Product defines transport vehicle & Smelting
Firstly smelting applies to nonferrous matals and as such
had nothing to do with iron and steel production. In the
pre-"Industrial Revolutionary" epoch (that has nothing to
do with model railroads<or real ones>) there were occasions
when forges and smelters were proximate- due to the demand
for hydraulic power to operate hammers, bellows, and
assist in crane work. This was most notable in the Iberian
peninsula , where it helped indirectly in creating the
Spanish infantry that mopped up eveyone in Medieval and
Renaissance time. It also concentrated agricultural
and other processing (e.g.leather, textiles, brick making)
in many cases at places where falling water could
be harnessed.
Trains and canals made it possible to free most of the
constituent activities found in these agglomerations
at water power sites from their dependance upon
hydrauiic power. The carbon needed as a chemical
agent and fuel; used in refining metal also changed
from a charcoal to coal basis and the distance it could
be transported economically expanded as well due
to the lowering of transport costs.
There are many factors, some of
which are reciprocal ( coal was available in massive
quantities, at reasonable prices at the heads of
lake at Duluth, Superior andThunder Bay because
of the outbound grain and ore ships leaving those
ports), and some unique, that concerns the location
of industrial entities. This is not the place to expand
the matter, but note that you did'nt find a copper
smelter near a blast furnace or steel making
plant because of some symbiosis, but if proximate: it
was because of some intrinsic desirability of the
location.
Secondly, you do not specify what is being mined.
Commonly , to reduce the cost of hauling gangue
around on a railroad, mines dealing with precious
metals, or wolframite,cinnabar,silver, and probably
a few others, tried to eliminate the tare weight by
crushing,and refining the ore to either a concentrate
or a pure product. Gold and platinum group
concentrates (and obviously metallic material )
went in concentrate cars , express cars or box cars,
that quite often had armed guards riding in caboose,
baggage car , or some other part of the train.
Curiously, ATHEARN's coffin pickle car(#1427 I think),
shortened, lowered, and with truss rods applied
would be a dead ringer for some concentrate cars.
Needs different trucks, hardware, and so forth-
but, curiously, I've never seen an article about
such a conversion. Given the number of NG&SLG
type model railroads around that is strange.
Anyway, unless you are planning on cuperiferous
mining or the like, there will not be many hopper loads
of ore from the site. If you are concentrating
gold say, the loads will be as mentioned. Besides
the occassional load of mine props, and hardware
inbound: the major inputs are mercury (which came
as 75 lb. flasks in racks in box cars that were more
or less dedicated to the service); and cyanide
compounds that travelled pretty much barrelled
in dedicated box cars (or under canvas in gondolas).
You also need water piped to your facility, to be
polluted by the activities taking place there. Many
of the lines were of wooden staves held in place by
iron bands (as in the steam loco water tanks you
are familiar with) and supported by low trestle work
going to the mill and concentrate plant.
It is a curiosity that many prize winning models of
stamp mills and flotation plants lack any waterlines
bringing this major element in the process to the site.
Be that as it may, I hope this has been helpful.
Good-Luck, PJBi :thumb: