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SLIM PICKINS' MINE
Here's a new layout. It's another half-metre X half-metre X half-metre "Micro Layout" but in O scale. That's 7.0mm to the foot scale (or approximately 1/4" to the foot if you can't figure metric: 1/48th scale).
Slim Pickins owns the mine - well, he used to. He went bust when the vein of a very rare mineral - Curio-site - ran out. He thought that's what had happened, but a couple of prospectors proved him wrong and it's in production again, albeit on a shoestring budget with decrepit equipment and doubtful OH and S practices.
The track is Peco 009/HOe/HOn30/HOn2 1/2 (9mm gauge) but at O scale that's 15 inches - more or less. The points are Egger-Bahn. The curves are TIGHT at 125mm to centre-of-track and the grades are STEEP!
Operation will basically be that one loco pulls a string of 6 or so Jouef Decauville HOe tippers out of the mine and up to the crusher where they will automatically uncouple. Another loco come up and takes them back down into the mine where they will automatically uncouple again. The process is repeated but with variations such as some spoil going to the dump, timber shoring going down into the mine, workers coming out of and going back down into the mine on personnel wagons, locos going to be serviced etc.
The layout's been constructed on a 40 x 19 frame with 3mm MDF base. The supports for the track are also 40 x 19 and the track base was cut from 3mm MDF and then cork flooring tiles were cut for the track to be laid on. Styrene foam has been used to bulk-up the landscape.
Follow the layout's construction progress since May 2010 in the photo's, below.
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 Base with basic track supports in place.
Showing the steep grades!
Cork underlay in place. Base for points painted black as it's difficult to get ballast in between the check rails etc..
A view from another angle. The elevated track on the left will go onto a timber bridge which will include the crusher.
Some track temporarily in place to make sure the tipple would clear locos etc. on the track.
Side view of the tipple.
Track laid. Not my best efforts!
Some more progress. Mine entrance, tipple, retaining walls in place.
Some mine cars on the tipple. Brand new loco having a test run!
Another view of the tipple. Styrene mounds will be covered in spoil from mine.
Another view of the new loco. It's another Jouef Decauville chassis!
A bit more progress. Crusher base mocked up with retaining walls.
Hmmm. Looks about right. The posts are from the garden!
No wonder the driver's looking intensely at the retaining wall. Clearances are TIGHT!
Double-banked - one pushing, one pulling. Don't forget to duck, mate!
Here's the crusher, almost finished and temporarily in position.
The ground will look better when the styrofoam base gets a layer of textured plaster.
Yadda, yadda, yadda! C'mon fellas, get that empty train back down the mine!
Yadda, yadda, yadda! No wonder the foreman's cussing!
Construction is mostly balsa, all pre-stained with a diluted black stain.
Jouef/Playcraft HOe/HOn30 tipping ore wagons just right for On15. Deck will be finished when track is laid permanently.
The deck connecting the tipple to the retaining wall will be built when the model is permanently installed.
Here's one with the newest (old) loco.
Roofing is scale 6' x 3' sheets of corrugated iron made out of copy paper in my own press. Painted silver then weathered with "rusT and "dust"!
More infoLike
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