The boom is 16 stories high
- Thread starter D2Cat
- Start date
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
would've been nice to see the car IN the bucket,for comparison !
could probably drive through it !!
could probably drive through it !!
Probably room for two cars side by side in there...with room to open the doors...
Guess this qualifies for the "mine is bigger than yours" competition...LOL
Guess this qualifies for the "mine is bigger than yours" competition...LOL
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Here's a YouTube video. It's about 20 years old. This guy says the operation was shut down because the cost was prohibitive. I had a friend who lives a few miles away from West Mineral and farmed a couple thousand acres. He told me it was shut down because the farmers saw how much destruction was being done and no reclaiming was being done. So the farmers got together and decided to not lease any land to them. It was determined to be too costly to dismantle and move.
When I first saw it there was a tall chain link fence around the entire thing. Someone had cut a large hole in the fence, you could get into it. It was abandoned, not painted as shown in the video, all major electric components were removed.
Years later it was donated and developed into a park type attraction. Paint and labor was all donated at that time.
When I first saw it there was a tall chain link fence around the entire thing. Someone had cut a large hole in the fence, you could get into it. It was abandoned, not painted as shown in the video, all major electric components were removed.
Years later it was donated and developed into a park type attraction. Paint and labor was all donated at that time.
Kubota Newbie
Active member
Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
The Gem of Egypt and Silver Spade operated in Eastern Ohio were both larger. Amazing machinery. Operated on electric, they used a dozer to move the "extension cord" around. Really eerie to be around (that's relative, they'd only let you get so close) them when operating. Did get to stand under the Spade once after it was shut down. Absolutely awesome machine.
Now.... The Big Musky operated just a few miles south and west of the Gem and Spade had a even bigger bucket, but it was a dragline and set up on the pit edge whereas the Spade, Gem, and machine pictured above were "shovels" and sat on the bottom of the pit on the coal seam and lifted the blasted overburden up and out of the strip mine.
Now.... The Big Musky operated just a few miles south and west of the Gem and Spade had a even bigger bucket, but it was a dragline and set up on the pit edge whereas the Spade, Gem, and machine pictured above were "shovels" and sat on the bottom of the pit on the coal seam and lifted the blasted overburden up and out of the strip mine.
Kubota Newbie
Active member
Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
The Gem working the Egypt Valley mine not far from where I grew up. That row of white marks to the right is a row of bore holes. They'd drill down in a line like that to just above the coal. The holes would be charged with ammonium nitrate bags and diesel fuel. The last bag down also got a blasting cap. They'd blast it in long rows and the shovel would come through and scoop the loose rock and soil off the coal seam dumping it in those windrows on the left. I remember there were always signs on nearby roads prohibiting 2way radio use for fear of accidentally triggering a blast.
