Ok, so I’ve gone with The Worlds Greatest Hobby Track Pack (From Kato) and I’m wanting to run coal, so I need a coal mine, not to sure where to look, you can follow the link in my signature to see my setup if you get an idea. All ideas are appricated.
Mike
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?quick=coal+mine
Here’s a couple to give you an idea.
Could you provide some additional information??
WHat scale are you modeling, your site looks like HO in the present day?
What is your expeerience level? Beginner, experienced modeler or somewhare in the middle? It would do no good from someone to recommend a crafstman kit to someone who is just starting in the hobby. There are many coal mine structures available from simple plastic kits to large (expensive) craftsman kits. Have you done any kitbashing?
How much space do you have available on your layout for the mine and assocaited structures? You layout looks like a 4x8 sheet. Are you thinking deep mine, open pit, or imagine the mine off the layout with loading structures visible?
Another option would assume the mine is far away, and deliver coal from staging tracks.
Your desire to model coal trains doesn’t force you into modeling a coal mine. There are also a long list of industries that received trainloads of coal such as steel mills, power plants, coal retailers and distributors, etc. Coal mines are great if you want to model a more rural scene, but a receiver can be easily fitted into town and urban scenery. Like everything else in this hobby, it’s your railroad and you have lots of choices.
I’m running HO, present era, on a 4’x8’ table, I’m a begginer, this is the first layout I have attempted. I have tried to kitbash, but its just not my thing. And just to clarify, I wouldn’t mind having a ballast loading/factory/whatever its called instead of coal, I really just want to run bethgons [:-^] I will take some more photos for you guys, thanks for the advice.
Mike
As you guys can see, I have plenty of room to do stuff (I’m not knowing what I’m doing with trees and stuff until i get buildings down.
Mike
Since you’re modelling suburban Chicago I’d say your best bet would be simply to run the coal trains as bridge traffic running through your layout on their way to steel mills or power plants in either Chicago or Gary, Indiana.
Thats exactly what I was thinking, not too sure what structers to use though.