[nickelminers]

Hallo.

We are now working full speed ahead (in the limited available time), to complete our modifications. We have extended our exit ramp. Apparently, it is a simple job, but, when it comes to matching an extension to the existing parts, without disassembling the existing machinery, it takes time and it is not so easy; finally, our exit ramp takes shape:

https://flic.kr/p/15195275256
Next, we polish and paint the piece, and install the track and rails; this is another painful job in aligning pieces, rails, etc.

https://flic.kr/p/15031709707
Finally, we put together the rotary dumper section, the terminal section, the exit ramp, and the backdrop. Incredibly, the pieces fit together.

https://flic.kr/p/15031679297
From now on, we can operate 6-car consists, instead of 4- This means a calculated 40% increase in hourly output. At Consolidated Nickel Mines, the keyword is productivity!

https://flic.kr/p/15215187271
During final control of alignment, everything seems OK.

https://flic.kr/p/15031580860
A quick look from above (trying not to fall onto the layout with camera and all). On the right, the extended exit ramp, The square piece of metal is the positioner of the exit ramp. The other piece of metal on the top is the drive of the positioner.

https://flic.kr/p/15215241241
Some other nasty chores will follow: re-wiring the terminal module of the right, hiding the cables, and ordering a wider photographic backdrop, to cover the extended layout (this is a nasty AND expensive chore).

All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

After the exhibition in Breisgau (see our specific post), some maintenance is needed. Notwithstanding the care, something wears and tears, or breaks, especially after the

The soldered joint of one cross bracing in the latticework of the elevator tower has broken. The joint must be re-soldered. One broken piece, but seven pieces of steel must stay in position at the same time for re-soldering.
https://flic.kr/p/15596083050
Then, we machine the soldered joint to a presentable appearance, with milling bits.
https://flic.kr/p/15595058229
We do the same re-soldering/milling operation on one handrail of the spiral staircase
https://flic.kr/p/15780915605
The backlash of the positioner (exit ramp of the rotary railcar dumper) became excessive during the last hours of the Breisgau show. Here, we calibrate the screws that keep the sliding parts in position, with the help of a piece of scrap rail. For clarity: the positioner is the device that moves railcars through the rotary dumper and along the exit ramp, without the need of a locomotive.
https://flic.kr/p/15161478533
Checking tolerances of the positioner.
https://flic.kr/p/15595073759
Re-checking the tolerances of the slide plates that guide the positioner along the rails. The target is -0…+0.05 mm. Note: the commercial PECO code 83 rails that we have used in the 300-mm section of the positioner have surprisingly good dimensional tolerances of their profile, and did not need re-machining to match the slide plates of our contraption.
https://flic.kr/p/15161466973
Positioner re-assembled, operational test under way, with one end of the exit ramp clamped to our kitchen table. A 1.5 - volt cell energizes the drive for the test
https://flic.kr/p/15595504508
Functional test of the movable coupler
https://flic.kr/p/15595095729
Slowly, we get ready (hope to get ready for the next show, which will take place from 6 to 8 December).

With best wishes from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

We will exhibit again our Consolidated Nickel Mines layout at the "American Trains 2014" organized by the Modelleisenbahnclub Schlanders. The show will take place from 6 to 8 December at the Kulturhaus in Schlanders (Sudtirol - Italy)

Here is the link to the website of the exhibition (sorry, it is only available in Italian and German)

http://mecschlanders.jimdo.com/italiano/eventi/mostre/

Everybody is invited (at his own expense…. ;-)

With best wishes from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

we are back from the American Trains 2014 exhibition in Schlanders. It was a pleasant, although exhausting experience, with 3 days of show, 6 to 8 December , 10 hours per day, from 9 to 19, hordes of visitors. We will post in a separate topic the photos of the entire exhibition and the other layouts. It will take a while to sort out the photos. In parallel, we will receive from the organizers a DVD with the official photos of the exhibition, and will publish some as soon as possible.

