HELP!!! How Do I Make this a Mica Facility???

[cefinkjr]

A friend just purchased the Silver King Ore House kit and wants me to build it for him.

Our problem is that he wants this to represent a mid-20th century, Appalachian mica loading facility and neither of us has any idea how such an animal would look. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Chuck

PS: Sorry I can’t show you a picture but I couldn’t get the durned thing to link properly.

[Shilshole]

Is it the Blair Line kit? If so, you’re probably good to go as it is for a loading facility. As I recall, larger facilities around Spruce Pine, NC, had/have corrugated roofing throughout, but undoubtedly some facilities had shingle/tarpaper roofing, as in the kit.

Mica in the Appalachians is usually found in pegmatite veins (primarily feldspar + quartz), so your ore will be very light in color – white or light gray – and everything in and around the facility will have a variable dusting of white. In the Southern App pegmatites, both the feldspar and mica are/were economically important (mica not so much anymore), so both were either processed onsite (primarily by crushing and flotation) or shipped from reloads to regional facilities for separation and further processing. If you’re planning an interior, it probably wouldn’t have much more than a lift, maybe a crusher if one wasn’t present at the mine.

[cefinkjr]

Is it the Blair Line kit?

The same. I haven’t seen it yet but my friend eMailed a picture to me that he scanned from the Walthers catalog. I just matched the picture to their online catalog and you’re right; it’s the Blair Line kit.

Mica in the Appalachians is usually found in pegmatite veins (primarily feldspar + quartz), so your ore will be very light in color – white or light gray – and everything in and around the facility will have a variable dusting of white.

I had noticed that graphite has the right color and a bit of a shine. The grains even have the proper flaky shape under 3X magnification. What think you of graphite for spilled HO scale mica? Not sure how I’m going to hold it in place though.

In the Southern App pegmatites, both the feldspar and mica are/were economically important (mica not so much anymore), so both were either processed onsite (primarily by crushing and flotation) or shipped from reloads to regional facilities for separation and further processing.

Great! We’ll be loading some of those beautiful Bowser ACF 70 ton covered hoppers; the Clinchfield cars are lettered “For Mica Loading Only”. But how would the mica get from the mine to this loading facility? Should it be installed next to a fairly steep hill side with a narrow gauge mine tramway feeding it? (That would give me an excuse to lay some Code 40 24" gauge track. [:D] )

[quote user=“Shilshole”]
If you’re planning an interior, it probably wouldn’t have much more than a lift, maybe a crusher if one wasn’t present at the mine.

[Shilshole]

What think you of graphite for spilled HO scale mica? Not sure how I’m going to hold it in place though.

Graphite might work, but it would be overkill. By the time they come out of a mine and are crushed for transport or processing, mica flakes generally are no larger than the size of a fingernail, and generally smaller. But more important, most commercial mica is/was muscovite or phlogopite, both of which are only slightly colored (like weak tea) if at all. Even the black mica (biotite) loses much of its dark appearance once the mica books are reduced to flakes. What you want to achieve is a sparkly or glittery appearance of light colored material to simulate spilled mica. I recall seeing ads in MR or RMC for a powder used to simulate snow, but can’t remember who offered it – perhaps Vintage Reproductions?

But how would the mica get from the mine to this loading facility? Should it be installed next to a fairly steep hill side with a narrow gauge mine tramway feeding it? (That would give me an excuse to lay some Code 40 24" gauge track.

The tramway would work fine, and since mica isn’t very dense, the equipment wouldn’t have to be very robust. Or you could steal a page from actual pegmatitite operations and feed the loader through a covered conveyor, similar to those used for conveying coal. Be aware, though, that loading covered hoppers labelled for exclusive mica shipment (or any fine-grained material) implies a fair amount of processing before the product reaches the loader; it’s unlikely that the tramway or conveyor would run directly from the mine to the loader (unless, of course, the pegmatite was extremely rich in mica, and/or some primary crushing and separation occurred at the mine and even underground – which, in fact, is prototypically correct for a large base-metal mine in eastern Tennessee). On the other hand, it is p

[cefinkjr]

But more important, most commercial mica is/was muscovite or phlogopite, both of which are only slightly colored (like weak tea) if at all. Even the black mica (biotite) loses much of its dark appearance once the mica books are reduced to flakes. What you want to achieve is a sparkly or glittery appearance of light colored material to simulate spilled mica.

An exact description of the powdered graphite I use to lubricate Kadee couplers.

…unless, of course, the pegmatite was extremely rich in mica, and/or some primary crushing and separation occurred at the mine and even underground – which, in fact, is prototypically correct for a large base-metal mine in eastern Tennessee).

Perfect. Using just a little modelers’ license, this mica facility will be located in Trammel, VA – just 20 miles or so (the way the crow flies) from the VA-TN border.

After this discussion and in consideration of where this structure will be located on the layout, I’m thinking now that an enclosed conveyor belt from the mine, the crushing, etc. will be the best way to go here. That conveyor belt can conveniently and realistically disappear as the adjacent main line will be diving into a tunnel just beyond this facility.

Thanks a lot for your help, Shilshole. [bow]

Chuck