Mine Alternatives

You can always build your own from styrene or wood. That is what I am in the process of doing based on a combination of two mines. The Red Raven Ash #2 was on the N&W and the Nuttallburg mine complex was on the C&O and still exists as a refurbished tourist attraction in West Virginia.

You could probably scale up the HO mine pretty easily.

An underground shaft mine with headframe and shafthouse can have a bit more visual business than the adit-style (horizontal tunnel) of mine and tipple, especially if you animate the wheels.  Just an example here: https://www.wildwestmodels.com...ntic-cable-mine.html

If you go to the Norfolk & Western Historical Society archives photo section you can find all sorts of ideas. When I built the mines on Will Allen’s layout that is where my inspiration came from. There are also many photos in a number of books on the C&O. I would combine several to fit the scene as I envisioned it.

George

Do you have an era and geographical area you are modeling?

Dave

There is one large, expensive kit for what l would consider an Eastern U.S. coal mine. Posters on here have shown photos of their good models.  Kit makers' names escape me but it is made in W.VA .  Another tiny shaft coal mine kit in O is made in St.Louis and models an lllinois mine that was worked part time in winter.  I have built that one but would like a large one like the two posted here.  There are several small western metal mine kits, and l have scratched a couple, but just the one large coal complex l am aware of. I visited a privately restored coal camp in Kentucky right on a then running tourist railroad, and the mine was just (now) an adit with an open mouth into a bluff, served by a crumbling loading bunker, much smaller than those here.

There was a dealer in the Orange Hall at York who had a nice kit.  Anyone remember who that was?

I agree with Chris. Unfortunately or fortunately O scalers have to build what they want. At the very least make alterations for their specific needs. Unfortunately my building skills are in their infancy and I need a lot of guidance.

If you don't want to go that route try B.T.S. Better than scratch. They have a couple of nice ones but you will pay for them.

Dave

The store's main web site these are on is dated 2019 so may be available.

Cabin Creek

Cabin Creek 2

Thanks all! I was just curious and I didn’t want to have to spend a lot but I see that’s not gonna happen now lol. 

CAPPilot posted:

There was a dealer in the Orange Hall at York who had a nice kit.  Anyone remember who that was?

Probably K&P Brick Company.  He is an advertiser in OGR.  I don't think has an online presence.

Gene Anstine

Cabin Creek model.   Click on the underlined for a slide show.    This is a model of a drift mine tipple, requires a significant hillside detail not part of the kit.  Kit is a card stock kit, made to order. 

Here's the K&B kit. I purchased it at York many years ago.

In the O scale listings on eBay right now, there are currently numerous kits offered for the Yankee Girl, Little Creek, and Virginia City Lucky Mine as well as mining camps--tents/shacks--machinery, ore tram towers and equipment, other buildings, and photo guides.  Of course, there is also related rolling stock.  Just search for "mine" in the O scale listings.