Slogging through the Muskeg – A progress report

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Super User 1,101 posts mesimpson Super User 1,101 posts

mesimpson

It has been a while since my last update on the layout so here is a quick review of what I have been doing. As the title suggests, it has been a bit of slow going. For those not familiar with muskeg, it is swampy, wet and muddy and usually very challenging to make progress through. There is a lot of it in northern Manitoba, and people in my profession (geologist) are intimately familiar with the challenges of getting through it.

I have been working with the smelter area on the layout. The original plan ended up being just a guide, as when I laid it out as per the plan it didn’t work as well as it did on paper. I have laid out potential track arrangements, let them stew for a while, then revisit them to fix what appeared to be potential issues with the trackage, often related to switching the various areas of the smelter. I added, changed, and then changed the track again. It has been a 2-3 month process of tweaks, adjustments and then changing everything and starting over. As I say, it was a slow process.

However I think I have arrived at a point that I can say I am satisfied that the track arrangement will allow for an enjoyable switching experience for whoever is the HBM&S yardmaster and/or switch crew. Ideally I would hope the smelter job(s) will be the ones people want to do.

A few revisions may yet lay ahead. I am contemplating another crossover in the yard trackage, but that may only be done after a bit of operating the plant.

The 4 tracks closest to the photographer are from left to right: “mainline” to the South Main mine, backfill shed, ore unloading and finally mine concentrator supply track. The cylindrical hopper car is at the lime shed, the boxcar is at the supply shed. I'll go over the track layout in the background below. Note the kid's scribbles on the benchwork. That will stop (hopefully) when the fascia gets put up.

Additional photos to follow.

Marc Simpson

https://hudbayrailway.blogspot.com/

https://ageologistchasingtrains.blogspot.com/

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mesimpson Super User 1,101 posts

mesimpson

More smelter layout photos

The large building behind the red switcher is the backfill shed. Side dump hopper cars were filled with slag, gravel and other material and dumped in this building. Backfill was used in the underground mine to fill up mined out areas to stabilize them to allow mining in other areas. The two side dump cars are on the track that will run into the backfill shed. Photo by Tim Schwartz, short ore car by Tim as well, long kitbashed car by me.

The 70 Tonner is pushing ore cars through the coarse ore dump shed to unload them. The side dump car model is on the lead to the ore dump shed. I am hoping to replicate the dump shed in the area to the right above the staging yard. Photo by Mark Perry, side dump car by Tim Schwartz.

The main yard and north end of the smelter. The track arrangement from left to right: 3 tracks with gondolas to represent the concentrate unloading facility, 3 yard tracks, run around track/extra yard track. The stub ended track will be car storage, and the 2 tracks with the boxcar with be access and run around to the zinc loading shed closest to the photographer. The Grain silo is sitting where the 825’ tall smokestack will be. In reality it will “only” be 400’ high, but it will dominate the smelter, just like the real thing does. The two tracks in the back with the scotch case between them will be coal unloading (left) and flux unloading closest to the wall. The straight track with two boxcars on it will be the copper ingot loading area. Behind that will be the slag haulage.

The yard tracks continue around to the peninsula. The yard represents the change over from CN/HBR to HBM&S trackage. The north switch of the yard will be the end of track for CN/HBR and the start of HBM&S trackage. The fuel tank on the far left side of the shot will be the fuel oil tanks for the smelter. It is a standin for now as I need the shorter wider tank from Walthers. I have one, one more to go. In a future post I'll show the north end of the yard arrangement with the fuel and propane dealers.

Marc Simpson

https://hudbayrailway.blogspot.com/

https://ageologistchasingtrains.blogspot.com/

Read my Blog

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mesimpson Super User 1,101 posts

mesimpson

Modeled areas of the smelter

Modeling the entire smelter would take up most of my house, so some selective compression was required, along with the need to model the smelter along a wall instead of the way the plant is actually laid out. The photo below shows what areas are being modeled. It also gives an idea of how big the actual smelter is.