Mines with tracks

[Joanne]

This is one of my favorite photo locations. It looks like a Disney mine ride, but it's the real deal. I would like to go back there and get a photo without the dust reflections.




It's a bit of a hike to get to this mine, but it's really worth it. Very photogenic!




Here's Bill "walking" some rails. I slid down them on my butt.




Therrin standing in front of a lumber car.




This car was well back in a big mine.




A track switch. I was surprised to find that they used them underground.




Joanne

[Kiel]

track switches are awesome, but I have only seen 3. One had a great looking handle on it. I will have to see if I can find the pic

[Brahmabull1018]

Joanne - Is this mine in Utah? It looks like Utah or Nevada, but alot of states look similar in the deserts

[Brahmabull1018]

Either way, those are some great pictures, and a great mine. I always fear that this is what I am missing every time Utah seals another mine!!

[fredmcain]

Joanne,

Thanks for that ! ! ! ! You've got some great pictures too! I loved 'em!

By the way, a little more "arm chair" exploring here, here is a nice mine that Guy Starbucks has on his site.

http://starbuck.org/exploring/moss-mine/

I don't know where that mine is, but it looks like it's got rails too! Maybe this is even the same mine you were in?

In any event, thanks again.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

[Joanne]

Either way, those are some great pictures, and a great mine. I always fear that this is what I am missing every time Utah seals another mine!!

Those photos came from four different mines in California and Nevada. There are still a lot of good mines around, but you have to hunt for them. Most of us have spent quite a bit of time bouncing around in the desert with a map in our hands hoping to find a good mine to explore. Sometimes they are closed off, some times they go in 50 feet then end, and every now and then you find a good one.

Joanne

[Joanne]

Joanne,

Thanks for that ! ! ! ! You've got some great pictures too! I loved 'em!

By the way, a little more "arm chair" exploring here, here is a nice mine that Guy Starbucks has on his site.

http://starbuck.org/exploring/moss-mine/

I don't know where that mine is, but it looks like it's got rails too! Maybe this is even the same mine you were in?

In any event, thanks again.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Hi Fred,

No, I haven't been to that mine....yet. I've not been able to get out with Guy yet, but one of these days we will probably get together for an exploring trip.

Actually out here we find a LOT of track. In one mine that we visit there is a stack of it where they had stockpiled it for future use. In looking at the track it is of various gauges. Heavier gauge on the main incline, and smaller out in the drifts. The "easy to get to" stuff has mostly been taken, but the hard to reach track is often left in place. Whether track was left in place also depended on how the mine was shut down. Some mines were decommissioned and everything taken out, others seem to have simply been abandoned.

Joanne

[fredmcain]

Those photos came from four different mines in California and Nevada. There are still a lot of good mines around, but you have to hunt for them. Most of us have spent quite a bit of time bouncing around in the desert with a map in our hands hoping to find a good mine to explore. Sometimes they are closed off, some times they go in 50 feet then end, and every now and then you find a good one.

Joanne

Joanne,

When you find mines that "are closed off", how have they done that? Are they locked gates, bat gates with no locks that cannot ever be opened or have they simply been bulldozed in?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

[fredmcain]

Hi Fred,

The "easy to get to" stuff has mostly been taken, but the hard to reach track is often left in place. Whether track was left in place also depended on how the mine was shut down. Some mines were decommissioned and everything taken out, others seem to have simply been abandoned.

Joanne

Joanne,

I have an unconfirmed theory about this. I wonder if, in at least a few cases, when the mine shut down if perhaps the closure was not intended to be permanent, at least not at the beginning. They just closed the mine with the intention that it would be for a year or two or until the price of whatever commodity they were mining would recover. Therefore, they left the tracks in place along with some of the mining equipment so they'd be ready to go back to work when the time came.

But then, for whatever reason, the mine never reopened and some of the equipment is still in there. Just a theory. Does anybody else have any ideas about this?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

[go_browns79]

My theory is a lot of them planned to start back up but either they ran out of money or the price of metal dropped to low to make mining profitable. I've also heard a lot of the tracks were recycled during the 2nd World War.

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[Joanne]

My theory is a lot of them planned to start back up but either they ran out of money or the price of metal dropped to low to make mining profitable. I've also heard a lot of the tracks were recycled during the 2nd World War.

Hey Bill! Good to see you here again. You could certainly be right about them thinking the mine would be restarted.

On his last trip here, Tony and I hiked back up there with all our climbing gear hoping to find some good exploring. You remember the two headframes? Unfortunately the shafts had backfilled with dirt over time. Still, it was a fun day poking around in all the various diggings.

Joanne

[go_browns79]

I miss living in Vegas, where the desert is only an few miles away. I haven't been out since the Delamar trip so I'm itching to get out soon.

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Bat Gates

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[Joanne]

Joanne,

When you find mines that "are closed off", how have they done that? Are they locked gates, bat gates with no locks that cannot ever be opened or have they simply been bulldozed in?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Fred, all of those plus expanding foam in some instances.

Joanne

[Joanne]

I miss living in Vegas, where the desert is only an few miles away. I haven't been out since the Delamar trip so I'm itching to get out soon.

Hey that's ME!

It has to be difficult to be that far away from the exploring areas. I know that I miss having my exploring buddy just a few minutes away.

Hope to see you out in the desert before too long!

Joanne