Coal mine layout 9 x 12
- Thread starter sinebar
- Start date
Hmm...unless you are going to open a big open pit mine in Wyoming, a coal road almost always involves mountains, tunnels, and bridges. If you'd rather not have these and want a mostly flat layout, why not model something like a granger road that picks up and delivers wheat from prarie skyscrapers to to something like bakeries or cereal makers in the city. That would be a lot more believable than a flat coal road.
Well maybe I can take a coal mine layout and get rid of the hills.
what he's saying is, it wouldn't be prototypically accurate to have a coal mine without it being hilly or mountainous.
It'd be like having a coal mine in FL..no hills, just flat land....just isn't accurate!
You could do a phosphate mine (basically a pit a crane digs into) in FL with a railroad running to a fertilizer plant..........that is if you want to keep the table flat.
It'd be like having a coal mine in FL..no hills, just flat land....just isn't accurate!
You could do a phosphate mine (basically a pit a crane digs into) in FL with a railroad running to a fertilizer plant..........that is if you want to keep the table flat.
I'm not too concerned about accuracy or authenticity. This is not going to be a prototype layout. Just want to do a lot of operating and have some fun with the trains.
Maxitrains
Member
so why don't U make a steel mill, which will need coal from the coal tower ( or whatever its called, and Iron ore, both will use open top hoppers if those are the kind of cars U like 
so why don't U make a steel mill, which will need coal from the coal tower ( or whatever its called, and Iron ore, both will use open top hoppers if those are the kind of cars U like
Yeah a steel mill is going to be one of my costomers.
Red Oak & Western
Active Member
Take a quick look at the attached picture. It's a mine head (Consideration No. 8) located on the prairies of IOWA! Those are cornfields in the background. Consideration No. 8 produced 840 tons of bituminous coal per 8-hour shift (as of 1928). Its primary customer was Iowa Power and Light. In 1895, Iowa was the 14th largest coal producing state. Illinois was #2, well ahead of Kentucky (#9) and West Virginia (#4). Just goes to show the old saying "there's a prototype for everything" is still true.
I can't get the file to upload so here's the url: http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/calvin&CISOPTR=363&CISOBOX=1&REC=16
I can't get the file to upload so here's the url: http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/calvin&CISOPTR=363&CISOBOX=1&REC=16
Thanks for the link. That's the kind of layout I'm looking for. Flat with a power company and what ever else uses coal.
There are coal mines all over Illinois. Some are strip mines, some are in the hills, but many operate beneath topographically boring farmland.
Here's the coal mine in Galatia, Illinois. I'm not sure what all goes on there, but they do have large-scale underground operations removing coal seams from beneath the surrounding farm fields in country that's flat or only slightly rolling.
When I worked at the coal mine we made a large train shipment regularly to a power plant, but most of our customers were concrete/cinder block factories. And those concrete block factories were in Central Texas flatland. Might be something to consider if you're looking for an additional industry on your layout.
Rico
BN Modeller
You don't need to have big hills for a mine, just a slab of styrofoam against the backdrop will do. I actually just spent the morning taking down three sections of my upper level, as plans have changed for the area, (as plans often do)
I'm not sure if I'll just salvage the parts, sell the modules, or just throw them into the boxcar for now.
Here's a picture, it started out with the Walthers New River Mining kit, but I narrowed it down for the 18" shelf. (from 3 tracks to two tracks)
The coal comes from the picture cut out from the box via the conveyor over the main line, goes thru the crusher plant, and gets sorted in the building up front.
The siding off the main only holds six cars to keep things interesting, and each loading track holds 6 cars either side of the chutes.
Rick
I'm not sure if I'll just salvage the parts, sell the modules, or just throw them into the boxcar for now.
Here's a picture, it started out with the Walthers New River Mining kit, but I narrowed it down for the 18" shelf. (from 3 tracks to two tracks)
The coal comes from the picture cut out from the box via the conveyor over the main line, goes thru the crusher plant, and gets sorted in the building up front.
The siding off the main only holds six cars to keep things interesting, and each loading track holds 6 cars either side of the chutes.
Rick
Here is a kit that fits a small area that I am in the process of scratch building.
The question I have is this. I am planning on using n or even z scale track for the ore carts and then trying to find the ore carts. Any suggestions?
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cam/cam433.htm
The question I have is this. I am planning on using n or even z scale track for the ore carts and then trying to find the ore carts. Any suggestions?
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cam/cam433.htm
I didn't find any mine cars in Z gauge but there are several in N, like the one at http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/255-80157.
