[toddalin]

Our mine produces massive gold nuggets that are shipped by small ore cars to the processing plant (still to be constructed). Assuming that these are not side dump mine cars, and there is no room for a side dump anyway, I assume that the cars would need be lifted by a crane and dumped accordingly. Does anyone know of any pics of such an operation? If these were not "crane dumped" how would they have been unloaded?

 

[CCSII]

Cars that small could easily be dumped with a rotary dumper. (Too small for a Kiwanis dumper.)

 

[paintjockey]

Totally off subject, but who makes the dismal pulling those ore cars and tanker?

 

[East Broad Top]

There was a device called a "push-back" dump. What would happen is that the loaded car would run into the tipple, typically fed by gravity. The car would tip forward through a hinge type of mechanism to dump its load, then once empty, return back to level. At that point, a spring-loaded mechanism would push back against the front wheels, kicking the car backwards. Usually there was a spring switch just before the dump, which would carry the empty car onto the empty return track. Bug me next week, and I'll dig some photos up.

Later,

K

 

[toddalin]

Posted By paintjockey on 07/23/2008 12:52 PM
Totally off subject, but who makes the dismal pulling those ore cars and tanker?




It's a USA 44-tonner.

 

[Pete Thornton]

a device called a "push-back" dump

And if you think that sounds complicated, wait 'til I find the book with the description of how the Stockton & Darlington dumped coal into the waiting ships.

As far as I remember, the train was pushed onto the upper level of a large trestle, and each wagon (4-wheel chaldron type,) with a brakeman, was uncoupled and allowed to run onto a wagon turntable. The wagon was turned 90 degrees so it faced the water and the waiting ship. It ran forward again under gravity onto a rope-hauled sling held up by weights. Due to the weight of the coal, the sling began to descend into the ship. At the appropriate time, the brakeman (still hanging on to his wagon) would yank the handle to dump the load into the hold of the ship.

Then the now-lightweight wagon would be hoisted back up by the weights on the rope sling to the lower level, where a downhill gradient would carry it by gravity down to the siding to wait the next train back to the mines.