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Simulation · Minimal Factory · Ruhr area

Nachtigall colliery · coal from the adit

An adit colliery as a model: tub trains roll out of the hill to the coal depot on the Ruhr, where the Ruhr barges are loaded, in the Muttental in Witten.

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Real are location, terrain, the Ruhr and structures (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The further portals are interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.

In the Muttental in Witten, mining began with adits leading horizontally into the hillside; Nachtigall colliery stands as a block model on its real terrain, and two real adits produce again. The coal comes out of the hill in a tub train and rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr, from where the Ruhr barges set off. Pit props arrive by cart.

Five controls steer the colliery: investment (one to four adits), workforce, supply, quality and market. Further portals appear on the hillside as soon as there is more money and more people. What the market does not take stays on the coal depot until it is full.

Real are location, terrain, the Ruhr and structures from official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap. Portals, quantities, processes and times are an interpretation of our own and model values; one working day lasts ten seconds. The brickworks next door recalls the time after mining. The page is for museums and exhibitions, schools and universities, industrial heritage and local history.

From raw material to product

  1. 01

    supply – pit prop carts

  2. 02

    adits – trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr

  3. 03

    coal depot – takes in what is not sold

  4. 04

    dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway

A site at work

01

A site at work

Nachtigall colliery: In the Mutten valley in Witten the coal comes out of adits in the hillside, rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr and goes onto Ruhr barges.

Supply

02

Supply

Supply – pit prop carts: a bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.

What is shown – why – for whom

What is shown Why For whom
Two adits with portals in the hillside WhyShows how mining began with horizontal adits. For whommuseum, teaching
Tub trains from the adit WhyShows how the coal rolls from the hill to the Ruhr. For whommuseum, exhibition
Coal depot on the Ruhr WhyShows where the coal lies that the market does not take at once. For whomeconomics teaching, exhibition
Ruhr barges and field railway WhyShows how the coal reached its buyers on the Ruhr. For whomteaching, industrial heritage
Pit-prop carts WhyShows what is delivered to the colliery. For whomteaching, history of technology
Brickworks with two ring kilns, from 1897 WhyShows what happened at this place after the colliery ended. For whomlocal history, exhibition
Five controls with output, coal depot and daily result WhyShows connections in operations, not operating figures. For whomeconomics teaching
At the gate

03

At the gate

At the gate – the shifts arrive here, paths lead to the plants, the workshop and the break area.

Five levers, one works

04

Five levers, one works

Full investment – four adits: capacity for the boom, but only with enough people and materials.

Films from the model

  • Above Nachtigall colliery

    A flight across the whole site: low approach, Adit 1, then across the works to the long shot – everything moving, with the sound of the works.

  • From raw material to product

    The works’ chain in one flight – supply (pit prop carts), adits, coal depot, dispatch: station by station.

  • A working day in time-lapse

    In time-lapse working days pass in seconds: shifts at the gate, traffic on the supply and dispatch routes, the stockpile (coal depot) changing along.

  • A works grows

    Investment step by step: new adits appear, the workforce grows with them, then more supply and a boom in the market.

  • Bottleneck – the works respond

    First materials run short and the plant only runs in part, then the market takes too little and the stockpile fills up – in the boom the works recover.

  • Using the software

    With the full interface: open the works, set investment and market, look at stockpile and plant – every lever acts at once.

Facilities and areas in the model

  • Adits

    An adit in the Mutten valley: the coal comes out of the hill in a train of tubs and rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr; Ruhr barges leave from there. In the game: 2 real, 2 as expansion (interpreted).

  • Coal depot

    Whatever is made but not sold ends up here; when it is full the surplus goes at a discount, when the market wants more it is drawn down.

  • Supply

    Pit prop carts. A bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.

  • Dispatch

    Ruhr barges and field railway. The market only takes what it needs.

  • Brickworks

    After the colliery closed, a brickworks fired two ring kilns here from 1897.

When things get tight

05

When things get tight

Coal depot filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.

Medium long shot

06

Medium long shot

Medium long shot – Adit 1: trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr.

Processes in the model

From raw material to product

  1. 01supply – pit prop carts
  2. 02adits – trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr
  3. 03coal depot – takes in what is not sold
  4. 04dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway

Expansion

  1. 01raise investment by one step
  2. 02another adit is built on its plot
  3. 03set the workforce to match, otherwise it only runs in part
  4. 04the market decides whether it pays – success in one number at the top

Bottleneck and recovery

  1. 01supply short – the store empties
  2. 02materials missing – the plants only run in part
  3. 03market in a slump – the stockpile grows until the fire sale
  4. 04boom – the stockpile empties, the result rises

What the model can be used for

  • Museum and exhibition

    The adit explains itself on the plant: the tub trains roll out of the hill to the coal depot on the Ruhr, from where the Ruhr barges leave. Each step comes with one sentence.

    For whommuseums, visitor centres, exhibitions

  • School and university

    How did hard coal mining begin on the Ruhr, and what is an adit portal? Terms like adit, coal depot, Ruhr barge and field railway sit where they belong.

