Storyline
Deepwell Mine is one of the earliest mines established along the Myton & Uintah Mountain Railroad's lines. Coal was easily extracted from the soft earth around Deepwell, and mining was easy and profitable.
As time passed however, the luck of Deepwell changed. The amount of coal was promising, but upon removal of the supporting elements the walls of the mine grew soft and unstable. Water was beginning to appear in large amounts. Wooden bracing was required to support the walls of the corridors and shafts, and pumps were needed to avoid flooding of the deeper shafts.
Throughout the nearly 60 years the mine operated, scores of noteable accidents occurred, ranging from cave-ins, flooded shafts, failing hoists and machinery accidents. Other, more flammable and explosive elements were occassionally disturbed by miners and explosions and fires were not unheard of.
Inspight of this, the mine never closed, and never lacked for workers. The core of Deepwell was rich in nearly every mineral imaginable, and the small mine was turning a good profit at the expense of its human resources.
Eventually the frenzied pace of mining wore out Deepwell, and the minerals became too deeply rooted to effectivly extract. 12 more souls were claimed in the great fire of '67 and at last the mine was closed for good.
Deepwell left behind a legacy of greed, death and destruction severe enough to deem it "haunted" by locals. Independant excavators (prospectors) still venture into Deepwell in hopes of finding the "motherload" that was always hinted at. While some have found exciting hints, no motherload has ever been found.
Construction Notes
Deepwell Mine, my very first attempt at building a model railroad layout (or module as the case may be). Overall I feel it turned out ok, though some things I would do differently. The chief structure is the HO "Old Coal Mine" from Model Power.I originally started with Masonite (thin, light, and the the plastic helped to stabilize the board a little). This was a mistake, but I knew that when I started. I had to have something light and cheap and it was all I had at the time, and this project was more or less an experiement.
I used the wooden back of the sheet of masonite, and with hot glue secured the peices of Lifelike Power-loc track to the board. The power-loc track has its own roadbed built on, so subraodbed is unecessary.
I next used the hot glue to secure the cardboard "hill" skeletons and elevated base for the Deepwell Mine itself. This I draped with Woodland Scenic's Plaster Cloth and touched up and detailed with Sculptamold. Over all of this I painted on an Acrylic "Sand" colored paint. If I had it to do over again, I would do this in "Tan" instead.
The retaining walls and culverts were added while the Sculptamold was still wet to avoid having to use an adhesive.
Next I mixed up a mixture of water, india ink and a little dish washing liquid, and sprayed down the plaster module. This dried lighter than expected, so a second coat was required. This helped to tone down the subtle olive tint in the "Sand" colored paint and brings out the texture in the plaster.
Adding ballast to Power-loc track was a nightmare, and I would never use that type of track on a permanent layout. The plastic roadbed has difficulty sticking to plaster or the white glue/water bath it received and the ballast only clotted on the surface.
In all honesty I must confess that this was my first attempt at ballasting anything, and I didn't find it much fun. I failed to apply enough straight glue beneath the scenery materials to hold them in place, and the spray bottle sent everyhthing flying (I am buying an eye dropper before proceeding any further). I didn't wet the ballast enough, so only the clumps in the crust are joined, the rest is still powder...tonight, everything gets a healty dose of glue!!!
Prior to placing the track I hand painted each molded in tie (what a pain) and painted rust down the sides of the rails. If it will still supply power to the locomotive pickups I will be pleasantly surprised. If not, I will attack it with a bright boy, as I hear they can remove anything.
The next step in scenery consisted of some sand for a partial roadway and a small shanty. Then a healthy dose of grass, and some autumn lichen with a little green. Despite what I was told the glue/water mixture that was sprayed on the lichen dried white. Hmm....