Thursday 4 the adventure begins; the car is already jam-packed with pieces of our contraption, and away we go.
https://flic.kr/p/15997903905
After one night in Schlanders, at 9 am of Friday 5, we begin to unpack the pieces. The exhibiton hall is the Kulturhaus. In contrast of the usual industrial halls that host modeling events, the place is well lighted, well heated, and the mezzanine where we install the layout has a luxurious wooden parquet flooring. It is incredible, to have a perfectly clean and level floor.
https://flic.kr/p/15997898345
As usual, our installation takes one entire day.
https://flic.kr/p/15810634430
Slowly, the halls take shape. The other modelers install their masterpieces.
https://flic.kr/p/15811889619 https://flic.kr/p/15378249143
This time, we have some new equipment that makes its first appearance in public. Notably, the re-positioned hoist and the deflection pulley assembly at the top of the headframe have never been extensively tested. We repair, as usual, the minor aesthetic damages due to transportation.
https://flic.kr/p/15811295758
Also, some minor modifications in the mechanical parts of the railcar dumper work as expected. We had luck.
https://flic.kr/p/15998690115
During the days of Saturday 6 and Sunday 7, the members of a jury, composed of journalists of major sector publications, discreetly inspect the exhibits; meanwhile, the vistors express their votes in an exit poll.
Sunday evening, after having been on duty for 10 hours, an official multi-course dinner takes place. In the end, the organizers tell the names of the winners of the various categories: static exhibits, dioramas, layouts.
In the category layouts, the City Limits layout, from Stuttgart, takes the third place. Pocahontas Mining Co. Of Messrs. Michael Fuchs and Jurgen Funck of Stuttgart takes the second place. Then, when we are about to fall asleep on our table, the organizers proclaim Consolidated Nickel Mines Co. Unbelievable. We think that we do not have understood correctly, then other modellers push us to the stage in an avalanche of applause.

Monday 8, we proudly show the award plaque in our stand. After another exhausting day, the show winds down. Completly stoned, we do a little celebration with our close friends. In this photo, the legendary specialist of scale N Mr. Massimo Peroni celebrates with the Nickel Queen.
https://flic.kr/p/15375669224
In the evening of Monday 8 we disassemble our layout, ending around 11 pm. The morning after we load our car and drive back to the base.

In the end, we are back home, to the day-to-day chores. Our layout will stay in our car at least for one week; simply, we do not have time to unload. We shoot one last photo in our terrace, the two of us, and the award plaque.
https://flic.kr/p/15810468838
Stay tuned, we will post a comprehensive report of the show asap. All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

we have received some photos from the organizers of the exhibition. These 3 shots show an all-time-high for an ald couple of model railroaders.

https://flic.kr/p/15817989069 https://flic.kr/p/15818231137 https://flic.kr/p/15816706320
All the best

Mario & Bice

 

[ebaykal]

Congratulations to both of you.

Abd & Erkut

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

Maintenance continues at Consolidated. We have decided to substitute the cable-loop system that drives (as in reality) the positioner of the exit ramp of our rotary railcar dumper. The new system will be operated by a threaded bar device, with a total travel of ca. 300 mm. First, we disassemble the pieces of the previous system.
https://flic.kr/p/15959786249
Then, we modify the frame to accommodate the new pieces.
https://flic.kr/p/16143954111
The seat of the bearing at one of the extremities of the threaded bar is machined, and the bearing installed.
https://flic.kr/p/15960130037
The bearing, seen from the other side. For alignment, one precision steel rod substitutes the threaded bar.
https://flic.kr/p/15526152913
One provisional slider is fasted on the positioner, and the positioner sent to the opposite side of the track.
https://flic.kr/p/16143966671
By doing this, the alignment bar places itself in the correct position. We install the other bearing, and fasten into the correct position with wooden shims and cyanoacrylate.
https://flic.kr/p/16145119192
This is the drive, one DC motor, from a scrap DVD player. One specific piece, machined from hardwood, fastens the motor to the frame.
https://flic.kr/p/15958461498
The crown gear that will drive the threaded rod comes from a scrap RC servo. Close-up there are the two miniature bushings that keep in position the threaded rod.
https://flic.kr/p/15960144847
The motor, placed into position, visible from the lower side of the frame.
https://flic.kr/p/16145901305
When everything is finished, the drive and the threaded rod remain hidden under the frame and a small cover box, made of metal.
https://flic.kr/p/16143980081
Now, one piece is missing. We are anxiously waiting the delivery of a pack of components, which contains our 2-mm threaded bar.

We will keep you posted. All the best wishes for a happy new year, and trains, trains, trains, for everybody.

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

This job nears its end: the slider that engages on the threaded bar is complete.
https://flic.kr/p/15553868364
Here, the Nickel Queen gracefully re-assembles the pieces:

https://flic.kr/p/15990428197 https://flic.kr/p/16150420416
Then, we re-install the bushings, gears, and motor:
https://flic.kr/p/15988772558
One close-up of the drive and the threaded bar/slider assembly
https://flic.kr/p/15553841154 https://flic.kr/p/15556412623
After some touch-ups to the painted parts, we do one functional test.
https://flic.kr/p/16174372091 https://flic.kr/p/15553874234
OK, in the end, compared with the previous cable-loop drive, this modification is sturdier and less prone to breakages during assembly and disassembly of our layout.

