Coal mining 4x8 layout

Hi, There are designs of a layout where "empty" coal cars go into a mountain and then come out "full".  I had one but don't know where I filed it.  Someone should respond as I have seen many in the magazines over the years.  This may be an interesting layout to build with lots of activity and secrets.       

That sounds cool the cars I have already have coal loads in them I'd like to have the layout done before April 8 th so it can be ready for my sons birthday I'd also like to make it a multi level layout were mabey the mine shaft could be above the tunnel going into the top of th mountain so I can have the mining town down on the bottom like a general store farm houses mill and a coal proses sing plant possibly

I just thought more about this.  You need 2 industries.  A mine to get the coal and a place to use the coal along with some "hidden" interconnecting tracks.

Yah that is a good idea I've been searching online for months but ideas are very limited with a 4x8 sheet I only found one layout I think might work

Rich Melvin the OGR Webmaster had an article in a recent O Gauge Railroading mag. can't say which issue (maybe someone here on the forum can chime in), explaining how empties are filled at the mine, deliver them to an electric plant, then return to the coal mine to be loaded for the next trip.

 

Jack

 

 

A few years ago I did this small strip mine operation under my cellar steps.

It was maybe 3 ft. X 3 ft. and had an oval going around it.  The clam bucket crane works great to fill up the 397 coal loaders which would fill up ore cars.  I would try and have a completion with my nephews on who could fill a car faster.  Lots o fun.  Hope this helps.

laz57

I would try to divide the layout in 1/2, lengthwise.  Use a back drop and put one industry on each side of the layout.  This divides the layout into 2 scenes.

that is a very nice layout what my plans are is to have the coal jockey come out of the top of the mountain down to the bottom of the layout were it goes to a processing staion for it to get loaded on my diesel train.  the diesel train goes around the town to an electric station or something were when it leaves there that it  can go under the mountain trough a tunnel then have another train going through the town

that looks fun i love operating accessories

Since I have planned a timber and coal mining town where trains will go out of the mine scene to a local coal dealer, and a junction with siding for mythical Class One to

stop and pick up the cars.  This should give me both on and off layout destinations

where "The Big Hook" (manually) will swap empties for full cars.  While I will not

use any "operating accessories", they can, as shown above, be incorporated at both ends for the "on layout" action.  Your son won't think twice about manually swapping empties for full cars on the mainline siding.  The mine can be located at the top of a

hill, and a covered conveyor used to carry "mined coal" down to your loading accessory.

Or: One of the mines down in south central Kentucky is a horizontal shaft at track level that really is maybe fifty feet from the passing tracks of what is now a tourist road.  A crumbling tipple stands beside the tracks..this last to be represented

with a coal loading accessory.

that sounds like what im looking for do u have plans for that layout or know where I can get them

Hope this works...

I designed this plan in SCARM. It uses Lionel Fastrack. Scenery is just to pretty it up. The layout's big secret is that there is hidden siding in the mountain/refinery, one track for empties. Operation works as follows:

1. Retrieve empty hoppers from refinery.

2. Proceed to Coaltown

3. Run around empties using run-around siding

4. Shove hoppers to mine.

5. Push empties into unoccupied track of hidden siding.

6. Retrieve loads of coal from mine.

7. Return back to Coaltown

8. Run around train

9. Shove into refinery

10. After a period, during which loads will have been "treated," retrieve them and take them to Coaltown

11. Shove loads into interchange track

 

The flaw in my plan is that after the last step, the layout has to be reset.

 

thank you it dose give me an idea of what I have in my head

Now with this layout will I be able to run more than one train?  Cause I have a little coal jockey train that is uses just to go back and forth in and out of the mine shaft

Some good advice here.  Also google "John Armstrong Empties In Loads Out".

I wonder if it would be easier to make a logging layout with a sawmill drop off and just have a mine shaft for my coal jokey to go in and out of. And then just have a general store a couple houses feed mill and farm?

I overlooked your original question's "strip" mining, and described shaft mining.

Someone above posted pictures of a strip mine operation, not commonly seen

in a model, probably due to additional real estate requires.  With a logging

operation, you still have that "empties in, loads out" image to portray, and if

you plan to use that coal "jockey" shaft tram, you might as well tie it to the

railroad, and can, as I plan, have a logging operation, also.  Both a tipple and a

log dump could be loaded from the same siding, and excuses to switch it and change

cars around.  The "mountain and refinery" plan above could be "logging and mine",

with a log dump on one side and tipple or coal loader on the other side of the tunnel.

Dose any one have layout plans for a multi level with track size and number of pieces for fastrack with a mountian tunnel and trolly track on top I found a nice layout but don't kno what I'm gonna need to start