    For whomschools, universities, vocational training

  • Industrial heritage and local history

    How did the coal get to its buyers on the Ruhr? Adits, the river and the later brickworks lie on the real terrain in the Muttental, from mining to the time after it.

    For whomindustrial heritage, city marketing, local history societies

  • Understanding operations

    Investment, workforce, supply, quality and market act at once on output, coal depot and result. It becomes visible why a further adit without people and pit props costs money.

    For whomeconomics teaching, further training

Dispatch

07

Dispatch

Dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway; in a boom more is on the move, in a slump less.

The whole software

08

The whole software

Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.

What you can change

Controls

  • Investment: Number of adits (1 to 4): more money builds more, less shuts them down; without more people they only run in part.
  • Workforce: Enough people for all adits – output rises, and so does success. Too many people cost wages without more output.
  • Supply: More material arrives – the plant no longer has to wait. Levels short, normal and double; supply security costs money.
  • Quality: More quality means less scrap and fewer breakdowns but costs testing and maintenance (levels low, normal, high).
  • Market: Slump, normal or boom. In a slump more is made than sold: the stockpile grows and success drops. In a boom the market takes more: the stockpile empties and success rises.

Disruptions

  • Too few people: Workers are missing, part of the plant stands still.
  • Material missing: Supply is not enough; once the store is empty the plants only run in part (message: “Parts store empty – supply is short”).
  • Too much built: More is made than the market takes: the stockpile grows; when it is full the surplus goes at a 40 % discount (message: “Stockpile full – fire sale at a discount”).
  • Market wants more: Demand is greater than the works can make; once the stockpile is empty orders are lost (message: “Stockpile empty – orders are lost”).

What the model brings

  • 01

    The real terrain as a stage

    Colliery, Ruhr and hillside stand on terrain from official elevation data and OpenStreetMap. You show the site as it lies, not as a diagram.

  • 02

    From the hill to the river

    Tub train, coal depot, Ruhr barge: you understand the path of the coal before you steer the colliery yourself.

  • 03

    Bottlenecks without damage

    The pit props fail to arrive, the store empties, the coal depot fills up. You see where it gets tight first, and set it back.

  • 04

    For big screens and the browser

    Runs in the browser and on large projections. A working day in fast motion lasts ten seconds.

