Like Freddie I'm baaaack.
I haven't had any real problems lately, but now I'm trying to design a quarry or mine. Has anyone ran across good proto pictures of eather one that would be for an operation alongside the GN on the west slope of the Rockies?
I was looking at some modeled mines posted, but now the search function will not take me back to them.
Happy modeling.
Lee
I take it you are searching for above ground mines and not underground. Check out you local library for books on mining equipment. Look for the beasts that work the mines and you will notice that no 2 are alike. Every mine is diferent doe to the facts of topography, material mined, type of mine processes, Type of haulage ect,ect.
To be beleiveable all you have to model is a small portion of the mine and detail the haulout/rail loading portion.
Hope this helps
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
YO Pete
That might work. I read everything railroad but had not thought of mining equipment. Another problem is finding equipment, cars, trucks and loaders that would have been used in the late 40s or early 50s.It seem like everthing is late model, 80s or later.
Near me we have mines that go straight back into the Mississppi river bluffs from the railroad. I believe they are limestone mines but what would you have on the west slope of the Rockies?
Thanks for your post.
There was an article about quarries in a MR a few monthes ago that inspired this. Email me and we can talk more if you want to.
West slope of the Rockies, GN, in the 40's or 50's, the only mining I am aware of was the Vermiculite mine just N.E. of Libby MT. It was owned by WR Grace and operated as the Zonolite mine. It was basically a mountain of vermiculite that was processed "up on the mountain and then brought down into the Kootenai river valley and loaded into hoppers on the GN mainline. Incidentially there is much ado in Libby and the EPA the last 10 years because of the amount of asbestos was in the mineral back in the 50's. Google "Libby Montana" and you should be able to come up with many pics of the mine.
Again that is the only mine of any kind that I can remember on the WEST slope of the GN mainline. This area is (was) predominately logging. Most of the mining was down in Butte and Anaconda for copper. Which NP had a branch and the Milwaukee Road had a transcon.
The GN west slope starting on the Montana / Idaho line you had the towns of Troy, Libby, Fortine, Jennings, Whispering Pines, Eureka, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse, West Glacier, Essex to the summit. I'm sure I have forgotten a couple.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Thanks for post.Good ideas. I'm researching some of your suggestions. Maybe I could do a sawmill or lumber yard? I'm trying to get something interesting on a 5' X 18' layout. Have a switch yard in forground with tracks departing under a hill with a populated area on it. maybe i'll try taking a picture if I can encompass enough to make since.
Thanks
Happy Railroading.