Coal tipple track design help wanted

[Flagler]

I need help with ideas for my new addition to my layout.
The area is 11 ft  x 16" wide,the branch line runs from one end to the other,I will use the Walthers New River Mining.
I use only kato unitrack and I want to be able to operate while I have 100 coal cars at the mine.I will bring trains into the area that are
no more then 100 inches long.The engines are not included in the length of the trains.Please help with a track plan.The Branch line will run parallel to the edge of the layout.

[Chris333]

Walthers New River Mine is based on this very mine:

[Specter3]

A great place to look is appalachianrailroadmodeling.com . Fantastic resource for eastern coal operations.

As far as working a 100 cars, are they old 50 ton cars, atlas 90 ton cars or long ortner 5 bays? This will make a difference in track plans for sure. Is there going to be a switcher stationed there or is the mine run itself doing the pulling and placing? From what I have read about operation pre unit train ops most larger loaders that did not have their own switcher only loaded what would fit uphill of their tipple. They would roll a string downhill and load it as it went by. Or they would use a winch to pull cuts around. But with your 100 car number that kind of operation is less likely. HTH

RB

[Kisatchie]

I don't suppose anyone knows how many cars the real Edna mine filled in one day.


Hmm... three...?

[Ian MacMillan]

Sept 1981 train report for the DRGW shows:
719 from ATSF at Pueblo to P&M Coal Edna mine at Oakridge, CO with 60 empty cars.

Oct 1984
715 from BN at Denver to P&M Coal Edna mine at Oakridge, CO with 60 DRGW rotary gondolas.
716 from P&M Coal Edna mine at Oakridge, CO with 60 DRGW rotary gondolas to Denver then via BN to Kansas Power and Light Iatan power plant.

Sept 1989
775 from Nixon plant or Martin Drake plant to P&M Coal Edna mine at Oakridge, CO with 95 CSUX empties.



From
http://www.carrtracks.com/drgw.htm

[TrainCat2]

Here is a nice pic of the Edna Mine circa 1960

http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/htmllib/btch226/btch226j/btch226z/pef00715.jpg

[Ian MacMillan]

Here is a nice pic of the Edna Mine circa 1960

http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/htmllib/btch226/btch226j/btch226z/pef00715.jpg

BOB LIVES!!!!!!

[bryan9]

Keep operations in mind as you work out your track plan. Most mines were set up so that the empties could be stored on a couple of tracks uphill from the mine, so that the mine workers could roll them down to the tipple by manipulating the manual brakes; once filled, the same procedure was used to move the cars to the load tracks, downhill from the mine. Local freights periodically worked the mine, dropping off new empties and picking up loads. If you study the track plan for the New River Mine's prototype, you'll see that it's set up to facilitate this -- although quite a few switching moves will be necessary to do the job!  But that's what's fun about modeling coal mines. It's even more fun if you're modeling the 50s or 60s, when the use of cabooses greatly complicated the switching. Where are you going to park the caboose (and, one might add, the conductor) while you're delivering the empties and picking up the loads?  You're going to foul the main track, certainly, but for how long?

--Bryan

[Flagler]

All Ideas welcome,This is my first design.

[rogergperkins]

I am delighted to see one of these mine tipples used in a level versus hilly area.
I checked photos of a few coal mines in Illinois when I was trying to use the same structure.
Area for empty cars is needed "behind" tipple and mainline.
Worthwhile considering another siding for a loaded string of cars.
Use a lot of spilled coal on the ground to get the flavor.

[GaryHinshaw]

All Ideas welcome,This is my first design.

That looks really cool, but do you have enough room to switch the tipple with that stub in the foreground?  And can you access the right-hand tracks easily enough?  Could you flip the tipple track roughly about the midpoint of this scene (so the tipple is in the foreground), somewhat like the Edna plan above?  Just thinking out loud.

-gfh

[SkipGear]

I'm with Gary, move the tipple toward the middle of the scene and eliminate the backing move to get the cars. I would also consider angling the whole thing a bit to give it some character. Parallel to the edge of the layout is a little boring for what could be a very nice scene.

[rogergperkins]

Gary, Tony (Skipgear) and I seem to be saying essentially the same thing about arrangement.

Once you get to the scenery part you may wish to consider filling in the areas between the siding tracks to give the impression that they are lower than the mainline.  I have used Funky Foam or cork roadbed in that manner.
 This is a subtle approach which creates a nice overall scene.

[Flagler]

Thanks for the all the ideas ,I will be posting some of them this weekend as I layout the changes

[Flagler]

Its alot more simple and cleaner