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REFERENCE
SECTION: GHOST TOWNS & ABANDONED MINES
ARDEN PLASTER MINES, LAS VEGAS AREA, NEVADA (2009-2010) |
The Arden Plaster
Mines operated from 1907-30 in the southwest Las Vegas valley, in
the Desert Hills region. Significant gypsum deposits were mined,
and the ore hauled over a 5-mile-long 3-foot narrow gauge railroad
operated by the mining company. In 1919 the operation was purchased
by the US Gypsum Company, and in 1930 the ore bodies were deemed
to be exhausted, and the entire operation was abandoned.
The mines themselves consisted of a series of adits and inclined
shafts along a nearly 2-mile stretch, with 2 isolated mining complexes:
one located over 1-1/2 miles to the northwest of the primary mines,
and another (the "Sunday Mine") located on a lonely hilltop
to the east-northeast of the primary mines. Each of these isolated
mining complexes was served by narrow-gauge railroad spurs. The
long stretch of primary mines was served by its own 3-foot narrow-gauge
railroad line, and transferred ore to the APRR via several inclines
& aerial tramways, the scars of which are still visible. Some
of the grades to the mine spurs are fairly steep, but the small
railroad got by with various saddle-tank locomotives (starting with
some 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives from the former Quartette Mining
Company in Searchlight, NV, and then upgrading to larger Porter
Saddle Tank locomotives under US Gypsum ownership). Based on my
research and the remnants I've found, the APRR mainline used 45-pound
rail, whereas the railroad line serving the mines directly up above
the APRR used 25-pound rail.
Once ore was loaded from the mines into the APRR ore cars, it was
then hauled 5 miles southeast to the Arden Plaster Mill at Arden,
a station on the Union Pacific Railroad in the southern
Las Vegas Valley. Nothing remains at Arden, as the old mill site
has been built over by industry. At one time the entire APRR grade
could be followed from Arden all the way to the mines, but in recent
years the majority of this grade has been built over by custom homes
& housing developments. Some of the 1999-era photographs below
document what used to be, but is no more...however, once at the
mines, extant railroad grades and spurs are remaining to be explored.
I've found pieces of rails, rail joiners, shoulder bolts & square
nuts, many many ties with spikes still embedded in them, and various
other remnants of the APRR over the years. The grades along the
mines are loaded with detritus & remains of the former mining
railroad, and in a few spots you can still see the piles of grease
that dripped off the locomotives while they idled (it appears to
be pavement, but it is grease with dirt & dust embedded in it).
What remains are extant former railroad grades, concrete foundations
& footings, and extant mine adits. Most adits have been blasted
closed by the BLM, since housing developments are being built all
the way up to the foot of the mountains that the mines are located
in! There is quite a bit to explore, and this remains one of my
favorite haunts, as there is always something new to discover every
time I visit. However, in early 2010, the BLM closed the area to
all motorized vehicles and camping; as of now, you can only hike
in the area....new "No Trespassing" signs keep appearing
every time I visit, so I'm sure it won't be long before the whole
area will be closed entirely. What a shame. Meanwhile, feel free
to click on the Image Map to the left to orient yourself with where
the photos below were taken in relationship to an aerial view map.
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2009-2010 |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
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IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
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IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #1:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
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IMAGE MAP #2:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned Comparison between
1999 & 2009
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned incline grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned incline grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #3:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned incline grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #4:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #4:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #5:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #5:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #5:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #5:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #6:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #6:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #7:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #7:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #7:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #8:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #9:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned railroad & incline
grade
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
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IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines & railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines & railroad
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #10:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #11:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad rails
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #11:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mine railroad rails
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2009) |
IMAGE MAP #12:
Arden Plaster Mining Company
Sunday Hill mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada |
IMAGE MAP #13:
Arden Plaster Mining Company
Sunday Hill mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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IMAGE MAP #13:
Arden Plaster Mining Company
Sunday Hill mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #13:
Arden Plaster Mining Company
Sunday Hill mines
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
IMAGE MAP #14:
Arden Plaster Mining Company abandoned mines
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Las Vegas area, Nevada (2010) |
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Silver State Specialties was created in 1999 to offer quality resin
accessories, replacement parts and conversion kits, suitable for
many 1/25-scale plastic model kits. SSS specializes in accessories
and parts for plastic model pickup, SUV, 4x4, and heavy truck &
trailer kits. 1/32-scale and 1/35-scale parts and accessories
will be available in the future for model truck kits, such as the
1/32 Monogram Snap-Tite and ERTL snap-together kits, as well as
1/35-scale Revell, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Airfix, Heller,
Tamiya, and other military model truck
kits. Some of these smaller scale model kits are quite well
detailed, and a wide variety of photo-etched, resin, and other accessories
are widely available for most of these military truck model kits.
What's even more exciting is the line of 1/24th & 1/25th-scale
military model kits and conversions we are in the early stages of
developing, to nicely compliment your ERTL, AMT, Italeri, Revell,
and other brands of truck models.
Silver State Specialties is working on resin accessories and complete
kits for G- gauge outdoor garden railway trains ("Large Scale")
in 1/24th-scale. Some patterns have been completed, and many more
are under construction. These kits and accessories will include
complete Beyer-Garratt style of locomotives and Narrow Gauge ore
hopper cars, as well as 24-inch & 30-inch gauge industrial equipment
in this same scale.
SSS also has master patterns partially completed for many 1/16-scale
model truck accessories and conversion kits, mainly for the Monogram-Revell
1/16-scale model truck kits. Some projected accessories for
these 1/16-scale kits are front drive axles, different wheels and
tires, air cleaner accessories, pusher and tag axles, oil filters
and engine accessories, and possibly different engines. Cab
& hood conversion kits remain a possibility for these monsters
as well, but are still years away from being offered as there are
more pressing projects to push forward with first. But someday
they should be available!
Thank you for your continued support!
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