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.

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Alive and Well....for now

Welcome! sounds like some neat projects....can you post some pictures?

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What do you mean by "overloaded" officer?

Finally Chris you are signed up. I was hoping that you were going to do that sooner or latter. Thanks for all the emails that you sent. Cool railway sounds like you have had a lot of fun building it.

Welcome aboard!

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Hopefully I will be able to upload some pictures just as soon as I can get on to a hosting site.
Have just finished the trackwork on the incline at the back of my property and now need to work out the ropework sheaves. This provides access to one of the fuelwood plantations along the side of an old river terrace and is 76ft long on a 30-35deg slope.

Chris.

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Alive and Well....for now

Sounds cool can not wait to see some of your pictures!!

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Felix Bonderman
1-866-NO-2-DUST
http://www.midwestind.com/