# A simple mine to RR building?



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello All
I'm looking to build a very simple building one that will sit over 2 tracks and allow the coal to be brought from the mine into the shack and then dumped into the waiting hoppers. I bought a book the "model RR guide to coal railroading and that has some really neat photos in it but not what I'm looking for. My mine would be a drift mine with no shaft is it as simple as a track coming from the mine with a small car pushed into the shack and then dumping its load into the hopper? Seems like there should be more to it? I don't have the room to do a sprawling processing plant. 
Can anyone direct me to a better source for photos of mining outfits? Or let me know what you have done to represent a simple mining operation on your layout. 
Thanks. Todd


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Bonner Mine, Colorado Model Structures. Take a look I have one sounds like it would work for you, unless you don't want to assemble a kit! Regal 

http://coloradomodel.com/default.htm 

You can see mine here on my layout! 

http://www.livestream.com/crazytrainguyschannel/


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I have just recently built the Colorado Model Structures mine building. It is about 28 inches high by 21 inches long and about 10 inches deep.

It only covers 1 track however.

The kit was super easy to build. It took only two nights.

It looks great on my railroad. I am building a shaft from the building into the mountain side this weekend. Then it will be ready for operation.

John


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

How simple is simple? 



























http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/pamines.html 

http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/coalmine.html


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Guys 
I am familiar with those Colorado structures, a friend of mine is building a couple right now a barn and a shack and they seem like a good value for the money. I like to build my stuff out of wood, just call me old fashioned. 
Mik you cannot get any simpler than the pictures you posted. I plan on building the same type of deal a track from the mine suspended by trestle\pilings over 2 tracks where the waiting hoppers will park except I want to put a building on top of it. Question is would there be any need for any other structures besides the mine head itself. I don't want to build a derrick and all the accompanying structures that would support a shaft mine since I don't really have the space. Besides maybe a couple of shacks for the miners to sleep in is there anything else I need to give the illusion that there is a big operation? I'm thinking the coal comes out of the mine in small carts into the building then dumped into the hoppers, the hoppes are 
then taken to a off layout processing plant or straight to the tipple for use in the locomotives. We mine only the highest quality coal here. 
Any thoughts?? 
BlueRegal I think it was you that commented on my latest video on youtube, Thanks man.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Sometimes space is at a premium and these things have to be sandwiched in as possible. In our case, ore cars are lifted from the mainline, hand-pushed into the dumping/processing facility, and dumped. The ore is then crushed within the facility, elevated, and conveyered to the awaiting railcar on an adjacent spur.

And sometimes, you can integrate your sprinkler into it (and Kalmbach will pay you to write about it). At least, that's how we did it. 

T&LBRR Gold Processing Facility


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Those are some mighty BIG NUGGETS you got there toddalin. Did I see that crane build featured somewhere ? It looks familiar.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 04 Mar 2011 06:31 PM 
Those are some mighty BIG NUGGETS you got there toddalin. Did I see that crane build featured somewhere ? It looks familiar. 

_Garden Railways Magazine_, August 2010.









From _Garden Railways Magazine_, April 2011:

Concrete Skinned Structures


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Ha I knew that looked familiar. Nicely done. I have been in GR magazine as well OCT. 2009 and Tips and Tricks OCT 2010. I have another tip on file to be printed at later date. I am working on another piece to be submitted soon if I can get off my butt and get it done. It is fun to write up an article and very exciting to get it printed in everyones favorite magazine. 
Keep up the good work and the good ideas.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 05 Mar 2011 08:21 AM 
Ha I knew that looked familiar. Nicely done. I have been in GR magazine as well OCT. 2009 and Tips and Tricks OCT 2010. I have another tip on file to be printed at later date. I am working on another piece to be submitted soon if I can get off my butt and get it done. It is fun to write up an article and very exciting to get it printed in everyones favorite magazine. 
Keep up the good work and the good ideas. 

I also have some Tips & Tricks published, including in the current April 2011 issue (and they even got my name right!). I have a few more good ones that I need to photo and send in.

I send my articles directly to Marc and he'll let you know within a couple weeks if it is desirable/printable. No sense in sending it to Kalmbach then waiting 6 months while it goes through channels to hear back if they like it or not. Marc has never turned me down.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 04 Mar 2011 05:10 PM 

Mik you cannot get any simpler than the pictures you posted. I plan on building the same type of deal a track from the mine suspended by trestle\pilings over 2 tracks where the waiting hoppers will park except I want to put a building on top of it. Question is would there be any need for any other structures besides the mine head itself. I don't want to build a derrick and all the accompanying structures that would support a shaft mine since I don't really have the space. Besides maybe a couple of shacks for the miners to sleep in is there anything else I need to give the illusion that there is a big operation? I'm thinking the coal comes out of the mine in small carts into the building then dumped into the hoppers,
From a prototypical point of view? The only reason to cover a simple dumping, rather than storage tipple would be if it was built as a wooden truss bridge. Then it would only be there to protect the structure itself, and would look something like a covered bridge stretched across the tracks with some small windows, and chutes out the side or bottom.



Mules are more likely than people powered. Full jennies weigh a LOT. Would you like to push your car up a hill 10-20 times a day? And mules are (usually) cheaper than miners. You should also figure on at least one turnout somewhere on the tramway between the mine adit and tipple to push the empty jennies out of the way to allow the full ones to pass. For a truly small operation, this could be the same one leading to your boney dump. But then, a small operation would usually only serve 1 track.

A 'big' operation would have it's own town, complete with company store, churches, breaker, washer, office, machine shop, pump house, blower house, power house. The mine I built, plus the village, is about as small as you can fake a big operation and still give the 'illusion'.... in 1/24 you're talking about something like 3' x 7' at a very minimum.


A 'small' operation, OTOH, with a single track will fit your space, unless it's right on the edge of the layout and you can give the impression there is more just over the edging. 


The only other prototypical option is a vertical shaft mine, which could have the hoist house integral with the tipple, but you'd still have a separate power house for safety reasons, and you'd lose the visual interest of the little tramway to the adits. 


There's a prototype for just about anything, but generally speaking, those are pretty much your choices. I can probably find a pic of a vertical shaft/tipple combo if you need one


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello 
Thanks for all the info and photos. I decided yesterday to go forward with building the mine structures. After looking at many photos I am kind of combining ideas to fit into my sloped area. There will be a covered coal dump where the hoppers will wait on 2 tracks. That building is 12x20x12 high which will be attached to another much larger structure 12x25x24 high. When put together they will form an L shape. I just might end up with a shaft mine after all and eventually build a derrick, maybe now just a separate power building. We shall see as the main building goes together plans change. I just finished a warehouse that as I was working on it developed a side building and a loading dock then that was partially covered. just like in the old days as companies grew pieces were added on to their buildings as the need arose. It is the same way here on my RR. 
Thanks again guys. 
And Toddalin you are right that Marc at GR is the go to guy and he usually gets back to you pretty quick.


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