Mining Camp - project restarted as generic Frontier Town

[former user]

I have a different approach to this:
- what is mined?
       large quantities? (Coal, Copper, Silver etc)
       small quantities? gold etc
- a hillside where one or more tunnels (adit) come out, with a narrow track and mule-drawn mine-carts
- heaps of overburden, a stamp mill
- what happens with the ore next?
       railway transport
       animal transport
       smelting
- the people who work in the mine need to eat and sleep
      tents/shacks, a canteen
      a laundry!!
- entertainement
      bar
      brothel
      community hall
- Mining infrastructure
      office, shed for tools
- Settlement infrastructure
      Butcher
      store
      jail/courthouse

this is a dynamic approach, so You will need to decide at what stage the settlement is
tents in the beginning, houses in the end

as to the materials
check out US railway modelling manufacturers, they have whole ranges of Old West stuff

[Dewbakuk]

I've seen a few modern 'westerns' lately that have frontier/mining towns in them where the building was just a frontage with a big tent behind it. Seems like a good idea to me.

I'm sure I posted this before but it doesn't seem to have shown up.

[Gluteus Maximus]

http://www.moondragons.com/html/old_wild_west.html

fronts from just £5 unpainted....

backs from £8

Wow! You could recreate the decoy Rock Ridge from Blazing Saddles. Might need to scratch-build a toll-booth though   

[Court Jester]

http://www.moondragons.com/html/old_wild_west.html

fronts from just £5 unpainted....

backs from £8

I thought the Moondragon kits were no longer available... If they are available again I'm there in a shot!

[Bungle]

Drop Kerry a line and ask.. its the only way to be sure.

[Bullshott]

Drop Kerry a line and ask.. its the only way to be sure.

Just about to do that. Will let you know the response I get.

[Bullshott]

@ everyone - thanks for the ideas

@ former user - your post got me thinking:

Initially the setltement is going to be used for our Atlantis VSF games where, to add some colour and interest to US military forces, I have worked into the story a mining company set on exploiting this new land. The settlement is destined to be one of a number in a river valley that runs along a geological fault line at the edge of a mountain range.

I have a different approach to this:
- what is mined?
       large quantities? (Coal, Copper, Silver etc)
       small quantities? gold etc

Not sure what the campaign moderator will offer me in minerals, but it will probably be either large quantities of metal ore or smaller quantities of harder to mine but more valuable stuff.

UPDATE - Initially I will have a silver mine in the campaign (hence a small scale boom town), but elsewhere I have also found coal (ultimately leading to a much bigger enterprise).

- a hillside where one or more tunnels (adit) come out, with a narrow track and mule-drawn mine-carts
- heaps of overburden, a stamp mill

will certainly need these

-  what happens with the ore next?
       railway transport
       animal transport
       smelting

-transported down river to port for processing in th US (at least for the beginning of the campaign)

- the people who work in the mine need to eat and sleep
      tents/shacks, a canteen
      a laundry!!

tents for sleeping
good idea for the canteen
I will also use my Chinese laundry with a new building or tents

- entertainement
      bar
      brothel
      community hall

Hotel/brothel (already built, just needs some minor repairs, a new roof and a repaint), plus a bar of some sorts

- Mining infrastructure
      office, shed for tools

definately an office, plus a large workshop building/store (this will be somewhat Deadlands/malifaux/VSF inspired)

- Settlement infrastructure
      Butcher
      store
      jail/courthouse

Store is a must
I like the idea of a butcher
No jail (at least to start) - any serious prisonners will be taken downstream

[Alfrik]

Jails in gold rush towns: Flat metal strapping shapped into a box shape about 5 feet tall with a lockable door. Looks like a large cage is all, an its Riveted!!!, another town had a iron stake that was about 10' long pouned into the ground, all but the last foot of it, had a chain and manacle on it, no protection, none for the cage either... and lastly one town sherrief used a buffalo hide, had the prisoner lie down, covered him to the neck and pegged the edges to the ground. Cant find my pics of the strap cage jail from Colma Historical Musesum... drat. Covered jails cost money, brick ones even more.

[Lowtardog]

http://www.moondragons.com/html/old_wild_west.html

fronts from just £5 unpainted....

backs from £8

Dont think they are in operation any more

[Rob_bresnen]

I bought some fronts a few months ago, but I did hear they were going to stop making them.

[Thargor]

Another compnay would be TSS, they produce four different fronts and a selection of different backs, a barn and a couple of out-buildings.  Mainly for the well established town I would think.

[AndrewBeasley]

Have a look at http://www.tigerminiatures.co.uk/page7.htm for some background figures.

Though not a 'fighting' figure a boom town would not be the same without one of these:



floating in the background.

Andrew
www.blog.kings-sleep.me.uk

[Rob_bresnen]

Reaper do this one, which I really like...

http://www.miniature-heroes.co.uk/browse/reaper-miniatures/chronoscope/view/50119-reaper-crazy-pete-prospector.html

[Bullshott]

Renendra have announced a sprue of various shaped tents, which would nice. They will be at Salute this year too.

They also do packs of four small bell tents or four large ridge tents - each for £5. I picked some up at Salute. These will be very useful for all sorts of games.

[Bullshott]

Another compnay would be TSS, they produce four different fronts and a selection of different backs, a barn and a couple of out-buildings.  Mainly for the well established town I would think.

Update on TSS :

Their resin building range was sold off to QRF last week(?). QRF are in the process of updaying their website (hopefully this week). They then need to run off some stock before this range is fully up and running. I got this information first hand from QRF at Salute.

QRF had a few building sets at the show , so I came away with a barn, a big 2-story stable/barn and a shop. I'm looking forward to making these up in the not too distant future. After which they will be getting an order for more of the shop fronts