  • Nachtigall colliery: In the Mutten valley in Witten the coal comes out of adits in the hillside, rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr and goes onto Ruhr barges.
    Nachtigall colliery: In the Mutten valley in Witten the coal comes out of adits in the hillside, rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr and goes onto Ruhr barges.
  • Nachtigall colliery from the other side – the same site in the afternoon sun from the south-west, with long shadows of halls and structures.
    Nachtigall colliery from the other side – the same site in the afternoon sun from the south-west, with long shadows of halls and structures.
  • Medium long shot – Adit 1: trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr.
    Medium long shot – Adit 1: trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr.
  • Far out near Witten – terrain, houses and trees come from official elevation data; at the edge the world fades softly into the dark.
    Far out near Witten – terrain, houses and trees come from official elevation data; at the edge the world fades softly into the dark.
  • From above – Nachtigall colliery as a model of blocks: every cell a block, buildings and terrain from elevation data and OpenStreetMap.
    From above – Nachtigall colliery as a model of blocks: every cell a block, buildings and terrain from elevation data and OpenStreetMap.
  • Nachtigall colliery from above at an angle – supply, adits, coal depot and dispatch at a glance.
    Nachtigall colliery from above at an angle – supply, adits, coal depot and dispatch at a glance.
  • All around Witten: streets, tracks and water from OpenStreetMap, houses and trees from the elevation data – only the plant in the middle is built specially.
    All around Witten: streets, tracks and water from OpenStreetMap, houses and trees from the elevation data – only the plant in the middle is built specially.
  • At eye level – Adit 1, as close as from the fence.
    At eye level – Adit 1, as close as from the fence.
  • Adit 1 (real) – An adit in the Mutten valley: the coal comes out of the hill in a train of tubs and rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr; Ruhr barges leave from there.
    Adit 1 (real) – An adit in the Mutten valley: the coal comes out of the hill in a train of tubs and rolls to the coal depot on the Ruhr; Ruhr barges leave from there.
  • Adit 4 (expansion, interpreted) – only appears with more investment and runs only with enough people and materials.
    Adit 4 (expansion, interpreted) – only appears with more investment and runs only with enough people and materials.
  • Coal depot – whatever is made but not sold ends up here; when there is no room left, the surplus goes at a discount.
    Coal depot – whatever is made but not sold ends up here; when there is no room left, the surplus goes at a discount.
  • Supply – pit prop carts: a bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.
    Supply – pit prop carts: a bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.
  • Dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway: the market only takes what it needs.
    Dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway: the market only takes what it needs.
  • Brickworks – after the colliery closed, a brickworks fired two ring kilns here from 1897.
    Brickworks – after the colliery closed, a brickworks fired two ring kilns here from 1897.
  • Adit 1 close up – trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr.
    Adit 1 close up – trains of tubs roll out of the adit to the Ruhr.
  • Coal depot close up – the material grows into a heap when more is made than collected.
    Coal depot close up – the material grows into a heap when more is made than collected.
  • Supply in full swing – pit prop carts; the bigger the contract, the more is on the move.
    Supply in full swing – pit prop carts; the bigger the contract, the more is on the move.
  • Adit 4 – the expansion runs along as long as people, materials and market suffice.
    Adit 4 – the expansion runs along as long as people, materials and market suffice.
  • Coal depot in day-to-day operation – the material grows into a heap when more is made than collected.
    Coal depot in day-to-day operation – the material grows into a heap when more is made than collected.
  • Dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway; in a boom more is on the move, in a slump less.
    Dispatch – Ruhr barges and field railway; in a boom more is on the move, in a slump less.
  • At the gate – the shifts arrive here, paths lead to the plants, the workshop and the break area.
    At the gate – the shifts arrive here, paths lead to the plants, the workshop and the break area.
  • Full steam – all four adits running, the market booming: supply and dispatch routes are at their busiest.
    Full steam – all four adits running, the market booming: supply and dispatch routes are at their busiest.
  • Small investment – only Adit 1 runs, the other plots lie ready as marked foundations.
    Small investment – only Adit 1 runs, the other plots lie ready as marked foundations.
  • Full investment – four adits: capacity for the boom, but only with enough people and materials.
    Full investment – four adits: capacity for the boom, but only with enough people and materials.
  • Every facility labelled – adit 1 to 4, coal depot, supplier and market; at the top the working day with the daily output, on the right success in one number.
    Every facility labelled – adit 1 to 4, coal depot, supplier and market; at the top the working day with the daily output, on the right success in one number.
  • Adit 1 labelled – name and number right in the picture.
    Adit 1 labelled – name and number right in the picture.
  • Success in one number – 100 means it cannot get better in this market; below it the result per day, at the top the output per working day.
    Success in one number – 100 means it cannot get better in this market; below it the result per day, at the top the output per working day.
  • Where a lever acts, a ring lights up – here after a change in the market: coal depot.
    Where a lever acts, a ring lights up – here after a change in the market: coal depot.
  • Materials missing – supply is short, the store is empty: the adits only run in part, the supply route is quiet.
    Materials missing – supply is short, the store is empty: the adits only run in part, the supply route is quiet.
  • Coal depot filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.
    Coal depot filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.
  • Boom – the market takes more than is being made: the stockpile empties, the dispatch route is busy.
    Boom – the market takes more than is being made: the stockpile empties, the dispatch route is busy.
  • The whole software – at the top the working day with clock and output, on the right success in one number, below the tiles for works and facilities.
    The whole software – at the top the working day with clock and output, on the right success in one number, below the tiles for works and facilities.
  • Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.
    Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.
  • One lever, visible at once – market set to slump: the status line explains the bottleneck, the stockpile grows, the daily result drops.
    One lever, visible at once – market set to slump: the status line explains the bottleneck, the stockpile grows, the daily result drops.
  • Facility card – adit: in operation, workforce and utilisation, plus one sentence on what happens there.
    Facility card – adit: in operation, workforce and utilisation, plus one sentence on what happens there.
  • Stockpile card – coal depot: stock, space used and growth per day.
    Stockpile card – coal depot: stock, space used and growth per day.
  • Supplier card – delivery per day, store and material costs per day.
    Supplier card – delivery per day, store and material costs per day.
  • Market card – demand, sold and turnover per day.
    Market card – demand, sold and turnover per day.
  • Bottleneck in orange – supply is not enough: the line at the top and the works status say in one sentence what is missing.
    Bottleneck in orange – supply is not enough: the line at the top and the works status say in one sentence what is missing.
  • The menu – overview and plant, cutaway, restart, demo, sound and other sites, below the controls for mouse, touch and keyboard.
    The menu – overview and plant, cutaway, restart, demo, sound and other sites, below the controls for mouse, touch and keyboard.
  • Sixteen real sites – blast furnaces, collieries, car plants, harbours and a shipyard, each where it really stands.
    Sixteen real sites – blast furnaces, collieries, car plants, harbours and a shipyard, each where it really stands.

Your site as a model

Would you like to show your plant, your museum or your industrial site like this? Write to us or call. We will send you the password for starting it on request.

Start with password

Request the password if you are interested →

Ask about this

Minimal Factory: Zeche Nachtigall · Kohle aus dem Stollen

What you enter goes to this site alone and serves only to answer you.

Basis and limits

Real are the location, terrain and buildings in Witten (official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap). The plant in the middle is our own simplified interpretation: quantities, processes, times and prices are model assumptions; the economy runs in time-lapse (10 seconds are one working day). Not a simulation of real operations and no cooperation with the site.

Public sources the model is based on:

  • Wikipedia (German), article on the site: Zeche Nachtigall, Ruhrschifffahrt
  • Geobasis NRW: digital surface and terrain models DOM1/DGM1 (Data licence Germany – Zero – 2.0)
  • OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): streets, tracks, water, land use

More places in the model

← Minimal Factory

Real are location, terrain, the Ruhr and structures (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The further portals are interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.