BIG WILLY IN THE EIMCO 625 LOADING OUT A FULL SHOT

high pit wilma :- Driving in to a full shot to start loading the shot out onto the afc [on the right side in the darkness]..The AM16 coalcutter can be seen in the darkness, also at the right-side.My glennie can be seen hanging on the girder strut ,at the left side in the background.

What a colourful scene ,isn't it friends ?!!

BigLoada :- Another favourit shot of mine! 

Just noticed the Glennie too. Wouldn't have if ye hadn't said.

high pit wilma :- AYE! That's the D.A.C. phone beside the glennie..[the white little box ] D.A.C. is the company name abbreviated,from "DERBY AUTOMATION CONSULTANTS"...Rugged as hell...they used to get blown away by the force of the blast,when shotfiring,but stillcame up working like hell..!

BigLoada :- Mind you, I am not sure if "Glennie" is a universally known word or if its just a Northumberland/Scotland term.

Kevnorth :- These photo's are so important to our local history Wilma Thanks for sharing them, they bring back memories for me as a young lad starting with the NCB at Lynemouth colliery where all of the seams were this high!
Must admit after doing my training at Darnley Road Mining School in Ashington then working "On bank" for a short while before eventually being allowed below ground I didnt last long & packed in within 18 months....Like so many young lads I followed my Dad much to me Mams disgust!

high pit wilma :- Cheers Kevnorth!
Aye,it's aal gone noo,yi naa summick?...people who aav showed the pics tae,thought they were black 'n white pics.........[just quickly flicking through the actual prints]....it was a black and grey world that we worked in,and we nivvor gave it a thowt!!
Until a got a job at bank in a hand-made furniture workshop in Morpeth,as a re-trained cabinet-maker...........good lighting,toilets, washbasins,blue sky,green grass,birds calling ootside,rabbits sitting on the grass aside the workshops,and a got ti thinkin'..........
WHERE THE HELL HAVE AA BEEN AAL ME LIFE????

BigLoada :- I'd love to get the neg for this and get a big reprint for my wall. I'll see you about it at the weekend!

high pit wilma :- Can't lay my hands on the negs ,Loada, but i'll keep looking!

Guy Sande :- Greetings, marra!
What can you tell me about this fine Eimco machine? I'm curious - is it pneumatic, as I suspect it to be? Is it "windy" as well? We still run Eimco track muckers here in the Coeur d'Alene District, both 12B's and 21's:



But I'm afraid rubber-tired (excuse me, TYRED :-) diesel powered LHD muckers are becoming dominant.

BigLoada :-Hi SilverMiner. Me and High Pit Wilma have been busy this week, working on my old car. Havent had time to get on the internet. He will be along soon to answer your questions I'm sure!
Love that little Eimco 12B. I have seen a few over here that were used in the fluorite mines in the 1970s. In fact, near us there is a mine worked by a group of Americans who come over here every summer to mine fluorite and they have a wonderful little eimco with caterpillar tracks. They have a good website with all their progress at www.ukminingventures.com/

high pit wilma :- Thanks Loada,for entertaining old "Silver pitman" in my absence!!
Hi SilverMiner!
The Eimco 625 shovel is Hydraulic-powered,with the hydraulics being provided by an onboard electrically-driven "power-pack",[as we called it..!]
The actual base of the machine,containing the hydro-static motors,which drive the caterpillar tracks,is welded up,to form a big 
tank,which is referred to as "the hull",and this is where the reservoir of water/Aquacent mix is stored.The weight of the fluid acts as ballast,being so close to the ground.
The power-pack is mounted behind where i am sitting,and consists of an electric squirrel-cage induction motor,driving a "Gullick"
hydraulic pump,which picks up the fluid from the "hull",sends it to the tracks,and shovel rams,via the control handles,then "dumps" it back into the " hull".
By our mining standards,it was a big shovel loader,and sometimes we had a detachable hydraulic drilling rig,which could quickly be mounted up top,after detaching the shovel loading gear.[but this one i am using,didn't have that luxury..!!..we had to "hump" the old windy driller,between the three of us,when it was time to drill out the round..!]
It's 23 years ago,since i took these pics,and i can't rember the exact spec. of the machine,but i reckon it would shift a ton of stone,in one bucketfull,maybe a bit more,or less... 
The electric motor was supplied by flexible armoured cable,[which you can see hung up on a hook,near the roof,behind the machine],
from an 1100volt 3-phase alternating current supply,the "panel-boxes"[switchgear],being mounted up on a platform,on the side of the "Crawley" Armoured flexible conveyor belt,onto which i am loading out onto..
Anything else i can help you with,please feel free to ask,if i can't answer you,i'll get answers from those who do know...old marra's of mine,fitters etc..!!
cheers!

high pit wilma :- ..Er..,SilverMiner, if you go right through my set,you will see a good pic of the Eimco,from behind,where i parked it up, ready for the fitters to strip down,but which never happened..![it's under water now,a few miles out under the North Sea......!!!]

kellmarnumber1 :- WOW...this photo .brings back the good times i had with the lads - horrible place ,but the comradeship between us was and will be unforgetable.......

high pit wilma :- Aye,kell,that's the only good thing there was down that black hole,comradeship and banter,second to none..!
Mind you,it wasn't like everybody loved everybody else,if you are working among hundreds of men,sooner or later,a disagreement would crop up,fingers pointing right up each other's noses,threatening to "fill" each other in,all talk, then ten minutes later,you would be having a pinch of snuff with each other...[cos snuff was a tobacco substitute,seeing as you weren't allowed to smoke underground,due to Methane regulations]
Miners policed their own environment,and we had to look after our marra's,as well as our own safety.[for everyone's good]

high pit wilma :- By the way Silver Miner,you ask....."pneumatic?"...."Windy as well...?".............. ....."windy" is a slang [nickname]for any equipment that is driven by compressed air power. "Pneumatic" ...is the technical term for any such equipment.
Cheers marra!