Massive earth moving machines part 2

There are the two absolutely exceptional pieces of machinery in this programme recorded at open-cast coalmines in Wyoming and Germany.
            The star at the Black Thunder mine is “Ursa Major”, a Bucyrus-Erie 2570-WS walking dragline – the largest working in North America. Keith Haddock guides us knowledgeably through the engineering and operation of this giant and shows how it fits into the mine’s work-flow. Black Thunder has some other outstanding machines at work including the Bucyrus 495 HR electric shovel and the Cat 657E scraper, both the world’s largest of their kinds.
Germany’s lignite (brown coal) deposits are suitable for extraction by the continuous mining process using bucketwheel excavators and a complex system of conveyors. Bucketwheel 288 used at Garzweiler by RWE Power AG truly is a monster – the world’s largest terrestrial moving machine that can extract and convey 12,500 cubic metres of lignite or overburden an hour. The programme takes a very close look at this machine and includes other aspects of the mine such as spreading, coal haulage by train and reclamation.

The script is by Keith Haddock, retired mining engineer and author of many books on earthmoving equipment.

play time 70 minutes

English spoken

This is an Old Pond Publication.