Copper Mine revamp

[ge_rik]

If you recall, I had to renew the baseboards at Beeston Market Station and the Copper Mine last year. I've been steadily sorting out BM, and have now made a start on titivating the CM.

The buildings have been there for some years now.......


...... but I was never happy with the Gn15 .....


..... and later the SM32 feeder lines


So, after a bit of head scratching, I decided to reorganise the buildings requiring judicious use of a circular saw, a hand saw and much grunting and a fair bit of muttering. The feeder will now approach the buildings from the opposite end, making the layout a bit more manageable.



Just need to figure out how the 32mm track will be supported (trestle, embankment, stone piers?)





Rik

 

[ge_rik]

It's taken a couple of weeks, but I've more or less finished the revamp of the Copper Mine.

Freelance (HGLW) 2' gauge diesel, LINDA, propels three skips up the incline from the copper mines to the crusher shed and loading chutes.


Ruston 44/48HP loco NICK, shunts tipplers below the loading chutes to be filled with spoil


NICK shunts more tipplers below the loading hopper to be filled with crushed copper ore.


Fowler 0-4-0DM TOLLEMACHE arrives with a train of empty tipplers to be exchanged for the now filled train of tipplers for transportation Up the line to Beeston Market.


Fortunately, the Copper Mine is under the shade of trees in the afternoons and so I was able to work without getting too scorched.

Rik

 

[dunnyrail]

Wow heck of a gradient but I guess the revised arrangement gives you lots of ‘play’ appeal, I can imagine just running the hoppers to and fro with loading could loose an hour or two.

 

[ge_rik]

Wow heck of a gradient but I guess the revised arrangement gives you lots of ‘play’ appeal, I can imagine just running the hoppers to and fro with loading could loose an hour or two.

The loco has been programmed for auto shuttle, so happily goes to and fro without any intervention from me.
If only I could figure out how to fill and empty the skips automatically........

Rik

 

[HobbitFertang]

This is just brilliant!

 

[ge_rik]

A couple of videos of the Copper Mine in action.

Firstly, how the tipplers operate

And secondly, a typical day in the life of the mine.

Rik

 

[dunnyrail]

A couple of videos of the Copper Mine in action.

Firstly, how the tipplers operate

And secondly, a typical day in the life of the mine.

Rik

Some small chain under the slides will help ensure more stone goes into the wagons below as per the real thing, did try to find some pictures for you but I think I saw this on a series of articles about Iron Stone Quarries in possibly the Modeller c 1960-90!

 

[ge_rik]

Some small chain under the slides will help ensure more stone goes into the wagons below as per the real thing, did try to find some pictures for you but I think I saw this on a series of articles about Iron Stone Quarries in possibly the Modeller c 1960-90!

Nice idea.

Rik