Coal for the Tamarack No 2 Boiler House

Coal was delivered to the boiler houses of the mine in empty rock cars.  Rock cars loaded with copper ore would be sent to the stamps, when empty a significant number would be forwarded to the mining company's coal dock.  There they would be loaded with coal and returned to the mine.  This was a profitable cycling of cars for the railroad. 

This coal load is a resin casting created to precisely fit the 30 ton rock cars.  In the November 2011 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist I presented a method for creating coal loads.  That method, with a slight modification was used to create the load.   Brushable silicon rubber was used to create the mold.  Once the part is cast a little side sanding and some tapering of the ends of the load allow it to snuggle down into the car.  Once the fit was established I painted the casting black.

Mine Props For Tamarack No 2

 
Tamarack Shaft No 2 is back in operation now that the miners have been refreshed with their favorite beverages.  These two cars are the first deliveries of stulls for use in the newly opened vein on the 38th level north. 

The logs were created from white pine sticks which were molded using a brushable silicon rubber.  They are cast in resin, painted and finished with powdered pigments. 

Beer Arrives In The Red Jacket District

The new Mineral Range spur which serves the beer depots located off Pine street has seen their first delivery of freight cars.  This event has been anticipated for the last four months as the depots themselves were constructed and the new spur was installed.  All of this activity has accompanied the process of changing the narrow gauge line of the Mineral Range to the universal standard sized track.  No longer will all of the beer headed for the Copper Country require unloading into cars of the narrow gauge at Houghton for shipment up to Red Jacket.