Draglines making a comeback

[rotorhead86]

The mine that I work at has three drags. They have two Bucyrus drags and a Marion 8050 with a 325 foot boom. The Marion is the biggest in the state, and can move an amazing amount of overburden. IIRC it has a 90 ton bucket. I will try to get some piktars sometime.

 

[bear]

I love watching those giant beasts work. I used to take a weekend and go watch them every now and then.

 

[malcolm]

Real draglines

With real dragline operators half sitting on a tin seat cheers malcolm

 

[Wolf]

With real dragline operators half sitting on a tin seat cheers malcolm

Great pictures m8. What year are those from?

 

[malcolm]

Draglines

Hi Wolf New Zealand 1969 before diggers This guy was a real pro loading trucks with no damage he could throw the bucket and land it exactly where he wanted it to go . notice the swamp pads in the photos for when it realy got tricky . See it on the transporter which had a steel deck and only a chain thrown across the tracks to hold it on we must have been moving at a slower pace back then cheers malcolm

 

[Life's a Drag]

Here's two views of the bucket from the operator's cab.

 

[rayman]

Hi guys, just found this thread while browsing. The dragline is a "Rapier 410" a little beauty with Perkins power and fluid flywheel.I see a "butterbox"ACCO-J5 Bedford,ThamesTrader and a Leyland "Comet 90" being loaded. A 2U-D8 with blade but can't make out the other crawler.
The prime mover under the float is a VA Commer, probly with Perkins 6-354 and Turner gearbox. The side loading float was the rule back then. Where was the picture taken Malcolm?

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . I have mentioned on here before (that even today) a dragline with a competent operator is probably the most efficient way to do many jobs.

I have built dams, done road cuttings and excavated canals with the primary machine being a small dragline . . . I was on a D6 feeding and trimming.

I believe a small dragline based on a modern excavator with a lattice boom would be very handy tool . . . if you could find an operator to run it.

Cheers.

 

[rayman]

scrubpuller, I owned for a short time an RB-H20 hybrid machine. She was hydraulic top driven by a V6 Cummins and the truck frame was standard 22RB bottom. I think they were desperate to use up the old drive gears.It only had a backhoe on it, was easy peasy to operate but then you were hung up on the old dog clutches and winding track locks in and out to tram and steer. About a fortnight after I got rid of it one turned up in my backyard on a council sewerage job. That V6 Cummins was a sweet little number, I think it was an abreviated 555. or "triple nickel"

 

[Hank R]

Question, having been around 2 Draglines in the 70,s. Both were sold in the 80, and 90's. Now when sold and moved the tub on walking Dragline how do they take it apart I thought when building it was welded. So do they cut apart and how much metal is lost on a 50 or 60 ft. tub?? When they start to assembly at next mine site.

 

[Welder Dave]

I see on Iron Planet there is a very large BE 2570 dragline with a 380' boom for sale. I think 2570's were the most popular BE draglines and usually had about a 100yd bucket. The buy it now price is $6,000,000 and they list 2 companies that are approved for dismantling it. It has 56,666 hours which I don't think is a lot for a dragline. I would imagine the dismantling, moving and rebuilding it might cost almost as much as the purchase price. All the pics. really show how complex a dragline is.

 

[Hank R]

Thanks Welder Dave, any idea about the tub how it comes apart as I think it is extremely thick steel and super strong.

 

[92U 3406]

56,000 hours isn't a lot. A few P&H 4100 shovels I've worked on were over 100,000. That was a decade ago and they are still going.

 

[Hank R]

Sure is a very complex machine, still interesting in how the tub is taken apart and resembled. I would guess Cutting and Welding ???????

Bucyrus 2570W Dragline

Air Conditioner, 380 ft Boom. <br><br>BUYERS NOTICE:<br><br>Any persons entering the mine to perform work will be required to be MSHA certified and ISNetworld compliant. Recommended companies for tear down of the dragline are Warfab and DSS-CAT (Dragline Service Specialties), both of which...

www.ironplanet.com

Hope to find out one day

 

[Welder Dave]

I would think they need to cut it apart the opposite way it went together. I'd guess there is extensive procedures for dismantling draglines and reassembling them. I know there's a few of the really big ones that were sold and moved to a new location.

 

[92U 3406]

I would think they need to cut it apart the opposite way it went together. I'd guess there is extensive procedures for dismantling draglines and reassembling them. I know there's a few of the really big ones that were sold and moved to a new location.

I worked shovels for a few years. Very extensive procedures for everything, even 12 hour maintenance shutdowns.

 

[Hank R]

This is a Page Dragline if memory is correct, with a 50 yard bucket. I took pictures in1977, with the Hayes I was driving.

 

[Hank R]

I messed up Fording coal dragline is a Marion, it had a longer boom with a smaller bucket.

 

[Hank R]

Kaiser Resources had a Page 762 with a 54 yard bucket. In the mid 70,s it was sold Consol's Glen Harold Mine in North Dakota.A old ex, by the 54 yard bucket
My only picture when it was working at Sparwood B.C.

 

[Welder Dave]

The pic. of the 54yd. bucket really makes you appreciate how big Big Muskie's 220yd. bucket was. In 2009/2010 a couple guys that road at my track were welder's who got hired on to build a big BE/Marion dragline. It was an 8750 but what was unique is that it is the longest boom ever put on a dragline at 435 feet. They said the weld tests were all dual-shield on thick plate with pretty strict requirements. I think it cost $50,000,000+ to build. I mentioned it before but I had a friend who was in the union, at the time, and got called up to the oilsands. While waiting for blueprints they asked him if he could weld on a dragline while waiting. It was better than sitting around so he agreed. The cables are already up the boom, he just had to take a stinger and some rods and climb up the stairs on the boom. He gets all set up and starts welding a crack when all of a sudden the boom starts moving. Freaked out he gets on his radio and tells them, hey I'm welding on the boom. Then they informed him they don't shut the dragline down for minor repairs. Nope, get someone else. He said it felt like he was going 25 MPH which is pretty accurate and feels worse the higher up/further out you are from the base. I read the BE 3850B stripping shovels had a top swing speed of 25 MPH. I'd guess draglines would be similar. Not long after that he heard they no longer ran the dragline while work was performed on the boom. Alberta also has a dragline that is tied for formally having the longest boom at 420'. Alberta has some of the cleanest coal in the world but they're phasing out coal powered generating plants. I think they'd be much better off looking more into carbon capture technology. Alberta has an abundance of good clean low cost coal. I'm curious what will happen the draglines. They'll have a lot of life left in them.