes are the large double-tiered cranes that move up and down fixed track in a log yard to move logs from one place to another. This may be a good thing to bring up with a batter, as someone may be interested in batting it. And smaller log towns near forests will always have log trucks going through, so many motels and restaurants along the main strip of highway closest to the mill is a must. Town mills are usually built on the site of an older mill that would have burned down/been demolished, so it should be situated near a river as well, as older mill were usually built before railways.

I hope I was of some help.

[GrizzlyBuilder 0]

Thank you! But conner_v are we talking about log mills or textile mills? I was thinking about textiles, like from the 1810-1870s. The book "Mill" by David Macaulay was my inspiratation for an ex-milltown, now bedroom community. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

[Micah 16]

I believe the "STEX - Simtropolis Exchange" forum would be more appropriate for this topic.

Edit: Moved.

[Metroking 0]

Well, I live in a town called Oldham in Greater Manchester, UK. It is an old mill town that has long since been facing decline, with its prosperous areas being bedroom communities of Manchester city (other areas are declining due job losses, crime etc). If you want a modern day milltown, then from experience I say it would be cool and realistic to make it a declining town, with plenty of working class/poverty stricken families.

I'd say it would be best to make a town of dirty industry, beside a large commercial city, with certain districts having decent road connections and public transport into the commercial city. The town should have a small commercial district, mainly built from civic buildings and low income businesses. As for textures and BAT buildings, not really knowledgeable on those I'm afraid

Still, if its the old 19th century feel you want, I'd say its best to find some good customs buildigns for mills. As for running the town, depends on what you want from it. If it's a small friendly mill town, then good policing, private schools (back in those days kids either went to private school or worked in the mills). Fairly good policing and outlying farms. If it's 19th century manchester, then you want a mass of dirty industry, R$$$ housing on the oustskirts, with over crowding tenements and high crime (pretty lawless places) in the centre, maybe a few riots, and definately R$ in the centre.