The 30 inch gauge Eureka Mill RR was built in 1872 to run from the Virginia & Truckee in Santiago Canyon to the Eureka Mill (later McCones Mill) a little more than a mile away. Originally, the ore was delivered to the EM by a slide down a hill from the V&T to the mule drawn ore cars. The powers that be eventually determined that the mule drawn ore cars were inefficient and in 1887 ordered a 6 ton Porter 0-4-0T. It was delivered via the V&T at Mound House on a Pennsy flat car. During this time frame, the ore slide was replaced with a counterbalanced inclined railroad with two cars. The Eureka Mill line at its peak rostered a fleet of ten ore cars that were built by the V&T in their Carson City shops. They were narrow gauge versions of the ore cars used on the V&T. There is also some pictures of the line having a short two axle flat car, but I do not have much info as to what it was used for. One picture I have seen of it in use has it being used as a platform for visiting mining school students to ride on. Mallory Hope Ferrell has written several articles on the EM, most recently in the NGSL Nov/Dec 2005 and Jan/Feb 2006 issues. That is where I got the information above from and the main sources for the construction of my layout. My Eureka Mill RR will be constructed in On30. I will be using my modeler's liscense on a couple of things for my version of the EM. First, the EM will be delivering the ore to the standard gauge. Two, my EM will roster two Porters, an 0-4-0 and an 0-4-2. These will both be Bachmann models. Luckily Keith Wiseman offers craftsman kits for the ore cars and a close enough two axle flat. I will likely also include an On18 line to serve the ore bins that load the EM's ore cars. There was an 18 inch gauge line at the mill, so that will not be too far off. The layout is 4 foot by 4 foot. Its not too large for the back of my truck, and it still fits with the N scale layout in my train room. Aside from the fun of building it, my EM will be used to be taken with me to shows or meets where I am the only person from my modular group going. It will be easier for one person to haul and set up than a couple of modules. Track will be hand laid code 83. A shout out and big thanks goes to Big Lars, who showed me how to and helped me hand lay the turnouts for my layout. The track plan below is the initial design for the layout. The base of the layout was originally a sheet of plywood from work that needed a home. WHen I got out to my shed to see what lumber I had, I found that I had a larger 4x4 sheet that would better suit my needs. The track plan will be largely the same, but I believe the On18 line might be expanded a bit. I haven't quite decided yet. The real EM had two trestles, but size constraints will hold me back to have only one. That is shown on the bottom of the track plan. An engine house like the one used by the EM will also be scratchbuilt. Again, my thanks goes to Big Lars who has helped immensly with the start of that. Below is my first picture of the construction of the layout. The table... It is shown on my back porch last week. I will hopefully be buying the foam to start the scenery base this next week. Stay tuned for more!
A sound porter was left for me by Santa this am. The mill itself won't be shown on this layout. Hopefully I can buy the foam tomorrow.
But still, I assume it's a mining operation. Please do post some of your progress in the logging and mining group.
Assorted family stuff has kept me from getting the foam glued down. I might get it in the next day or two. In any case, I was able to play with google maps a bit and found what was left of the original EM right of way. This first shot is of the location of the mill and engine house. According to Mallory Hope Ferrell, who has written several articles on the EM and has walked and explored the remnants of the line, most of the remnants of the mill and assorted facilities was washed away in a flood. From some of the historical pictures I have studied I was sort of able to get a guess as to where stuff was. That was a bit of a challenge because of the difference in angles from the aerial to the historic shot from a nearby hill. This picture shows where the two trestles were located and a cut that the line went through. It is also the location of where the line turned north to the incline interchange with the V&T. This last picture shows where the line ended. To the left is the reconstructed Virginia & Truckee tourist line. Apparently the V&T siding where the ore was dumped to the EM was located on a curved trestle here. There is no sign of the incline at all in this aerial shot. Only because of a historic shot taken from about 50 feet north of the end of tracks looking south was I able to firmly determine where the bottom of the incline and end of tracks were. I am really enjoying the research side of this project as well. The more I dig, the more questions I am having on the subject, and that is making me want to dig harder.
Quick update on progress. I laid out the foam, turnouts and engine house to get an idea of how things were going to fit. Unfortunately the turnouts that Big Lars and I handlaid are too large. Luckily, it looks like we can work out a trade of some sorts for some smaller turnouts that ought to fit much better. I just have to figure out a chance to get up to his place to work the trade. Once I can sketch the plan out on the foam, I will glue it down and lay the track. I am debating laying it on N scale cork, so it would be elevated off the foam a bit. Any thoughts out there on that? Hopefully some progress will be made in the next month or so job permitting. I recieved a pair of the Wiseman Eureka Mill ore cars for Christmas and will chronicle their assembly in this thread as well. Below is a link to a picture from a computer train simulator version of the EM. More to follow... http://www.carsoncarshops.com/images/web/eureka.jpg
