The Country store was to be found in many parts of pioneer New Zealand. Herewith McGuigans at Te Kereru:
MCGUIGAN’S STORE, TE KERERU.
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By way of something a little different, a letter of the alphabet drawn as part of a project to see of Illuminated Lettering was feasible using pen and ink as the medium:
To return to the articulate steam locomotive theme from a few days ago, the Kitson-Meyer type was not the only large articulated steam engine to be manufactured in the United Kingdom. Another was the Beyer-Garratt type, an example of which appears below, along with that of an unsuccessful competitor, the ‘Modified Fairlie’ type:
Michael Keith
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
Beyer Garratt-type articulated steam locomotive.
(2-8-0 + 0-8-2 wheel arrangement)
Notes: Drawn with a black-ink pigment liner (0.5 nib) on white cartridge paper. Image measures 5 in. x 6 in.
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Modified Fairlie-type steam locomotive.
(4-8-2 + 2-8-4 wheel arrangement)
The ‘Modified Fairlie’ was essentially a rigid-framed Beyer-Garratt, built to circumvent the various patents that applied to the Beyer-Garratt type. Although it was successful in doing-so, the design itself was unsuccessful, with only a very small number being constructed.
Notes: Drawn with a black-ink pigment liner (0.5 nib) on white cartridge paper. Image measures 5 in. x 6 in.
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And now for something completely different; Lighthouses (‘Lighthees’?) I have been experimenting with drawing Lighthouses using pen and ink, to see what could result. Two examples appear below:
LIGHTHOUSE 1.
An older, multi-sided wooden lighthouse, of the sort sometimes appearing at the ends of wharves and breakwaters.
Notes: Drawn with an 0.1 black-ink pigment liner on white cartridge paper. Image measures 19 mm x 14 mm.
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LIGHTHOUSE 2.
A reinforced-concrete lighthouse of the sort frequently placed on hill-sides or headlands on harbour-approaches. The stripes are for visibility-purposes, and are intended to make the lighthouse stand-out against the background.
Notes: Drawn with an 0.1 black-ink pigment liner on white cartridge paper. Image measures 19 mm x 14 mm.
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As is already evident, I am interested in ‘things railway’ with particular emphasis of steam locomotives. I especially like large articulated tank locomotives (of which there are various types and wheel arrangements). and inevitably these have appeared in my art. I am particularly interested in the Kitson-Meyer type of articulated locomotives, a little-known variant of articulated tank engine, a type most active in South America, and have posted two examples of this type of locomotive below. They belong to the Tickford Valley Railway Co. (London) Ltd. (TVR), an imagined narrow gauge railway line that is constructed through very hilly and difficult terrain in the western part of New Zealand’s North Island . A 1:148 scale representation of part of this railway (The ‘Kereru Branch’), has been constructed.
Michael Keith
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
KITSON-MEYER TYPE ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE
(Type 1. 0-6-6-0T)
(Tickford Valley Rly. Co. (London) Ltd.
Notes: Drawn with Black-ink Pigment Liner (.005 nib) on white cartridge paper. Dimensions: 3 in. x 4.5 in.(76 mm x 114 mm).
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KITSON-MEYER TYPE ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE
(Type 3 . 0-6-6-0T)
(Tickford Valley Rly. Co. (London) Ltd.
Notes: Drawn with Black-ink Pigment Liner (.005 nib) on white cartridge paper. Dimensions: 3 in. x 4.5 in.(76 mm x 114 mm).
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Despite the preponderance of gold-mining and railway-themed illustrations that appear on this site, I have been known to draw other things, especially aircraft. Herewith an example.
AIRCRAFT
ON-MARK B-26K ‘INVADER‘
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GOLD MINING
‘A ‘CALIFORNIAN’ TYPE 5-STAMP BATTERY AS USED ON N.Z. GOLDFIELDS’.
In most of the Coromandel Peninsula’s batteries (reduction-works), the stamper battery was the key to success. The battery invariably operated in groups of five (as illustrated).* Heavy weights (the ‘Stamps’), operating in a pre-programmed sequence and set at the optimum height for the purpose, crushed the gold-bearing quartz-rock to talcum-powder fineness, releasing the gold there-in for further chemical processing.
* Confusingly, in Australasia, the term ‘Battery’ was / is used to describe both the crushing machinery (as illustrated), and the building / site where these machines were located.
Michael Keith
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GOLD MINING
‘Art’ takes many forms, not all of them necessarily mono-dimensional. For many years I have been a model railway enthusiast, using 1: 148 scale (‘British’ N-scale) to reproduce in miniature the sorts of things that could be seen in the ‘full-sized’ world. An example of this appears below. It depicts the battery (also known as a ‘reduction-works’) of the Kaisers Reef (Hauraki) Gold Mining Co. Ltd. In common with many of my efforts it is fictional in concept, although based on actual similar plants and is technically-accurate in what it portrays. It is included for your viewing pleasure as it is a verifiable ‘work of art’ , albeit in three dimensional form; the colours and techniques used in creating the model forming (at least in my opinion) a cohesive whole, and contributing to the over-all narrative.
Kaisers Reef (Hauraki) G. M. Co. 40-stamp Battery and cyanide plant
Notes: Scale: 1:148.
Dimensions: 13 in. x 13.5 in. x 5 in.
Materials used: Mixed media.
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STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
New Zealand Government Rlys. Dept. Class Wb.
These were a small tank locomotive of 2-6-4T wheel arrangement, and were used on light track and suburban service.
