New River Mine question

phantom Dec 1, 2015

  1. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    I just picked up the cornerstone "New River Mine" and noticed that the tipple or coal loading area sat so low a locomotive could not pass under it. If I jacked up the mine so a locomotive could pass under it, would that be prototypically allowed? At first I was thinking, locomotives would not be allowed under the loader fearing they might set the coal on fire. But then I thought steam locomotives ran under many coal tipples......

    My reasoning for this, if I can run locos under the tipple, then I can save space and just have a long 3 track yard.


    [​IMG]
     
  2. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Seems like raising it is your best option. Real mines would either have a dedicated switcher, or some kind of tow cable to move cars. If this weren't the case it wouldn't be possible to move cars for loading after they got dropped off. The other option is to have a continuous track so a train can simply be loaded as it moves underneath.

    The same applies for grain elevators and other large loading. Most modelers seem to just fake it most of the time.
     
  3. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    I think that if this were a model of a real mine that the locos would not pass under the tipple . The empty cars would be shoved under the tipple with the car nearest the loco spotted under the chute . Then the cars would either be pulled with a car puller , or coast down with a man on the brake wheel , to the storage area near the main line .
     
    BoxcabE50 likes this.
  4. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    interesting. HHmmm....
     
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'd agree with what Mike has described.
     
  6. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    It's interesting to see how people have handled mining on layouts over the years.

    Do you simply spot some cars on mine spurs and pretend about the actual loading. Or, do you have the old pass through system for loads and empties between coal mine and a power plant that goes under the scenery; Easier for small scales where it's hard to use real loads.

    I found this video where the double ended lines are described. It's about 2 minutes in. http://mrv.trains.com/series/histor...013/06/history-according-to-hediger-episode-7

    It's pretty cool to see this old project layout described. I think I got every issue on that series, as I had a subscription.
     
  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    There was a topic about constructing this mine, with video, and it was fantastic. Might search the HO or Inspection Pit Forums to find it again.
     
  8. wcfn100

    wcfn100 TrainBoard Member

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    From the instruction sheet.

    "Empty hoppers are brought in by the railroad and stored on a siding to the left of the tipple. This siding has a slight downgrade so empties can be rolled (using gravity) or pulled down under the loader with a large winch. Once loaded, the cars roll down hill to a scale track for weighing and then onto load tracks, where they're stored until picked up by the railroad. If motive power is available, unit trains can also be loaded in a similar manner."

    Jason
     
  9. porkypine52

    porkypine52 TrainBoard Member

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    If the mine was in the flat lands it would be laid out differently than if it was in the hills/mountains. Most mines in Illinois, Indiana & West Kentucky were laid out so that GRAVITY did a lot of the work when moving cars under the tipple, loading and then releasing loaded cars to be picked up by the road engines. Most mines did not have a mine locomotive for switching out cars. The empty yard would be laid out on a grade above the load out. All a car spotter had to do was release the brakes, ride the empty car down into the loading area. Then apply the brakes under the loading area, have the car loaded, then release the brakes and the car would roll down into the departure yard. Everything , except for the loading area, was built on a slight grade down hill. If it was a real big mine, it might have a car puller or assigned locomotive, but that was the exception, rather than the rule.
    For a mine in the hills or mountains, where there was no room for an empty yard, a car puller was used. Or the mine would use anything available to move the empty or loaded cars. The load out track would be extended beyond the mine, empty cars shoved up to the end of the track, and a loader would shove the cars under the load out to be loaded and then the cars would be shoved down past the load out to wait for pickup. You can see where a car was shoved by a loader, by the damage the gets done to it. Bent stirrups, end beams and ladders. Not to mention when a car gets derailed by the loader.

    One thing that drives me NUTS is all these NICE, CLEAN, MINE TIPPLES!!! Coal tipples and the surrounding area are ALWAYS DIRTY. Spilled coal and coal dust is EVERYWHERE. The older the mine, the worse it is.
     
    Jeepy84 likes this.
  10. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks guys this has been vary in lightning. I learned a a lot. I wish I had the room to do it right. But here is what I'm thinking of doing.
    [​IMG]
     
  11. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    Just as a fallow up, I found this video on assembly and painting of the cornerstone kit:

     
    subwayaz likes this.
  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    This is the video I referenced earlier in the topic. Glad you found it!
     
  13. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    O dear.... Now I feel bad... Sorry guy... :(
     
  14. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    He hand't linked it. No worries. :) besides it's Boxcab, he's the nicest guy around and never takes things the wrong way. ;)
     
  15. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    That's good. :) Thanks :)
     
  16. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Glad you posted the link. I was busy with a few other things, so had not been able to look. :)
     
  17. gary60s

    gary60s TrainBoard Member

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    Some of you may have overlooked it, but I did a shrunk version of the NRM. It is scratch built, and is almost half the size of the original. Even though it may not be prototypical in some states I made the loading area high enough to accommodate locos (24').
    I first drew it in 2011 so it's not new. Here is the link:

    http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?resources/shrunk-new-river-mine.86/
     
  18. phantom

    phantom TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the info. :) Great drawings.
     

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