modern coal mines

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

hello all,

I am a returning MRer back from a 10 yr break. Glad to see the community here.

I am now planning my new home layout and would like the focus to be a coal mine. Just about all that I have seen in MR mag and the like seem to be from at the latest the late 1940s. (I do appreciate the older stuff though)

I have found a few of BNSF’s coal filling stations on the net and think that is at least a great start for having a prototype to look at. (If anyone would like the pics let me know). I have only found the Walthers kits that resemble these modern coal mines. Does anyone know if perhaps Micro Engineering ect. has a better model or is the W kit nice enough to start with? (will most likely bash it to the images)

thank you all

Dan

2

Hi Dan, welcome to the forum. We have had a few chats on here regarding mines, but many of the modellers, like me are modelling earlier times . The Walthers New River mine kit is about the nearest you will get to a modern mine. It is seemingly back in stock at Walthers so should be available. Several folks were looking for it a few weeks ago and it was out of stock. There is another choice as well http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/700-24 though it may not be easy to find.

3

Hello Dan,

First off welcome back and we are glad to have you. As for the modern coal mines , I have the walthers kits western coal flood loader and the first coal floodloader. The type of mine I had {in process of rebuilding the mill and layout } was a strip mine.

I took an O scale lionel shovel and kit-bashed it to HO, kinda looks like a P&H stripping shovel. The shovel feed a fleet of eight off road euclid trucks, they in turn ,took the coal to the floodloader . But since Ertl die cast makes a 1:98 P&H shovel, i think this shovel will look better than my kit-bash project. Gonna buy this shovel soon.

Try e-bay for coal mine kits and flood loaders.

Patrick
Beaufort,SC
Dragon River Steel Corp {DRSC} “Rebuilding goes on”
Soon to be making even more HO scale steel by the ton !!!

4

thanks Simon,

thats what I thought might be. I did see the Walthers western coal flood loader 933-3089 today, and also what was called a ‘coke mine’ or ‘coke mill’ -can’t remember exactly but looked very interesting. I may have to learn more about this to justify adding it to my plans.

I did take a look at your progressing layout and I must say you have those impressive modeling skills that show up everywhere. I love the Zephyr Route.

  • may all your locals be relativly on time.

Dan

5

thanks dragon,

i think i will go with the walthers kits, somehow at first i got the impression they were like the old bachman stuff but it seems they have nice castings.

Dan