Large Scale Central

Old mine mill

Modeling
#1

I’m getting ready to build a late 1800s-early 1900s gold or silver mill for the layout. I need it to have rail car delivery because it will be one of the industries for the layout.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking on the internet for pictures so I’d have an idea what I’m doing. No luck.
Any thoughts?

#2

Hi Doug.

I wonder if you have looked at the many ghost town/abandoned mine web sites. There are very many pics to see; some probably useful others less so.

#3

I’m not sure of the date, but Western Scale Models makes a kit: http://www.westernscalemodels.com/Structures/10-StampGoldMill.htm Not cheap, but looks nice. Campbell has a couple of kits in the smaller scales that you could use as a reference. The East Terrible is a 10-stamp mill complex, proto-typical of many built in the 1890’s–not only in the West, but also throughout the world.

(http://www.pawstrains.com/5901%20terrible.jpg)

Some other neat ideas here: http://www.excaliburmineral.com/models.htm This guy has a small stamp mill that looks doable: http://home.comcast.net/~ronin_engineer/yosemiteshortline.html

#4

Doug,
Have you poked around Ray Dunakin’s website?
He has a lot of ghost town and mine pictures from his camping trips.
Ralph

#5

Doug,

Try here. Type in mines or mining etc.
http://www.photoswest.org/

#6

Jon Radder posted a reply to someone else on the list this morning. that may also be a great help to gandy dancers researching buildings to build. The Library of Congress is building a huge online directory of buildings, plans and pictures. Take a look at

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

#7

:smiley: There is some amazing stuff in the HAER database. Super Hi-Res too, so there are no issues with trying to deal with crappy scans some people post.

#8

For some reason, intact mine structures are more common than mills. Most of the mill sites I’ve seen have been in ruins. The Belmont Mill in Nevada is the best preserved mill I’ve seen:

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/Hamilton-Belmont_NV.html

That page starts with photos of the mine, the mill pics are near the end.

#9

BTW, I forgot to mention that you can find lots of mill stuff in various issues of the Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette.

#10
Doug Arnold said:
I'm getting ready to build a late 1800s-early 1900s gold or silver mill for the layout. I need it to have rail car delivery because it will be one of the industries for the layout. I've spent a lot of time looking on the internet for pictures so I'd have an idea what I'm doing. No luck. Any thoughts?
That was 10 days ago....is it built yet? ;)
#11

David,
I remember a thread here about the build of the passenger shed in your avatar, but I can’t seem to find it.

Dan you refer me to that url?

I’m going to build a similar one for my WI&M to match what they had at Stanford, Idaho.

#12
Steve Featherkile said:
David, I remember a thread here about the build of the passenger shed in your avatar, but I can't seem to find it.

Dan you refer me to that url?

I’m going to build a similar one for my WI&M to match what they had at Stanford, Idaho.


Steve,
That was my first structure build and was made from foam,coroplastic and held up quite well so far however most of the pictures have been shuffled on photobucket and no longer exist. It was a simple build and I would be happy to answer any questions you want to know but I don’t want to jack up Dougs thread. I can e-mail you pics if you like,or eventually put the pics back in?
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=8586

#13

Dick Weatherby has some nice mine buildings -

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/gardenrailways/marylandcentral/tipple1.jpg)

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/gardenrailways/marylandcentral/tipple2b.jpg)

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/gardenrailways/marylandcentral/tipple3b.jpg)

-Brian

#14

I look forward to seeing your pictures and feel free to put the pics in. I figure the more pictures there are the more ideas people get.
Thanks

#15

Excellent reference Brian!
Forgot about that!

#16

Thanks Brian, I pulled those off to put in my mine file.

#17

That is beautiful work that Dick Weatherby has done. Does anyone know how Dick treated that metal roof on the mill?

#18

Doug he uses one of the two part paint on system. I use the Sophisticated Finishes solutions (rusting sol’n seen here) picked up at my local Micheals or online at Dick Blick - http://www.dickblick.com/products/instant-iron-and-instant-rust/ -

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/GR%20blog/blackening1.jpg)

Good for mine cars -

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/forums/tipcarsonhill.jpg)

or wheels, trucks and couplers -

(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/forums/B-Oboxcar1.jpg)

-Brian

#19

I actually have some I’ll use. I’ll need more but it gives me an excuse to go to Dick Blick in Pasadena! I want to get some paint there anyway! Thanks.