Just popped in to say Hi and hello....
I've been lurking here for a year and decided, well I just might be able to contribute something, sometime.
I'm a former NZRailways Enginedriver, 42" gauge both Diesel-Electric and 4000 hp Electrics. I've followed the historic mining in the US west through various publications and many books, being introduced to it all via the 3ft gauge railroads that served the camps in Colorado.
I have been fortunate to have travelled across the western half of the US on 8 trips since the early 1980's, making a concerted effort to visit most mining districts as far north as Fairbanks and east to Lead SD. I met several mine historians on these travels and consider myself lucky to have befriended these gentleman. I also made it a point to get underground on as many of the minetours the west had to offer as I could. Strangely enough, as a 10yr old I was taken underground in the Stockton coal mine down on the west coast of the Sth Is. and I swore I'd never go under again after hearing about the various disasters.
I've been a scratchbuilder of mine models in brass etc for the past 30 years, moved up through the various scales culminating in 1inch scale and entering these at various national narrow gauge convertions in the model contests.
Several years ago I started (graduated?) to construct my own 18" gauge tram to transport fuelwood around my 2+ acres from plantation to cutting shed and workshop. I had aquired a half dozen 2'gauge coalmine wheelsets and the metal remains of an 18" wooden-bodied end-dump from a disused gold mine. After the novelty of hand tramming wore off I started on construction of a fullsized replica/reproduction 1.5Ton Mancha battery-electric. This will be powered by the innards from a 24V walk-behind pallet stacker and is currently at the underframe stage with new wheel castings being machined for me.
Chris.
_________________ Alive and Well....for now
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