Can anyone tell me how to model coal mines? I know Kalmbach has a book all about the coal mines but with money tight i was hopeing for online guides. Also if someone can give me an ariel veiw of their coal mine that would help give me a general idea.
First, draw a bulls-eye on your target. Coal mines come in a large variety of designs depending on region, era, kind of coal being mined… An Eastern Pennsylvania anthracite operation and a Powder River humongupit/floodloader are both coal mines, but bear absolutely no resemblance to each other.
Then, having decided on where and when, Google for prototype information. Unless you really want to build a model of someone else’s model, with its selective compression and probable inaccuracies, let the prototype be your guide. Just make sure it’s a prototype that fits in with your other modeling. (One well known ‘old coal mine’ kit is based on a prototype mine in far western Canada. It’s utterly unlike anything I have ever seen in photos of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.)
Photos of my collieries wouldn’t help you much. They were located in Japan.
As Chuck mentioned coal mining operations vary depending on what part of the country your modeling but if your talking Pennsylvania I would check these guys out at the Reading Modeler. The Reading is coal country and these guys do it right. If you want to see an excellent example of a coal hauling railroad with several mining operations chekc out Jim Hertzog’s Schamokin Divison. Jim is an expert on all things coal mining and coal hauling railroads
Search for “HABS-HAER” (Historic Americcan Building Survey-Historic American Engineering Record).
At that site search for “Kaymoor Mine”. That should give you tons of info.
Then you can search the HABS-HAER site for “coal mines”. You will get literally thousands of pictures and hundreds of drawings, maps and diagrams of prototype mines.
Well, this is probably a waste of time, seeing that the original poster posted his question 3 weeks ago and hasn’t been back to interact with the people who have responded to him, but what the heck - here is a link to a web page with some information on modeling Appalachian Coal Railroading:
This tipple reminds one of Tony Koester’s “Coal Fork tipple” in his Building a coal hauling railroad – A worthwhile purchase to learn more about the “whole picture” of a coal railroad.
If you are on Model Railroaders weekly email, these PDF-downloads are given a fair-sized discount, a few times a year.