Drawing Package
DWG-UMTC5
Updated: 07
January, 2007
There was a rash of hard-rock,
underground mining activity in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains after silver was discovered in the mid 1800’s in what
is now the Park City area. A variety of mining equipment flooded into the region
and was used to make the mining operations as efficient as possible. Underground mine transportation was an issue as some
mine’s adits were very long and it took a significant amount of time for miners to walk their length. Light rail quadcycles
and hand / foot powered cars were employed early on in several mines to speed the flow of traffic. Our 1/5th scale
museum quality model is a faithful replica of the full sized prototype hand & foot pumped underground mine transportation
car on display in the Ogden Union Station Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah. The full-sized car on display at the Ogden Railroad
Museum operated on 18” gauge light mining rail.
We meticulously measured
and photographed the museum’s prototype, created the drawing package and constructed our prototype model shown in the
photo. We used Cherry wood throughout the model and finished it with WATCO Danish Oil. We turned the axle lengths so the model
would fit on 3.6” gauge display track although the axles can be extended so the model will fit on the increasingly popular
4.75” gauge track.
Although the full-sized prototype
in Ogden’s Railroad Museum doesn’t have a builder’s plate on it, we are confident this car was produced
by the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company of Three Rivers, Michigan as the construction techniques, materials, fittings and
hardware are unmistakably Sheffield in origin. For example, when compared to Sheffield’s Track Inspector’s Car,
which also resides at Ogden’s Railroad Museum, or Sheffield’s No.1 Section Maintenance Cars, not only the construction
techniques but the wheels, gears, axle journals, crank shaft, etc. are identical
to those found on Sheffield’s other railroad cars.
Our drawing package of construction
plans contains 11 “B” sized (11˝ x 17˝) plates generously sprinkled with photographs of the model’s parts and assemblies. Also included with your purchase
is a Bill of Materials for the model and a listing of material sources.
As can be seen in the model’s
photograph, this model is an eye-catching conversation piece when set on the display track built from the drawings. This model
is approximately 17” long, 5” wide and 8” high. We hope you enjoy building and displaying your museum quality
model of this unique example of legacy mining equipment – The UNDERGROUND MINE TRANSPORTATION CAR.
***************************************
