Walking Drag-Line Near Henderson TX

[1570BEGrdman]

walking dragline near henderson tx

They were called by them names. They are now '' the lone star'', and the ''Iron Eagle''. I run the dozer for the ''Iron Eagle''.

 

[dragman]

They were called by them names. They are now '' the lone star'', and the ''Iron Eagle''. I run the dozer for the ''Iron Eagle''.

I think that's the first time I ever heard of a machine name change unless it was moved to another mine location. They are beautiful machines when the mine first started, are they still painted white upper, blue lower, with blue boom, mast & gantry? The logo of "The Big Digger" on the machine really looked nice. Are you still running the (2) Huron 1224 Easi-Miners?

 

[1570BEGrdman]

Yep their still running the 2 easi-miners. They got a couple PC1800 trackhoes, a PC 2000 trackhoe, and a 992 also. They just retired their RH 140 O&K shovel.

 

[oldhousehugger]

Here’s a tangent to get going on. Reclamation is a noble concept I agree. However, we are told every day that Texas is running out of water. The North Texas Water District is busy trying to increase reservoir capacity. They are damming up the Sulfur River as we speak. Why in Gods name are they spending millions to dig deep holes in the earth to mine the coal and then spending additional millions filling them in again when the mined out areas could be used for water storage. Sure if you are just getting the coal out, reclamation is better than doing nothing. But, these huge utilities are all well acquainted with the politics of water. What is keeping them from creating deep lakes to be used as water storage? Surely they have water treatments that can get the heavy metals out of the stored water if that is the hold up. Any ideas? Is it because they own the mineral rights but the surface owner has to have dry land when they are all done?

 

[Lexy]

Here’s a tangent to get going on. Reclamation is a noble concept I agree. However, we are told every day that Texas is running out of water. The North Texas Water District is busy trying to increase reservoir capacity. They are damming up the Sulfur River as we speak. Why in Gods name are they spending millions to dig deep holes in the earth to mine the coal and then spending additional millions filling them in again when the mined out areas could be used for water storage. Sure if you are just getting the coal out, reclamation is better than doing nothing. But, these huge utilities are all well acquainted with the politics of water. What is keeping them from creating deep lakes to be used as water storage? Surely they have water treatments that can get the heavy metals out of the stored water if that is the hold up. Any ideas? Is it because they own the mineral rights but the surface owner has to have dry land when they are all done?

I think that's a fair question. The surface mines from my hometown had it drawn up in their reclamation plans for some pits to become lakes while other pits were filled in. It makes very good sense and to be honest, I'm surprised they aren't doing that in Texas to begin with. Anyone here familiar with the reclamation laws in that state regarding surface mining??

Texas and its production of coal, has always fascinated me. I wish that I could see more photos of some of the machines working there. I only have a couple of photos from my own collection and that's it.

Knucklehead Amax Coal, Delta mine did have a 8750-M with a 110 yd bucket. Northwest Resources bought it around 1996 & moved it to the Jewett Mine. They installed a 128 yd bucket, which at the time, it had the largest bucket in Texas & may still be the largest, I don't know. I think this mine is owned by Westmoreland Coal now, not sure.
01-09-2010 07:39 PM
dragman
Quote:

Here's a photo of that dragline I have in AMAX colors.
Click Here: http://www.pbase.com/image/127531175/original

 

[devildog0331]

they are amazing....im the lead mech for Delta 31...8750 at the beckville mine down the road. 5 swing..6 drag..8 hoist and 4 propel motors plus gen sets make this machine a beast. the simple yet complex set of gears/pinions make this machine operate...plus the operator who makes this machine dig....still amazed everday im up there doing a lube and mech walkthru. truly an amazing piece of earthmoving eqiup.

 

[Nige]

Years ago I worked on a coal mine that used a B-E 1550W dragline. Long gone now, it was cut up for scrap in the late 90s.

When you've had the machine down for maintenance and fire up the MG sets does it still make the lights for miles around go dim for a few seconds like ours used to ..?

 

[250c]

TXU has a mine east of Kosse,Tx that use the same machines. They are usally visable from hwy 7

 

[Ross]

Any News about the "Ace of Spades" P&H 757 Dragline shipped from the UK? Reports sudgested its being / been erected at the Red-Hills operation.

 

[blitz138]

Tried to upload some pictures of different draglines I've worked on this year but files are too big. Ill see if I can shrink some......

 

[Donns]

Any News about the "Ace of Spades" P&H 757 Dragline shipped from the UK? Reports sudgested its being / been erected at the Red-Hills operation.

Ross
The Ace of Spades is finally getting ready to be reborn. She is being located about 60 miles or so South of the Mississippi Red Hills Mine. The new mine is part of a very high tech power plant being built (Google: Mississippi Power, Kemper project). North American Coal set up a new company called Liberty Fuels to operate the mine using the Ace. As of 01 June 2012 the Tub is being welded out. Parts have been in storage at the port of New Orleans for a couple of years and are still coming to the erection site.

