Micro Structures Mile Stone Gravel Co. Kit

I've been looking for an American Coal Loading facility for Z scale and haven't had much luck. I've been considering converting this Gravel Kit into a coal loading facility but wanted some opinions on whether this would be prototypically correct (meaning do gravel loading stations funtion in the same way as coal loading stations). I'm guessing they do but just wanted to make sure.

Thanks in advance
Joe

 

I've built one of these and I THOUGHT it was a coal facility. It's a nice brass model. ...don

 

John,

Rob at Ztrack told me about the Canadian company. I sent them an email but it came back undeliverable. I saw the coal structures on Tim's site but it looks like he's not making them anymore. Too bad, they are extremely nice and I wouldn't mind having them. Finally got a decent start on my layout. I'll post some pics tomorrow evening. I was able to lay MTL flextrack beside MTL snap track for curved parallel tracks and I think it looks pretty good.

Joe

 

John,

As promised, pics of the layout I just started. I ran out of track and had to order more! Its 4 feet x 6 feet. Also pictured on the layout are my CSX GP-35 and Chessie caboose and the Happy Birthday GP-35 I just started.

I masked all the MTL track (except the flex track) with 5 mm masking tape and spray painted the rails brown (I don't have an airbrush). Very Very time consuming but turns out nice. Also the flex track holds the its curve much better if you let it set for about 2 hours after painting and then curve into shape. If left unpainted, as most know it usually loses most of its shape.

I can't wait to get my 50+ penzee hoppers on this layout. I have another 17 undecorated that will be wearing CSX. AZL's CSX coalporters are hopefully coming out soon too so I can add them as well.

 

Thanks John.

I went with a 3% grade which I was hesitant to do but getting a 2% grade to the height I want just wasn't going to work even on a 4x6 layout for me. Plus this adds much more dimension to the layout. This is the first inclined layout I've ever done and the woodland scenics inclines work great. Since they're designed for HO they are wide enough for Z scale parallel tracks and even a Noch Z scale road all on the width of one piece. The coal loader will go on the upper level (where the incline ends).

The last row in the case is N scale. I've got my Chessie cylindrical hoppers and more contrail 90 ton toppers on a small oval track right now. I finally made the leap into Z scale last year but can't part with my N scale stuff, especially those nice Kato SD80 & SD70's. I wish Kato would get into Z.

 

The Micro-Sructures brass is your best choice. Kibri makes a plastic kit of a gravel company that looks pretty good, too, but it's smaller and costs more than the Miller Engineering kit. Nansen Street Models had a coal company, but I don't see it on their site, anymore. Z-Scale Monster might have one, but the price is still about the same as the brass.

http://www.zscalemonster.com/nansenstreetmodels/nsm-30022.jpg

http://www.modellbahnott.com/kibri/photos/6603.jpg

But, since the Microfigs and TNT-Z kits are no longer available, these are your choices.
Dan S.

 

Dan,

The Nansen St. model is of a retail coal distributor rather than a rail car coal loading facility. Different beast.

Randy

 

Randy,
I realize this, but it does allow for some kitbashing options. A lot of the small Anthracite mines in my area (most of wich are closed and long since bulldozed), had storage facilities very similar to the Nansen Street structure. Not all mines had huge multi track loading facilities. Many of the mines along PA Rt 209 had a single spur for loading hopper cars on the back side of the storage bins, and chutes for loading tractor trailers, and even chutes for loading little local coal trucks on the street side. One that just closed down recently (last summer) actually sold 50 pound bags to individuals, as well. They didn't have the typical tipple. I'm guessing that their coal must have gone to another facility for further processing. Between the Susquehannah and a little town called Tower city, there was a single track that was torn up in the early 80s. Tractor trailers started to do most of the hauling from the small mines in the area in the mid 70s. Operations of this size would actually be great for modeling. You wouldn't really have to do any compression. The entire operation only takes up a couple of hundred feet along the road. This includes the conveyor from the mine to the breaker, and from the breaker to the storage bins. Loading was done from chutes protruding from the bins. Granted, these were not 100 car a day facilities. I'm guessing that if I said 6 cars a day, it might be a lot for some of them. I know that the Pennsy kept ONE 0-6-0 in the area to service 3 towns worth of mines and other industry. When I first moved to the area, there were still 5 of these mines in operation. Now, there is only one left along the highway. Unfortunately for me, they tend to tear the structures down fairly quickly (too much risk of fire, I guess). I kept putting off photographing them, now, they are gone. The one that is left, is actually just used as an overflow facility for the strip mine across the road. Oh well, my loss.
Dan S.

 

Thanks Robert.

I saw that one on ebay right after I bought the Micro Structures kit about 2 days before. Depending on how much the bids go up on this on, I may get this one too.

Joe