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Today’s images portray a the surface workings of the Toi Toi Creek Gold Mining Co. Ltd. a fictional gold mining organisation located ‘Somewhere on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, and an example of an actual New Zealand Government Railways Ub class mixed traffic locomotive, as used on railway tracks in that country’s South Island. Thank you for visiting.
Michael Keith
GOLD MINING
TOI TOI CREEK G.M.Co. LTD.
Pen and Ink image of the No.2 shaft and Poppett head (Headframe) of the Toi Toi Creek Gold. Mining. Co. Ltd.
‘The shaft was sunk to access the Anteater Reef and is currently 400 ft deep. Five levels (numbered A, B, C, D and E, and of varying lengths), have been driven off the shaft, with C and D levels encountering the reef system and currently on good gold. Levels D and E are currently being extended, with a view to exploring more of the Company’s leases in the hope of locating other reefs holding similar or better values’.
Notes: Drawn with a Pigment liner with an 0.3-sized tip, on Cartridge paper. Image measures 3 in x 4.5 in. (76 mm x 114 mm).
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STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS CLASS Ub.
This class of locomotive (with a wheel arrangement of 4-6-0) was constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Co. (USA) and was used as a ‘Mixed traffic’ engine in New Zealand’s South Island.
Notes: Drawn with a Bic ‘Finepoint’ black ballpoint pen on Cartridge paper. Image measures 3 in x 4.5 in. (76 mm x 114 mm).
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Herewith two images for your delectation. I trust that you will enjoy them.
GOLD MINING
Compressed-Air Drill
In underground goldmines, the gold was contained within quartz rock , known as ‘reefs’. The reefs had to be broken-up and to do this required the use of explosives, placed into holes drilled into the quartz rock. Compressed-air was used to drive the machines used to drill these holes. The image above shows two men using a rock drill (based-on the Edgar’ patent) with light being provided by candles placed in holders (known as ‘spiders) inserted into the walls of the working. This image is a study in shadows.
Note: Drawn with a pigment liner with an 0.3 mm nib, on cartridge paper. Image measures 3.5 in x 4 in. (76 mm x 114 mm).
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STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS CLASS ‘N’. 2-6-2
These were a class of steam locomotives used for general goods service , and were built by Baldwin locomotive in the USA.
Notes: Black ‘Finepoint’ ballpoint pen on cartridge paper. Image measures 3 in. x 4.5 in. (76 mm x 114 mm).
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GREETINGS: My name is Michael Keith, and welcome to my site, which, as you can see, is very new, and in the early stages of its development.
THE REASON FOR THE NAME: This website bears the name nzcrownmines.wordpress.com, and by implication is directly-associated with the gold-mining company that bore the same name. There is, in fact, no direct relationship to the actual New Zealand Crown Mines Co. Ltd., (a gold mining organisation that existed from 1883 until 1994). However, a direct connection between myself and the Company does actually exist. . This takes the form of an 853-page history of the New Zealand Crown Mines Co. Ltd, that I have written. The work is titled Innovation, Greed and a Long, Long Twilight; A History of New Zealand Crown Mines Co. Ltd., 1883-1994. with publication expected to occur in 2017. In addition, I have an on-going interest in the Company, Coromandel Peninsula gold mining and in underground gold-mining in general. The use of the New Zealand Crown Mines Co. Ltd.’s name is, if you will, a homage to it, effectively ‘keeping it alive’ and to the now almost-extinct industry it was part of; an aspect of New Zealand history that is currently (2016) both villified and poorly documented.
ABOUT ME AND MY INTERESTS: I have a wide variety of interests, including such random things as aviation, art, trains (railways), both large and small, gold mining (especially underground gold mining as practiced on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula). I am an ‘occasional’ artist, with my ‘medium of choice’ being Pen and Ink. I have however been known to make forays into pencil, water colour, acrylic and oil paints as well. Pen and Ink (P&I) is however my preferred option.
My artistic subjects vary, but are largely ‘industrial; in theme. As portraying the human form in detail is not one of my artistic strengths, you will be unlikely to find such images within my art. You will however find steam locomotives, gold mines, ships, buildings and aircraft (and other things as well, as the fancy takes me) being portrayed. However, as ‘art’ can also three-dimensional, I also create model railways’ objects which some have referred-to as ‘art in miniature’. It is possible that these will appear on these pages.
Examples of two of these interests appear below (All original images remain my property and under my copyright):
It is of course inevitable that other ‘interests’ will make their way onto this site. As only time will tell what these might be, anything is possible and might even occur. We will see. I would, of course, appreciate any reasonable and non-abusive feedback, while ‘Likes’ are always welcome.
I hope that you enjoy what you see, and that you will return from time to time to see what has been added to the site.
Thank you for visiting.
Michael Keith
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GOLD MINING
As has already been mentioned, I have for many years been interested in the history and methods used to extract gold from underground on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, during the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. The industry is poorly documented and to visualise what was being used and the methods employed, I started to use pen and ink drawing as an aide memoire to my research. An example of this appears below:
Wooden-sided ore truck as used on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula goldfields.
Notes: Black pigment liner (.05 nib) on cartridge paper. Image measures 3 in. x 4.5 in.(76 mm x 114 mm).
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STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
I have also had a long-standing interest in railways in general and the railways of New Zealand in particular. Naturally, these engines have been illustrated in pen and ink, and an example of this appears below:
New Zealand Government Railways Class ‘X’ Locomotive.
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Notes: Black ‘finepoint’ ballpoint pen on cartridge paper. Image measures 3 in. x 4.5 in. (76 mm x 114 mm).
nzcrownmines 