Lima 2400b rope crowd

[Dah]

Hi

Just trying to work out how the rope crowd was cabled on the 2400's before I get started on a model.

Anyone fancy drawing a sketch?!

Thanks
Dave

[Ian Fletcher1970]

May have a reeving diagram for a 195b - that may help.
I used to work on crane drawings at Butterley - Inbox me if you need help

[Dah]

Thanks very much Ian - that would be a great start.

From what I have read, they had two ropes for crowd out and one for retract. Just not sure how they get to the drums or if it's one rope spooling from the top and bottom of the drum or separate?!

Dave

[Dah]

Just been looking at a few 2400 pictures and noticed a different counterweight design on some machines. Anyone have any information of whether it was a larger weight for longer booms / bigger buckets or just a design change / upgrade?

Many thanks,
Dave.

[Ian Fletcher1970]

May be difference between 2400 & 2400B Dave
Then again counterweights do differ - Rb195's varied slightly IIRC

[Mark Williams]

Hello Dave,
The first Lima 2400 shovels & Draglines were red @ the bottom,silver from about a third of the way up the side door,all the way up to the roof.The counterweight,gantry & jib was black.These had 6 yard buckets.The Lima 2400,had a Caterpillar V12 D398 low revving diesel,which drove a huge torque converter.The cab was very different,in all ways to the later Lima 2400B models,where the air operated control levers were right in front of the operator.I worked for Shephard' Hill & Company,who operated about 10 of these machines in both applications.All of this companies 2400s were in the above colour,including the 2400Bs they ran.
The Lima 2400B was slightly,different.It had a Caterpillar V8 D379,again low revving & still driving that big converter.The cab design was slightly different,with the air controlled operating levers,by the side of the operator.The Lima 2400B now had a bigger bucket of 8 yards in both applications & it didn't have the big lower hoist sheave,just above the bucket,that the earlier model had.
The later Lima 2400B was then marketed by Clarke equipment & the colour changed to yellow,with the counterweight,gantry & jib painted black.
A common problem with these brilliant navvy's in their day was the digging locks used to seize & they would run away on you.I remember this happened on the Shands Ffyndaff site,where their 2400B shovel run away on the ramp.taking out a Terex R70 dump truck & smashing into the high wall,it had just been digging @, whilst moving to a new digging location.
I used to sit on the bank admiring the machines working & it had a distinct whistle of the turbo - chargers,when the bucket went into the bank & a big chuff of black smoke used to belch out of the huge single exhaust silencer.
As to your question regarding the crowd & backhaul ropes,there was only one rope & it takes a skillful fitter to change these out.
I have seen these machines load trucks from Aveling Barford SN35,Cat 769s Aveling Barford Centaur 50s & RDO255s,Terex R35s R45s, R50 & R70s Cat 777s, Terex 33-11s.They were a very reliable machine & most Opencast sites had them.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Mark Williams.

[Dah]

Fantastic information - thanks very much mark!

Dave

[Mark Williams]

Hi Dave,
If you go into Google & search, crowd & back haul ropes,you will find a detailed explanation by the patent Bauer,of this design of sheaving on power shovels,with diagrams.
My father was a plant fitter all his career on the open-cast sites in South Wales & worked for Shand Mining for over 20 years.I can remember that it was the Yellow Lima 2400B shovel that dug its way firstly, to open up the Ffyndaff revised extension.This is the one you see in pictures on the web loading Terex R50 trucks.I used to sneak in with one truck driver on afternoon shift,Big Tony & did many a load under that shovel in a Terex R50 & an R70 where he taught me how to drive.
Shand Mining had 5 rope shovels on that long contract,the 2400B,2 RB195Bs & 2 RB150s.My uncle operated 1 of the RB 195Bs from new.I can remember my father regularly having a bad flu & colds,from working overtime,especially on afternoon shift from changing crowd & back haul ropes & hoist ropes on all these shovels,because of all the rainfall we get in Wales.They did this,because the machines had to be ready for @ 6 o clock start in the morning & of course they needed the overtime,for a good pay check.
I have a fond memory,Dave of sitting on the bank,one summer evening,where the Lima had now made way for the 2 RB150s to start digging not to far from the Rhigos road.Ned Vaughn & his son the banksman were @ the controls of the RB 150.I was that close to the bucket teeth,sitting there,they could have easily scooped me up.The 2 RB150s were digging right close to one another loading out this really red rich top soil,into the R50s.
I used to spend lots of time on that site,visiting my father,just sitting there watching the site work & very often learning to operate the machines,especially with Big T.
I can remember my first time @ the controls of a Caterpillar D8K with ripper,my father was working his normal Sunday morning shift & as it happens,they were changing a drag rope on the Lima 2400B,which had now been converted to dragline.I had a Honda trail bike & they told me my father was down the coal field,as it was called.Brilliant,I rode my bike down the field for about 3 miles & met up to the enjoyment of my father.Alan Rosser the D8K operator was working baring coal & was pushing up to the dig where the Lima was to be working,ready for Monday morning.He was a bike fanatic & as soon as he seen me,told me to get in the seat of the D8K & do as he told me, whilst he went off scrambling on my bike.I spent a good hour in heaven on that dozer & got to travel it up the yard @ the end of the mornings work.I then joined my father for a well deserved pint @ his local pub.
As you can see,no HSE in those days.Brilliant.
Regards from Canada,
Mark Williams.