hahaha i forgot about that post scott, that was a pretty good one i must say!

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Sorry for the late response, have been busy with exams.

I am from New Zealand; the Otago region. The mine we plan to explore is one of the first coal mines in NZ.

I have explored an abandoned gold mine before that was inside a hill, it did not have "tunnels" as such, rather the roof was at an angle and supported by (rotten) wooden beams.

We descended a good way into the earth but then things started to get a bit dodgy so we returned to the surface. (The banks were too steep and there was too much loose rock.)

The mine I want to explore is not of the "inclined" type, I believe. The tunnels apparently run underneath the seabed. We may find that we cannot explore at all, because they are flooded. I am not completely stupid and will not take outrageous risks, and I would not venture way too far into the ground even if I could.

Foolishly against your (Doug's) advice, I still plan on exploring it to some degree. I simply don't have the willpower to stay away!!!

I would like to get one of those Safety Lamps, but I don't know where to bu y them from. Is it possible to make them yourself?

If you feel that it is unethical to give me advice because you feel that you are only encouraging me to get myself into trouble, don't worry - I plan on exploring that mine and there is not a whole lot that is going to stop me other than blatant and obvious safety risks. Any input you have can only be beneficial.

Also someone asked what kind of coal is in the mines. This is what I found on a website. I don't know if it is correct.



All further comments welcome. Thank you for your responses.

(Also - how much does a decent safety lamp usually cost?)

The Koehler Safety Lamp is an antique device that is rarely used in mines in the US anymore. There are a few places that use them, but they are not reconized by the Government Mine Safety Office. (www.MSHA.gov).

Reading them is more of an art than a science. And they do not give a precise reading.

We all know that it is unlikely that we will talk you out of exploring. But there is a lot of safety information that is needed. More than we can give you in one or two post.

Take the time to read through tons of post on this board. Check out the link above. You are flirting with things that could kill you. There is not going to be a quick answer. Active mines in the US, work constantly at safety, roof control and atmosphere contro; and still manage to kill a couple of dozen people each year.

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I don't have all the answers.
I don't even know all the questions!

yeah man, detecting gas well with a koehler 209 is something that requires some experience... its not just walking into a mine and when the flame goes out you leave.. It has a lot to do with the color as well as the size of the flame, and its something you have to get used to from using it all the time.. you could realllly get yourself into trouble with a safety lamp if you don't pay attention to it.. like Mike R. said, they can be easy to knock out. But you never want to assume that you just knocked it out because the flame was healthy when you looked at it a minute before you bumped it....
Weve had it already where you could be in perfect air, and five feet later it can be deadly....

Its Not solely about what the air is right around you, its what the air is doing. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND MINE VENTILATION.

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This ain't longwall... this is long hole!

Thermonuclear, thanks for being honest with your intentions. I believe in harm reduction rather than telling someone "no, it is dangerous so don't do that" and expect it to be effective.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who has explored numerous hard rock (iron, gold, silver, lead, zinc, etc.) as well as coal mines, I can safely say coal mines are a MUCH different animal. Even if you use all of the hindsight and experience you attained from exploring a hard rock mine, you may still be in for a surprise at a coal mine.

Also, keep in mind that this is coming from real miners as well as people who have explored abandoned coal mines as you intend to do. I would personally suggest sticking with the hard rock mines but they have dangers too so please be careful and feel free to ask any questions. Some hard rock mines too have ventilation problems and poisonous gases... Best to be informed and always let someone know where you are going and when you'll be back.

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"If you thought old, abandoned mines were only in the west, then you haven't been to IronMiners.com!"

Thermo....our ACC levys are high enough now Mate.

Chris.
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

On another note, personally I approach the exploration of abandoned mines from a historical viewpoint rather than trying to get lost in a maze of tunnels or workings. Some of my favorite mines consist of no more than a few hundred feet of tunnel that are rich in historical artifacts or have a fascinating history even unexplored. Hard rock mines are generally smaller and in a lot of cases, are unfinished attempts to extract ore concluding in dead end tunnels. If you look through many of the slideshows on the site, you'll quickly see a lot of them aren't very big. When you start getting into exploring larger mines, you really do have to keep things like air quality in mind and be even more safety conscious.

Coal mines generally have more navigable passages than hard rock mines (of course the keyword is GENERALLY). This is because of the nature by which coal and ore veins are formed. Coal veins can often extend for miles uninterrupted and the same vein worked by multiple mines. Hard rock veins are usually more confined in geographic size.

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"If you thought old, abandoned mines were only in the west, then you haven't been to IronMiners.com!"

The summertime is the worst possible time to explore a coal mine. You have to wait for winter or our summer time here. Almost 90 % of the Bituminous mines we have been in we hit Black Damp in them at some point. Now as for summer goes we have hit black damp in one walking in 2 meters. The air changes drastically. Only trying to help you out here. I assume the coal mine you are wanting to go is on the North Island. I have been to New Zealand once & if my memory is correct almost all the coal mining was near the Rotorua area?

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Pete,

You're starting to sound like an old Hank Snow song......

I was totein' pack along the dusty Winnamucka Road.,,,,,,,,,

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I don't have all the answers.
I don't even know all the questions!

Hahaha Doug...Nice

I would love to go back to New Zealand and visit. One of my top 5 favorite countries.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Door's open anytime, Pete.

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

And also lets not forget your dealing with " natural ventilation" in abandoned mines. Your pretty much at the mercy of the weather, when it comes to that. Barometric preassure as well as temperature have alot to do with that. If a front comes through when your inside, the air can change in almost an instant. Go in during the early morning in spring and all may be fine ( when its colder out). But as the temperature rises outside the mine, the air changes also.

Chris when I make it back it over. You had better put me to work on that mining project you have there

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

which one?

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Don't worry we will see you this weekend

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.