Buffalo Canyon Mining Company in On30

[Pennman]

Great modeling all around, Mike
That derrick deserves to be at the front of your layout.

Rich

[ACL1504]

Mike, Howdy,

Just getting back up to speed on your build. Wow, what amazing work on the oil derrick and supporting details.

As they say, "Details make all the difference."

Well done my friend.

Tom

[friscomike]

Howdy folks,

Curt, it is near the edge, but it's only me here.  Sadly, most of the model railroaders live on the north side of Atlanta, 1.5-2 hours away, so I'm by myself here.  If I knock it over...I'll cry. Thanks for the comment.

Rick, Larry, and Jerry, thank you for your support.

Rich, thanks for the encouragement.

Tom, your modeling is an inspiration, and I appreciate your comment.  Indeed, details make a big difference.

I hope to have some photos this afternoon.  I'm still painting details, waiting for layers to dry, etc.

Have fun,
mike

[friscomike]

Howdy folks,

The details are complete and ready to be added to the derrick.  The only things remaining to be done on the project are the final weathering of the derrick and adding the rigging (ugh).

Here are a few detail photos.

The details depicted include the forge hammers and tongs, a wrench, a shovel, and a broom.  Also pictured are a stack of old drill bits and pipe, the forge, an anvil, a sand pump, a temper screw, and a storage cabinet.



Rusted pipe casting. The photo doesn't show all the variations of rust.


Storage cabinet.


Forge with bellows.



Time for a break.

Have fun,
mike

[PRR Modeler]

They look great Mike. Happy New Year to you and your wife.

[deemery]

The forge makes sense for sharpening the drill bits and repairing broken bits, pipes, etc that happen during drilling.

dave

[Larry C]

Mike very nice job on the details. I especially like the cabinet; looks like it's well used and a little abused as well.

[friscomike]

Howdy folks,

Curt, thanks for your kind compliment and greeting

Dave, I was surprised when the kit included the forge details, but it does make sense.

Larry, thanks for the compliment.  Since it is located outside in the weather, I thought it should look "rode hard and put up wet".

Well, as always, I thought I would be finished with the kit tonight, then I remembered I needed to build the outhouse and tall ladder.  The rigging is complete and took me most of the day.  Here are a few random photos of the derrick with the forge shed on and off.

Shed removed with forge in place and rigging hanging.


A view from the opposite side.


View from rear of bull wheel and brake.


A view of the derrick that is almost complete.  It just needs a ladder.


The forge shed removed, and the working wheels in view.


That's it for now.  If you model in O scale and can find this kit, it is a fantastic build that is loads of fun.

On a related note, today I was talking with my 96-year-old uncle, and he told me my maternal grandfather used to work on wooden oil rigs in Seminole, Oklahoma.  His specialty was building wooden oil tanks from cedar and redwood.  My Uncle said the kids used to swim in the tanks before they were used for oil. They lived in tents so I will find a place for a tent or two on the layout. Cool memory, so this oil derrick will have an Anderson Oil sign and a wooden oil tank.  When I was a kid, I recall seeing the wooden oil tanks in the oil fields south of Wichita Falls, Texas.

Have fun,
mike

[deemery]

What's not clear to me is which parts of this are drilling related, and which parts are pumping related. 

Years ago, when I got interested in early oil and modeling same, I happened to find  Hamor & Bacon, "The American Petroleum Industry" at a used bookstore.  I see there's a copy on eBay:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/186878960983  and the books are available digitally from Google and other sources.  One of the best documented refineries in that book is the one at Coffeysville, KS.  I'm using some of that, along with the description of several other refineries including Eldred PA and Sanborn maps of PA oil refineries, for my own 1890s era refinery.  That project is about 50% done, I still need to figure out how to the 3 primary horizontal stills (think 'tank from an oil car on a brick foundation')  I have most of the rest of the parts built, including a Cheesebox still that (the late) Craig Bisgeier did for me as a 3D printing project, the condensers (rectangular long tanks) and agitator (tank on stilts, round top and conical bottom)  I need to get back to that project.  It's another one, though, where I really need to get the backdrops in place before positioning all those tanks in front of the backdrop.

dave

[PRR Modeler]

Outstanding modeling Mike.

I look forward to seeing your project Dave.

[Rick]

Mike, congratulations on an outstanding model.

[Pennman]

I second Rick's post, congratulations, this model is great.

Rich

[Jerry]

Mike outstanding modeling!!

Jerry

[Larry C]

Mike you really did a "bang up" job on this build. Looking forward to seeing it in place on your layout.

[Philip]

Nice work Mike! Great backline story and you just opened up another historic industry.

Philip