BUT, we have other plans underway.
One friend of ours had the very bad idea of suggesting during the latest show in Schlanders "…why don't you make another section of the mine, with an underground conveyor loading your skips?" Since then, we have already spent some time at the drawing table.
The thing can work as a horizontal tunnel, visible in section, coming out of the vertical panel of our mine. Inside, a conveyor should move the ore from the innards of the mine (not visible from outside). The ore should fall into a loading chute, which must have the capability of switching from one skip to the other. The machinery that loads the conveyor remains not visible, and can be out-of-scale, but, still, we need a functional dosing unit. Damn our friend and his suggestions!
We try and find a simple design, but there isn't. After some meditations, we cancel the option of on oscillating (vibrating trough) conveyor. It is not substantially simpler from the construction viewpoint. Again, we have to realize a belt conveyor, 360 mm travel distance, ca. 200 mm of which is visible.
For the dosing unit, we decide to change our design from rotating-cone to an auger configuration. This is a departure from real-life mining equipment, but the dosing unit is not visible. The other problem is: how to make a miniature auger? In the end, we copy the spiral design used in some full-size augers, used for non-abrasive materials (grains/foodstuff, plastic pellets). The auger is an elongated spring, which rotates in a bed of material to be conveyed, with large clearances with the walls of the trough. This design is immune from jamming of particles between the auger and the walls of the machine.
Today, we have retrieved springs from our scrap pile. We have elongated one spring to the correct pitch (ca. 70% of diameter), machined two retainers for the two ends of the auger, and mounted the pieces onto a driving shaft, welded the pieces together, and re-machined. Attached one photo of the finished part;
https://flic.kr/p/15990496887
The auger will be installed in a horizontal closed trough, with its shaft suspended by two bearings. A DC motor will drive the dosing unit at around 60 RPM. The ore will be gravity-fed from a small container, will enter tangentially from one end of the trough, and exit tangentially from the other end.

The whole project will take some months to complete. We will keep you informed.

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

The first piece of the expansion of the underground section of our layout is complete. This unit is the auger-type feeder that calibrate the flow or ore that goes into the skips of our hoist. This unit is NOT to scale; it will not be visible from the outside. The photo shows the hopper, the horizontal auger, the drive and the joint that matches the splined shaft of the drive and the 2-mm shaft of the auger.
https://flic.kr/p/16027623720 Another phot, which shows the auger in position. The discharge is downdraft, and is not visible in this photo.
https://flic.kr/p/15592571964 Now, it is time for the final operational test. We place the dosing unit on top of a glass cup, and load the hopper with nickel ore.
https://flic.kr/p/16027614690 We feed current to the drive. 1.5 Volts, at ca. 25 RPM, is enough to generate a realistic mass flow.
https://flic.kr/p/16028857669 We do some tests, from empty to "full-choked" hopper. The flow remains independent from the amount of material in the hopper; the only control is shaft RPMs. In this photo, an interesting shot down the feeding throat of the auger.
https://flic.kr/p/15595112033 Exit section of the channel, with discharge (down).
https://flic.kr/p/16214160062
The next section will be the belt conveyor, then the discharge chute from the conveyor to the skips, and then some radical modification to our subterranean landscape, to put all the pieces together.

All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

Our subterranean belt conveyor is slowly taking shape. After many man-hours (and curses), the frame, drive, and dosing unit are almost completed. The conveyor will be installed horizontally in a tunnel of our nickel mine, below "ground" (table) level. The tunnel will be sectioned, as in a technical drawing, to show the conveyor in operation.

Herewith some photos:
https://flic.kr/p/16295768545 The conveyor provisionally assembled. The pencil indicates the position of the partition between the hidden section (left) and the visible section, which unloads the ore into the hoist.

https://flic.kr/p/16269823656 A detail of the unloading side

https://flic.kr/p/16269818616 The belt tension adjuster, on the unloading side

https://flic.kr/p/15673359614 From the loading side: the pinion of the drive will engage the crown gear of the driven pulley.

