Shovels, Draglines And Mining Equipment

Shovels, Draglines And Mining Equipment. . , Mining Equipment , Mining operations and equipment have changed significantly over the years. In its infancy, Central Ohio Coal removed overburden, the dirt and rock above the coal seam, with a small drag-line and shovel. The company also had a loading shovel, bulldozers, hauling equipment and a preparation plant. When the first overburden removing shovels were constructed at the mine, there was not much need for additional equipment., As surface mining laws changed and overburden removal increased, the equipment needed to extract the coal and reclaim the land changed as well. Larger shovels and drag-lines were put in service; drilling equipment was incorporated, and new blasting procedures were introduced, as was earth-moving equipment that could move large loads., In its most productive years, Central Ohio Coal mined more than 4 million tons of coal and moved more than 100 million yards of overburden per year. The mining operation has encompassed more than 130,000 acres of land., The equipment pictured here reflects the changes the industry has encountered in the last 50 years., 1954 , Long poles are used to tamp the dynamite in place. Shown (from left) are Malcom Cheadle, Ralph Anderson, Jack Wilson and Eddie Clark., 1999 , Dave Crews, one of Central Ohio Coal's shooters, loads drill holes with the 60-R drill in the background., 1999 , View of a present-day cast shot. Note how the material is cast into the pit., 1975 , The L700-A Marathon LeTourneau loader was acquired in 1975 for $350,000. One of two, it had a 15-yard bucket. It was different from previous loaders because it was equipped with electric-wheel drive, meaning the diesel engine ran a generator that drove four DC Wheel motors. It is shown here loading an end dump., 1948 , The 500-W operated with all house doors open to help dissipate the heat generated by electric motors, Later drag-lines had large fan-housings on top for this purpose., 1952 , The "A" machine at work. In its time, this machine mined close to 17 million tons of coal and moved more than 300 million yards of dirt, an 18-1 ratio., 1985 , The P&H 2300 loads a 180-ton Dresser, the mine's largest capacity end dump end-dump, during pre benching operations for Big Muskie., 1999 , Two Cat D-9 'dozers prepare a drill bench., 1957 , The 7800 operates in a convey drag line pit. The bucket is loaded, and the machine is turning to dump., 1969 , The 190-B loads a 110-ton coal hauler in the Big Muskie pit., 2000 , The 2750-W operates in Tilton Run, remaining areas that had been mined by the 7800 in the 1960s. Blast hole drills can be seen along the left edge of the photograph.