Going to take a stab at modeling the above-ground parts of this mine. Only three major components, the slope entrance, the hoist house, and the hoist itself.
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Does this fall under the don’t start new projects list?!
Nope, I had the tower and the pipe already cut, in a pile in my shelves… 
Some work today. Did some repairs on the tower, and added the top sheave wheel, supports and bracketing. Built some of the chute, and took a cut at how the ore skip rails would have been laid out.
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Next up I’ll work on the proportions for the ‘gunboat’ that hauls the coal out of the mine. Simple steel box with a few features, and the mechanism to hoist and dump.
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Third time’s the charm? Took a couple prototypes to get it to look right, but this will work nicely. A piece of welding rod is taking place of the cable for photographic purposes. Next is to build the runners for the bottom and add a couple details, and then maybe batter it a bit. I need to rummage in my Ozark parts box to see if I have a clevis large enough or if I’ll need to make something.
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I am stealing this trick for our own purposes!
Thansk!
Eric
Very nice.
Do you have a location in mind on your layout?
This will go somewhere around the new location for the Majestic mine. Not really sure yet.
Sounds like a plan! At least it’s got a place to go to! 
Really neat build, Bob.
Funny how the box just scrapes along the wear strips, no wheels. I imagine there would also be some guide bars beneath the box, inside the rails, to keep it tracking along.
You’re really kickin butt, my hat’s off to ya!
At one time there were a lot of little “Mom & Pop” mines similar to that in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. I once was taking a walk in the woods behind Wicanisco, and stumbled onto an abandoned ten-track hopper gathering yard, probably ex-Reading RR.
Yours, David Meashey
So is this going to be operational? Will it move up and down on its own? Probably over guessing it. It will be a nice addition either way
This will be fun. Especially as I am working on my mine complex. Very much a different type of operation. On thing I am toying with is having at least the top portion of the main hoist exposed. In the era I am modeling, it was completely enclosed. But at various times and remodels it has been exposed and as it sits today it is exposed. And since I get to do what ever I want I might do it.
Not to take away from Mike’s thread
This showed up today.
Washed everything to get any oils or whatever off. Next up, assembly!
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Went together easily. A few support nibs I had to sand off but nothing bad. Left off some of the piping until I know the layout of the building.
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looks great. Can’t wait to see it installed and “in use” as it were.
Where’s the blow off valve ?
That would be over with the boiler in the fan house. The tank on the hoist is just a steam accumulator.
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You know thats a good point. You are the first one to mention that. I had not realized until now that I omitted it. I put a pair of them on all my locomotives but never occurred to me to pit one on these donkeys. And honestly I don’t recall having ever seen one in the pictures. But I would think they had to be there. What would prevent them from over pressurized and exploding.
But in fairness the one Bob bought is sans boiler… this was a prototype I came across locally. And it had to have a remote boiler or steam source somewhere else. That tank is just that its like a reserve tank or a pressure tank or something. It was odd when I saw it and new I wanted to model.it so when Mike and I decided to do a small single drum winch I went with it. Not really sure why it has that tank.
But on all the others with a boiler there should be a pop off valve.