I recently came across a new manufacturer, at least new to me, and was delighted to find that he has a nice inexpensive, fairly easy to build house kit, that looks just like the kind of mine worker company house found all over the Mid-West in the early part of the 20th century.
Here for example is the very house that my Father-in-law was born in some 75 years ago. This is a recent image so the house has more modern siding. 8 kids were raised in this house, the offspring of a miner, killed in the mine when my Father-in-law was 8.
I have scratch built my own version of the house, here are a couple of my efforts.
Anyway, I became aware of this kit and purchased one and plan to build it over the next week or so. It really is a great basis for a model of a company house and as you can see is very in keeping with the prototype shot.
Nice work, Simon! [:)][tup] I would be very interested in seeing build photos, if you feel so inclined. Thanks, too, for the link. I’ve been looking for some more smallish ~3" x 3" housing for my small layout town.
Simon, may I suggest possibly adding a screen door to one or both of your company houses. If I were living in one of these, I’d have one - especially on a day like we had today. [xx(]
Funny you should mention the heat. One of the things I have been researching are the outbuildings that even a small home like this would have. The good old outhouse is an obvious one, but it turns out that it was common to have a “Summer Kitchen” and a smokehouse so that the heat of cooking and laundry type activities were removed from the main living areas during the heat of the Illinois summer. None of these places had AC of course. In this particular town they all had “free” hot water and steam heat in the winter provided by the coal mine power station.
In the MR Clinchfield series, there was a company house which I upscaled to HO and has been sitting on my layout oer 20 years “watching the action” on a hill on my layout. And it was only cut out of styrene sheet, scribed and assembled with masking tape to represent the tar paper… it did not take long to build a fair representation of a company house… so have a go.
You might also try American Model Builders, Laser Kit # 798. It is available through Walthers. I built five of them for my company town along with a general store(make that company store). For the most part keep it simple most Coal Companies did not spend a lot of money or time on houses for their workers. According to my Grandfather miners were indentured slaves to the companies, under paid, overworked, and overcharged in the stores for everything needed.
Simon, first of all thanks for the link and photo. I’ve seen similar houses scattered across the southern U.S. all my life, usually with some type of small porch on the front. And you’re right on about the separate from the main house kitchens. Not only did that serve to remove heat but also as a precaution against cooking fires that got out of hand and burning down the entire structure.
I have that very kit on my layout and it is a nice one. I had thought about adding a couple of more next to it. However, I wanted to add some variety, as well. Unfortunately, you can only put that kit together one way.
I do like Jarrell’s mention of a small porch. An old ringer-type washing machine, sitting next to the back door, would be quite appropro for that old country town look.
Thanks Tatans, I appreciate that scratch-building has a lot of character, but so many folks have not the desire or the time to do this. I happened to think that this particular kit at under $15 was a really good value and a great way to get some exposure to wooden kit construction. When I build this kit I anticipate that it will get some mods to make it mine, per se. I’ll probably get started on it next week sometime once I get back from a business trip.
Hi SleeperNO6. I just finished an N scale Atlas kit called KATE’S COLONIAL HOME KIT. Atlas part #2844. I found it on the sale table at one of my local hobby shops. I only paid $12.00 for it so i wasn’t expecting much. I painted all the parts before assembly to give it a little help. This turned out to be one of the nicest kits i have ever done. Very little flash, and all the parts fit perfectly. There are more kits in the series which is called “THE LOVELY LADIES HOME SERIES”. Such a nice name. Mike
not on my computer, as soon as i get to go up there i’ll take some pics. But actually this house was build for the company, and was later owned by my great grandfather, when the mine left the town. Its in Beaverdale Pennsylvania. The town is pretty much run down, the nearest city is in Johnstown, and about 15 miles away from there in St. Micheals there in the Norfolk Southern South Fork Secondary, there is plenty of action in south fork near there , and Johnstown. But the House it self is made of Stone from the river running about 5 miles away. Its 2 stories and has a basement, it is a a rectangle shape about 30 feet long and 17ft wide (estimating size here). There is many other homes there that are boarded over and rat invested. From the second floor you can see the old coal mine, and if you go about 3 miles up the road, there is more coal piles, with a old railroad bridge. From what my father has told me there was a conveyor system from the mine to a truck loading area, my dad wasn’t sure about a direct railroad connection but i’m assuming that there was. I’m modeling my railroad off the scenary of Beaverdale and Southfork. Also My Great Grandfather worked in the coal mines when he was 12 years old according to my grandmother. In Johnstown there is still plenty of trains going by, mostly coal traffic from what i’ve seen, there is also Johnstown America, the company that produces the bethgon coal porter. I guess you can say my family on my dads side has been integrated in coal mining, as well as railroading. The house was built in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.
I find this stuff fascinating. I still can’t quite imagine what drove people from other parts of the world to come and move to the US to become a miner. Let’s face it, early 20th century mining was dangerous and the conditions both below and above the ground were hardly idyllic! Plus the pay was not much to speak of. When they got here, was it really a better life?
This is all that is left of the mine that killed my Grand Father in-law. Basically it is just the power house that provided steam and electricity for the mine and the surrounding village.
