Granite slabs industry
#1
Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to model correctly a granite exploiting industry. Not the quarry itself, but the siding. The prototype is a large granite quarry specialized in large architectural granite slabs, large sculpted granit blocks and other such products. Unfortunately, I have very little information about from the era it was still rail-served (1970s-1985). My guess is that slabs were packaged and shipped in boxcars while the larger blocks would have been loaded on flats and gondolas using a traveling crane.

Any information is welcomed.

Best regards,

Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.

Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/

Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
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#2
Matt, I can't answer for other roads but the Milwaukee would load blocks and slabs on flat cars using the traveling crane.



Cheers
Andy Kramer - modeling the Milwaukee Road in Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Road is alive and well and running in my basement
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#3
Lots of videos on quarry ops and stone processing on YouTube.
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#4
I take it for granite Goldth Goldth

T
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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#5
Thanks guys! Found the info! Traveling crane it is!

Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.

Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/

Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
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#6
Not wanting to start a new topic since it is about the exact same industry (Granite Quarry, San Diego County),

Would there be a minimum distance from mainline where it would make sense (given selective compression) to have the quarry pit starting?

My idea is to have 1 siding ( a few inches away from the mainline) for loading dimensional granite and boulders on flats and gons using a traveling crane. At a small distance from the siding i would have the quarry pit starting to show, with a small slice of it visible and a couple of cranes which where used for lifting the granite from the pit.
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#7
Would depend on how much space available. Is the quarry started before or after the railroad?
How do you feel about the quarry on the viewer side of the layout, with the viewer standing in the quarry?
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
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#8
BR60103 Wrote:Would depend on how much space available. Is the quarry started before or after the railroad?
How do you feel about the quarry on the viewer side of the layout, with the viewer standing in the quarry?

I think that the railroad might have started before the quarry. I am trying to represent something plausible on my next layout, on the Surf line, near the Miramar hill area. Santee quarries looked like promising prototypes to be inspired from (location wise). I saw photos of the prototypes but nothing rail served, so i freelance here. Theoretical space (benchwork depth) available from fascia to backdrop is around 28".

I don't have any strong preference now on if the quarry will be viewer side or near the backdrop as long as (if it is on the viewer side) i don't risk damaging fragile cranes etc while trying to uncouple cars. I suppose you have in mind to have the start of the quarry near the edge of the benchwork with the cuts/pit going down to the fascia? (I think i have seen such an example in HO scale). I would theoretically prefer to have the quarry starting near the backdrop and continuing further into it behind a hill or something, but as i said i can consider the other solution ( with the viewer in the quarry). At this point i am trying to check distances with mainline etc so that it looks plausible (or close to plausible).
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