I remember the Ace from past visits to Stobbswood and remember when she was sold originally. Some of the parts still have the Made in Brazil labels on them, the walking eccentrics have a made in Canada cast on them and I seem to remember that some of the parts were made in Spain but can't remember which parts. The old girl is getting quite a make-over and when done she will be as advanced as any 2013 model. AC Drives and about every bell and whistle you could wish for.

I see the daily progress so I am please to keep interested people updated. Cheers.

 

[JeremiahSr]

Love these machines

Not hijacking your thread...just adding to it. Hope you don't mind my good sir.

This one is in Jewett, Tx in a coal mine. There are 3 out there. Best part to me was the only noise you here is from the D10/D11 Cat dozer. The dragline is electrically powered......it has about a 10" round extension cord stretched to it. You can follow the cord for over a 1/2 mile to the main electrical junction station they feed off of. Probally dig you a pool in the back yard in 2 scoops!

 

[blitz138]

Ross
The Ace of Spades is finally getting ready to be reborn. She is being located about 60 miles or so South of the Mississippi Red Hills Mine. The new mine is part of a very high tech power plant being built (Google: Mississippi Power, Kemper project). North American Coal set up a new company called Liberty Fuels to operate the mine using the Ace. As of 01 June 2012 the Tub is being welded out. Parts have been in storage at the port of New Orleans for a couple of years and are still coming to the erection site.

I remember the Ace from past visits to Stobbswood and remember when she was sold originally. Some of the parts still have the Made in Brazil labels on them, the walking eccentrics have a made in Canada cast on them and I seem to remember that some of the parts were made in Spain but can't remember which parts. The old girl is getting quite a make-over and when done she will be as advanced as any 2013 model. AC Drives and about every bell and whistle you could wish for.

I see the daily progress so I am please to keep interested people updated. Cheers.

What kind of dragline is the Ace of Spades? Do you know what the new mine is called?


That dragline in Texas, is it a Westmoreland mine or Luminant?

 

[Donns]

blitz138

The Ace of Spades is a P&H (Page) 757. As best I can recall the dragline was already sold by Page back in 1988/89 when P&H purchased Page, hence the model 757 still being used. She was the first of the P&H machines to use the Marion style walking system. The mine here is a new pit and as far as I know it is to be called Liberty Mine, run by Liberty Fuels Inc, a company set up by North American Coal to operate the mine and supply Lignite to the new Mississippi power plant being built as part of the whole development. The plant is to operate as a gassifier and will supply a total of 582MW. When the Dragline is finishe she will be one of the most up-to-date machines going. New AC VF Drives, new -about everything. I'm here on a daily basis and as part of my job I monitor the work on the Dragline as well as the complete Lignite handling system so I'm here until August 2013. In my capacity I can only answer questions in general terms because of proprietary agreements and all and I cannot supply pictures - sorry. However I'm a lifelong Dragliner (Marion for 21 years prior to the BE takeover). So I understand the iterest of Dragline fans. I did visit the Ace in England at Stobswood when she was running there. I also helped open up Butterwell back in 1976. ANother Dragline move that is just about to start is moving the Maid Marion, a Marion 8200 located at New Brunswic Coal in Minto New Brunswic, Canada. She is going to go into the Phosphate mining business in North Carolina. That one is also dear to my heart, I was the original Marion erector on that machine in 1978/79 and went back in 1992 and put a new tub under her. Ya'll have a good day

 

[blitz138]

Wow Donns! Thats pretty awesome. Thanks for all the info.

 

[Nige]

Donns, you wouldn't be a certain (formerly) goatee-bearded erector from Marion Power Shovel who used to have the "Do not bend, fold, spindle, or otherwise hassle the person" sticker on his hard hat at Butterwell would you perchance .....??

 

[Skid Shear]

Blitz-
Not sure which Texas mine you're referring to, but I regularly drive through the Kosse mine on Hwy 7 and it belongs to Luminant. They rail the lignite ~12 miles to the Oak Grove Power Plant in Franklin...

 

[Mighty Samson]

I ran an 8750 Draglines for Syncrude Canada for 28yrs. I loved my job. To bad it had to come to an end.

 

[Donns]

I be that old guy

Donns, you wouldn't be a certain (formerly) goatee-bearded erector from Marion Power Shovel who used to have the "Do not bend, fold, spindle, or otherwise hassle the person" sticker on his hard hat at Butterwell would you perchance .....??

Nige, I am indeed that old guy. Are you the same NS that left Taylor Woodrow and went to Ransomes?
(I'm sorry I missed your post so long ago, must have been out traveling somewhere that computers have not been invented yet)

 

[Donns]

Mighty Samson
Glad to know someone who had so much experience on the old Orange Beast. I was with Marion when those 2 were erected alongside the two 2570s. I visited the job a few times but was not the erector. I was working on an 8050 down at Waubaman (sorry if I spelled that wrong) for Alberta Power part of the time the 8750s were going up there. The Bechtel Superintendent over those Draglines was a friend of mine and had a heart attack on that job. He later came out to new Brunswick and worked for the small contractor who put up the 8200 for NB Coal. I was the erector on that machine from start to finish.