Iron Miners
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:07 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Steam Hoist Move
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:23 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 632
Location: Poconos/Lehigh Valley
We moved another steam hoist today. It is the smallest of the double drum steam hoists on site, but also the hardest to reach, being located high above the others, about 2/3 of the way up the dump, with a sheer drop on one side that slopes into a trench several feet wide and deep on the opposite side. Other than walking/hiking to it, a 4x4 was needed to reach it. Cranes, forklifts, backhoes, and even the excavator owned by Pete and Mike could not get to it. However, I got word early last week that the crew taking down the mill (the one I got the rail from) had something that would work: a 10,000 pound capacity, 4x4, off road forklift with a shotgun boom!
After securing permission to use the forklift, we got to work over the weekend. The first and most time consuming task was just getting to the engine. In order to do this, we had to build our own road. With a total weight of 17,400 to 19,000 pounds, the engine could not be moved in one piece, so we next had to take the drums off. To move the frame, a fork was wedged under it to free it from its poured concrete foundation. The frame was then lifted off and lowered to the new road, from which it was pulled about 500 feet down the dump to the main access road where traditional lifting equipment can load it at a later date. The hoist survived well. Only some of the brake bands and one clutch rod were bent, but all those can be bent back into shape.
Here is a link to photos of the engine and the move:

http://www.ironminers.com/mineforum/viewtopic.php?t=19652


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:57 pm 
Offline
Site Admin

Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:33 pm
Posts: 3080
Location: Above the Sterling Hill Mine
Great work. Glad to see you guys got it down securely. It was quite a ways up there. I wonder how'd they get it up there in the first place?

Miner Greg


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:23 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 632
Location: Poconos/Lehigh Valley
I have been wondering how it got there too. I would guess that some sort of combination of horse and wagons, jacks, block and tackle, and ramps were used to put it in place. When placed on a wood frame, the hoists can be pulled around. In logging regions, hoists with boilers on the same frame (called donkey engines) could even move themselves:
http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,106949,107617#msg-107617
To answer Brian’s question from the photo thread, the hoist is located in Pen Argyl, PA. Also, if anyone wants to see a steam hoist in operation, two of the hoists preserved from the same site will be running under steam August 13-16 at Rough and Tumble in Kinzers, PA.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:39 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:40 am
Posts: 81
Location: Ranshaw
Thats pretty awesome!


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group