We'll keep you posted. All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear modeling friends,

We have completed our underground belt conveyor.
https://flic.kr/p/16170769657
This afternoon we did the complete operational test, with dosing unit and conveyor working at full capacity. As reference, the maximum throughput of this unit is approximately 1800 grams/hour. During normal operation of the layout, the unit will work at ca 50% capacity, and discontinuously (following the operation of the 2-way hoist.
https://flic.kr/p/16356654725 https://flic.kr/p/16355765672
We began to design the underground landscape that will host the conveyor, and made some preliminary mock-ups with pieces of paper. The outer section of the machine will be in a tunnel that joins the elevator shaft. The dosing unit will not be visible, giving the impression of long, real-life, ore conveyor. It will be more or less like in these two photos.
https://flic.kr/p/16356626995 https://flic.kr/p/16169035938
After the exhibition in Erfurt we will start the construction of the underground loading chute, and finally all the pieces will be installed into our subterranean landscape.

All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

The issue of January 2015 of the prestigious Italian magazine "Mondo Ferroviario" contains a comprehensive 30-page report of the "American Trains 2015" exhibition in Schlanders.
The magazine starts with a cover with a spectacular photo of the loading station of the "Pocahontas" layout
https://flic.kr/p/16410655655 Amongst other very interesting articles of model and full-size railrod stuff, the article starts<<:
https://flic.kr/p/16224727947 And in the centerfold there are also some photos of our contraption.
https://flic.kr/p/16224413279
To be noted, the next show in Schlanders will take place in 2017, and the topic will be "Alpine Railroads".

Best wishes from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

We will exhibit again at the Erlebniswelt Modellbau 2015 in Erfurt (Germany), on 6, 7, and 8 February. Location is Messe Erfurt, Gothaerstrasse 34.
https://flic.kr/p/16408862681
Everybody is invited.

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

We are proceedings with the modification of our elevator, with the installation of automated loading of the skips.
Before the modification, the base of the elevator tower appeared like this.
https://flic.kr/p/16549071928
After many hours at the drawing table, and many hours machining and soldering pieces of metal, the new assembly takes shape. The assembly comprises two right/left loading chutes, and a swiveling diverter that selects one skip at a time. The chutes swivel automatically outwards at the passage of the skips, while one remote-controlled actuator will operate the diverter.
https://flic.kr/p/16736625785
We put together temporarily the conveyor belt, and the diverter/loading chutes assembly, to verify the positioning of the various parts.
https://flic.kr/p/16549060188 https://flic.kr/p/16550499999
Now, the next step is the installation of the new parts into our subterranean landscape. The modification of the landscape will be substantial, with the preparation of a new tunnel, support for the conveyor, and cabling of the moving parts.

We will keep you informed. All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

we have assembled the various pieces in a makeshift arrangement, and done the operational trial of our loading station. After some fine-tuning and modifications, our loading chutes, skips, and diverter are now in their final position. The flow of ore seems OK (that means, "Flow centered onto the skip, no spillovers").
Attached some photos.

From above, the conveyor belt, and the primary hopper. Below, the right-hand-side loading chute is visible. The transparent plastic thing on the right is one "hacked" nano-size RC servo that operates the diverter. Later, we will paint it matt black.
https://flic.kr/p/16857949096 Ready for testing; the test stand comes from a scrapped photographic enlarger.
https://flic.kr/p/16696457030 The loading hopper, which will remain hidden in the structure of our layout.
https://flic.kr/p/16261500754 We start the machinery, and begin the test.
https://flic.kr/p/16857979796 This is more or less, the position from which to see the machinery, when installed into the landscape of the mine. It will be approximately 40 cm above ground level, and 70 cm below rail level.
https://flic.kr/p/16857988346 During the test, we have identified the operational conditions that we will use. The target is approximately twice the mass output of the above-ground-level machinery; the below-the-ground unit will work at ca. 50% uptime, while the open-sky units work continuously.
https://flic.kr/p/16857964776 One interesting detail from the non-visible side. The drive operates, through a small universal joint, the threaded bar that moves, through a threaded nut, the diverter
https://flic.kr/p/16857934506 Now, this unit stays mothballed for several weeks. We do not have enough time to install the unit into our layout before our next exhibition, which will take place at Malpensa Fiere, next to Milan airport, on 23 - 24 May 2015. Before this date, we must urgently complete some basic maintenance to our layout.
Here is the website of the ExpoModelShow Malpensa 2015. Everyone is invited.
http://www.expomodelshow.it/

All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Hallo again.

