Large Scale Central

Interesting mining RR photo

General Discussion
#1

This 1942 photo of a copper mine in Utah is pretty cool:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8945?size=_original

If you look carefully at the terraced slope in the background, you can see at least 8 short ore trains pulled by small, center-cab electric locos like the one on the bridge in the foreground. Also, there is a steam loco in the lower right corner, with the tender of another loco in front of it.

In the lower left corner is a small church, and what appear to be a couple houses, as well as portions of other buildings. Kind of surprising to see these so close to the workings of the massive open-pit mine.

#2

Quite an interesting picture. Thanks for sharing. Looks like an area that could easily be modeled and blended into a mural with a helix on each end to add the height. Could be fun.

#3

Very cool picture.

Although this is a pit mine, the operations aspect of it reminds me of the Inco Nickel Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where my wife lives. After the steam era they went electric. Now they’re running diesels but most of the overhead catenary poles still line the track even though the wire is long gone.

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/sudbury/mining.htm

The coolest rail operation I’ve seen there was when they’d dump the slag cars. Looks like a flow of lava.

#4

Dwayne Weyrich said:
Although this is a pit mine, the operations aspect of it reminds me of the Inco Nickel Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where my wife lives. http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/sudbury/mining.htm

This, from that, HAS to become a model

(http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/sudbury/incorailcar.jpg)

#5

Accucraft made a model similar to that car. A club member has a brand new one is for sale. It even drives with a working drive shaft and differential.
The trailer would have to be built, though.