Opencast Coal Pictures

[Ian Fletcher1970]

Here's a few more from my archives

[Martyn Henley]

Great pictures Ian ..its good to know that you can post as many pictures you want on CMN ..

But seeing that RH9 reminds of the day i did a shift in one a few years back in Grimesthorpe .. first and only time i have had a go on a face shovel, took a bit of getting used to mind .. it goes against years of the way you dig allways pulling towards you, digging away from you .. i was there on a contracted Cat 225 clearing the muck off the top of the new seam, and when there was none of that to be done i helped out on the other machines in the quarry

Martyn

[BulldozerD11]

Great collection of Photos Ian - Like the one with the cloud of Dust as the load hits the body from the 5130

The RH9 reminds me of talking to the driver of one and asking how the power got to the tracks, so he dug a trench and parked the machine on top to have alok as her was not sure eith how it was done.

Had a ride round in the Motor scraper as well - pity i have no photos as it was a very small site they abandoned it after abit as too little coal left it was only done due to a problem with subsidence from old drift working. they dipped in quite steep so the oveburden to coal ratio got too much as they never went into the adjacent feild as was planned. Remenber they had blokes sweeping the waste off the top of the coal seam after a Hymac 580 had scraped the last of the overburden of and dug out the colleaped tunnels. the old miners had not left much on the bit i saw.

Dave

[Mike d550]

Fantastic collection of photos Ian

I love the big opencast machines and its nice to see photos that you will not get chance to see personally like the Banks 5130 or the blue miller face shovel.

Regards

Mike D550

[Renaultman]

Always nice to some pictures of sunshine miners, more the better.

[Ian Fletcher1970]

Another set of pictures from my archives - these are all from the Smotherfly OCCS at Somercotes/Pye Bridge in Derbyshire excavated by Kier Mining. The photo's were taken in July 1998.

[Ian Fletcher1970]

Another set of pictures from my archives - these are all from the Smotherfly OCCS at Somercotes/Pye Bridge in Derbyshire excavated by Kier Mining. The photo's were taken in July 1998. This is post No 2 - I've had to add them in 2 postings

[Ross]

Sure Ive seen that machine up at Powharlen Scottish coal job a few year back? Cannot remember if the one up there was White or Yellow?

[argie]

Excellent photos yet again Ian, thanks for posting and keep 'em coming!
Paul

[Ian Fletcher1970]

And there's more!!
This time from Arkwright Reclamation OCCS near Chesterfield - Derbyshire - Taken in September 1998