MINES WITH TRACKS

fredmcain · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:59 am

Dear Forum,

I was wondering if anyone can tell me if there are many (or any) underground mines still in operation that employ car tracks or some other type of underground rail system.

Are mining companies still doing this? If not, why not?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:38 am

I know that it can bee expensive if you have a large mine with many side tunnels. But if you have a small mine, say about 4 or 5 guys total, then that is more economical. you can easily get tracks, and i believe that used motors are not all that expensive. But, I'm not a miner, nor an expert on mining methods, so one of the other guys should be able to answer in more detail. One of the reasons that I joined this site is so I can learn more about mining, today and in the past.

Doug · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:19 pm

Fred,

Welcome to the forum. Search old post for "Shoemaker Mine" . I think at the time they closed their rail Pete claimed they were the last Coal Mine using rail to haul coal. There maybe some using rail to haul supplies.

Doug · **Posted:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:24 pm

Shoemaker Threads:

search.php?keywords=shoemaker&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

johnr · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:10 am

The mines near Hegins PA use underground rail haulage, motors and all. Several of them in the area still use it, but the coal is brought to the surface via hoist. I was pretty surprised to learn how many mines there still are in the area and how many use rail undergrouns at the miner's picnic in Hegins PA last summer. Hope to get down there again this year.

fredmcain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:25 am

Doug wrote:

Fred,

Welcome to the forum. Search old post for "Shoemaker Mine" . I think at the time they closed their rail Pete claimed they were the last Coal Mine using rail to haul coal. There maybe some using rail to haul supplies.

Thanks, Doug. I'm glad to see there that there are some other people on here who are interested in both mines and railways.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:05 am

Yes, why do you think I joined? I plan on modeling a narrow gauge quarry railroad on my HO scale model railroad.

fredmcain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:06 pm

Miner Dave wrote:

Yes, why do you think I joined? I plan on modeling a narrow gauge quarry railroad on my HO scale model railroad.

Sounds great!!!! I hope you share some pictures of your layout!

Speaking again about mines with tracks, here was a mine in Taiwan that certainly had tracks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du-n0E3i648

Sadly, it too is now abandoned I'm afraid. Is no one mining this way anymore?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain,
Topeka, Indiana

fredmcain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:30 pm

johnr wrote:

The mines near Hegins PA use underground rail haulage, motors and all. Several of them in the area still use it, but the coal is brought to the surface via hoist. I was pretty surprised to learn how many mines there still are in the area and how many use rail undergrouns at the miner's picnic in Hegins PA last summer. Hope to get down there again this year.

Has everyone seen this video already? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkdUuNOJzw

I'm not sure what mine is shown in this film but around 1:35 minutes into the film it shows miners getting onto a train to be taken to the coal face. The coal itself is not hauled out of this mine by rail, however.

The underground railroad also appears to be equipped with an automatic block signal system.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Dawn_C · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:06 am

I use tracks in my mine for a few reasons. #1 is because the rail AND the mine train was already in the mine when i aquired the mine (I have 9 mines and my main one im most interested in is the one with the goodies in it) and the second reason is because i just dont have the 'ump' to be running wheelbarrowfuls of rock all down the tunnels and out the entrance to the dumps. Running the ore cars is just MUCH easier for me.

Dawna

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:09 am

I'd say the 16-to-one in Nth Calif probably is still rail given the length and width of their main drive.

Chris
in New Zealand

fredmcain · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:29 am

Dawn_C wrote:

I use tracks in my mine for a few reasons. #1 is because the rail AND the mine train was already in the mine when i aquired the mine (I have 9 mines and my main one im most interested in is the one with the goodies in it) and the second reason is because i just dont have the 'ump' to be running wheelbarrowfuls of rock all down the tunnels and out the entrance to the dumps. Running the ore cars is just MUCH easier for me.

Dawna

I'm glad to hear that you are still using cars & tracks. It seems to me like the only really logical thing to do. But many larger mines have gone trackless and use these huge, rubber-tired "wart hogs" (LCD's, I think they call them) but I really don't understand what the advantage is.

Some people have told me that the "wart hogs" are more economical because they dispense with the cost of the track. But it looks to me like the drifts and passages have to be much, much larger to allow the LCD's. Plus, they burn diesel so I would think that would increase pollution in the mine. It was pointed out on another mining group I belong to that ventilation is so good nowadays that the exhaust from the wart hogs is not an issue.

But why burn diesel fuel when you can use electricity?

Perhaps this is a cyclical thing and mines with tracks are just out of favor right now, I don't know.

I hope you keep using them, though!

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

fredmcain · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:31 am

Kiwi#1 wrote:

I'd say the 16-to-one in Nth Calif probably is still rail given the length and width of their main drive.

Chris
in New Zealand

Where is that?

Fred M. Cain

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:31 pm

Alleghany. Ca.
http://www.origsix.com/tmarticle.asp?id=293

Lots on Utube

Chris
in New Zealand

fredmcain · **Posted:** Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:32 am

Kiwi#1 wrote:

Alleghany. Ca.
http://www.origsix.com/tmarticle.asp?id=293

Lots on Utube

Chris
in New Zealand

Thanks, Chris! I was unfamiliar with the 16 To One Mine so I didn't know what you meant.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

MINES WITH TRACKS

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