Physical 3D Mine Model

ZombieCake

Well-known member
Wandered around the Geevor Tin Mine complex in Cornwall the other day.  https://geevor.com/  A most impressive site, and well worth seeing.  The whole landscape of that area of Cornwall is, well, best described as a bit Poldarky.
One of the more interesting things that they had there was a physical 3D model of the mine workings around that part of Cornwall.  Apparently it was started in the 1960s and maintained during the life of the mine.  As well as a guide to the possible locations of the ore etc. it really is a fantastic work of industrial art and shows the complexity of what was going on and the scale of operations. The blue line on one of the pics shows sea level, so most of the works were below sea level.
So I was wondering, are there any similar things in existence for caves? I've added a couple of pics (heavily squished to load here and taken through scratchy perspex) but hopefully you get the idea. Really need to see it in real life though to get the full perspective.


 

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Jenny P

Active member
I've seen something very similar in Norway in the 1960s at the Kongsberg Silver Mine, somewhere west of Oslo.  This was a show mine whiuch was once a very rich silver mine but is now worked out and you could go on underground tours as well as going round their museum.

It seems their mine was probably worked as quite wide but low passages and the model used very long bolts for the vertical shafts with flat, shaped metal plates for the actual worked out flats.  I've been again in 2014 and the mine and museum are still open and well worth a look.
 

Graigwen

Active member
This reminds me of the old Australian definition of a mine:

"A hole in the ground with a Cornishman at the bottom."

.
 

tamarmole

Active member
The Geevor model is superb.  Even more impressive is the model constructed at South Crofty of Dolcoath mine.  The model is so big you have to stand on raised staging to view it.  Unfortunately this model is not on public view.
 
The Weardale Museum at Ireshopeburn has a wire model of West Blackdene Mine
- http://www.weardalemuseum.co.uk/communities/3/004/013/583/333//images/4633470670.jpg

 

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