Sometimes, model railroaders must do some humble and unglamorous work.
For transportation of our layout we had been using since years makeshift plywood panels at the perimeter of our base module, fastened with self-tapping screws, while the other modules and parts stayed on top of the panels. Finally, we had to fix it. As expected, it took time. We filled all the existing holes, sanded all the pieces of wood, re-bored the pieces to install solid 4-mm bolts, installed solid duralumin profiles to keep the pieces together.
https://flic.kr/p/16779554608
Handling the complete box gives now a feeling of solidity. In parallel, assembly and disassembly takes much less time. Before, we had to fiddle with self-tapping screws and elusive holes in the wood (typically: in the evening, after an exhausting day at exhibitions). BTW, the black stripes in the photo are rubber foam saddles, which keep some removable pieces suspended within the structure of the box during transportation.
https://flic.kr/p/16779769460
It was a boring, but necessary, job. Our box has also acquired an "armoured" look ;-)
https://flic.kr/p/16759880457
All the best from Italy

Mario & Bice

 

[ebaykal]

We did the same things Mario, a necessity if the layout is travelling huge distances.

Erkut

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

Since March, we have been very busy, and have not worked at our layout. We had also to cancel our participation to the ExpoModelShow near Milan, 23-24 May. Now, we are slowly re-starting our construction. Our works continue with the installation of the new loading unit into the existing underground landscape.

Let us "begin from the end". This photo shows the works at the present date: the unit installed, with the black backdrop fabric draped around the new shape. Half of the conveyor is visible, as if it were in the cross-section of a technical drawing. The other half of the conveyor, and the dosing unit, remain hidden behind the backdrop.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

This is, more or less, the point of view at exhibitions. The structure (wood) and the formers (expanded polystyrene) are in position. We will cover the structure with fiberglass and kraft paper.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

Today, we run out of epoxy resin, and stopped our works again; tomorrow is a national holiday in Italy, and the delivery of the precious product at our place will be on 3 June.
Here, some details of the works: we glued into position the plate supporting the conveyor, after checking and rechecking that it was level and square with the rest of the structure. The conveyor stays on a separate plate, which slides in and out of the supporting plate during installation and disassembly of the layout. We must disassemble all the structure for transportation.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

A not-so trivial detail, at the beginning of the works: we installed the supporting plate with a makeshift positioning, and checked if it interfered with the other pieces, when everything is positioned for transportation.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

The gallery of the conveyor, before finishing of the wooden structure.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

From the operators' side, behind the backdrop, the hidden dosing unit.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We will keep you posted.

All the best from Milan

Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

We have completed the covering of our modified underground landscape. The covering is made of Kraft paper, glued to the underlying structure.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

The mine gallery and the loading conveyor. The structure of the loading unit slides in and out, like a drawer, for transportation. The "floor" and part of the gallery will be painted matt black, to blend into the black curtain of the backdrop on the left.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

One miniature screw keeps the loading unit into position.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We will finish the covering with a coat of epoxy resin, pigments, sand, small rocks, blending the color with that of the existing vertical landscape.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We have added the controls of the new machinery to our control panel. The upper-left quadrant contains the rheostats and switches of feeder and loader, and the switch/polarity reverser of the diverter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

The feeder, seen from the operator side. Now the unit is painted black, to better disappear behind the black curtain of the backdrop of our subterranean landscape. One 5-wire flat cable gives power to the machinery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

One loaded skip, ready to leave to the surface.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

The loaded skip, hoisted to the surface.
https://flic.kr/p/18378921519
Some of you will ask; "Where are the rails? Where is the train?" Never mind, our Nickel ore, after having traveled from the mine for more than 2 meters, across 3 dosing units, 1 feeder belt, 2 conveyor belts, 1 hoist, 1 swiveling hopper, is loaded onto railcars. Finally, the ore goes along rails for its 5-meter H0 trip to our unloading station, while another empty train goes back.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

All the best from Milan
Mario & Bice

 

[nickelminers]

Dear friends,

we have proceeded with the works of our underground landscape. We have resin-coated the surface
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

and we have applied the finishing materials (sand, crushed minerals, pigments) to its surface
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We apply the pigments of various colors from different angles, to highlight the texture of the surface
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

Waiting for the resin to polymerize, we do repairs to our vegetation
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

After 24 hours of polymerization, the resin has hardened and the structure is ready. Here a detail of the surface texture
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We re-assemble the pieces and do some touch-ups
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

The core of our underground landscape is more or less complete
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...teposted-public

An interesting perspective of the shaft of our mine, from below.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/...eposted-public/

We will keep you posted. Best wishes from Milan.

Mario & Bice