HO KIT NO.
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THE NATIONAL BELLE MINE 
photo from Beebe & Clegg's Narrow Gauge in the Rockies |
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We wee looking around for something really
interesting to model as our first new limited edition kit under our new owner
C. C. Crow. We didn't have to look too far-
Situated on the "knob", a famous Colorado high country outcropping, "honeycombed with gold and silver", at the crest of Sheridan Pass (now Red Mountain Pass), the mine was served by Otto Mear's Silverton Railroad, "The Rainbow Route". It's silver ore was worth up to $14,000 per ton! Hopefully the diggin's on your railroad will be equally as good!
CCC's original scratchbuilt model Here are some sneak peaks at our new kit which is now well under development. Actually, C. C. Crow scratchbuilt a model over 20 years ago, we have researched the prototype (as well as visited the site), and we are now working on the kit version and diorama. The mine features the distinctive board and batten headframe (or shafthouse), with attached clapboard boilerhouse/hoist shed to the right, sorting/sample shed to the left, separate hoist house and additional sheds. But that's just the half of it! Check out the prototype photo above. There's a whole other section below! We're including the covered ore bins and snowshed-style mine entrance, exposed so you can see the mine cars and other details inside.
lower section of the mine complex being fit into the foam diorama
cast Hydrocal timber cribbing We'll include finely detailed timber wood cribbing cast in Hydrocal. And below we're doing laser-cut stair stringers for the exterior of the lower mine building.
laser-cut stair stringers The buildings are modular, so they can be arranged like the prototype or to best suit your particular claim. This imposing complex is sure to be a highlight on any railroad. Why not yours? We think this is the perfect transition kit, between Jim Haggard's handoff of Builders In Scale, and C. C. Crow's new ownership. The kit features laser-cut walls with lots of Builders In Scale white metal detail castings and a couple of Hydrocal castings. Who needs re-runs when we can do something completely new! We'll do everything we can to make this kit as outstanding as all our previous Limited Edition kits.KIT NO. 12 HO - THE NATIONAL BELLE MINE With regrets this kit never made it into production. Additional limited runs from Builders In Scale have been sidetracked too. Instead we have added several new LaserWood kits to the end of our Evening Express Line, with kit No. 622, the J & J Pyrite Mine a direct descendant of the National Belle's upper section. We have also helped with releases under C. C. Crow, and there the DURANGO ROUNDHOUSE in O scale with HO to follow. And there are many expansions and additions to the Builders In Scale parts and building materials, like the stairs that were first required for this model. So all is not lost. Just gone in other directions. |
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