Group,

I found a really interesting article online concerning the use of rail in mines. Many of these are actually MODERN systems. Although many of the mining systems discussed are located abroad it appears that perhaps some American underground mines might be getting on board too! On page six it was stated that , "Between 1987 and 2006, Nordic went on to design, fabricate and install 18 rail haulage systems and over 250 chutes of various different sizes to mines in Canada, the USA, Peru, Mexico, Ghana, South Africa, Sweden, Australia and Indonesia." Sounds like good new to me!

Perhaps the use of rail haulage in underground mines is not headed for extinction after all. Time will tell, I guess. But like many have said, it is darn tough to beat the efficiency of steel wheel on steel rail.

The “image” that I am going to attempt to post is actually a pdf so I am going to attempt to attach it as well as provide the URL for the online article here: Nope! Wouldn't let me do it.

http://www.infomine.com/library/publica ... e2012k.pdf

I hope you enjoy this!!! It was mostly good news to me!

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Interesting. But, with longwall systems and Multiple Continous Miner Units, both which produce a large steady stream of coal out of a mine, the direction most US mines are going in conveyors to get the coal out. And I suspect the installation/maintenance cost a lower per ton than rail.

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

Doug,

Probably, but what I took from this article is that rail is used more in hard rock mines than in newer coal mines. However, it did mention that some coal mines with conveyors still employ rail haulage for personnel and heavy equipment. I also think that rail might still be the cheapest conveyance for coal in mines that have really long hauls. I recently read about a coal mine in West Virginia that had a fourteen mile haul to the portal!

In any event, I think it is safe to conclude that going forward, underground rail will not be as important in mining as it was in the past. That is almost a given. But, on the other hand, neither does it appear likely thatrail will disappear completely which is what I had been afraid would happen.

One additional issue that I can see is that with fewer mines purchasing rail-based equipment, rail equipment manufacturers will not be able to mass produce the items at the same level. That will in turn make them more expensive for the mines that still want to use rail.

regards,
Fred M. Cain

I just recently received the March issue of TRAINS Magazine that had an article on the so-called "Eastside Access" project in New York City. Billed as one of the hugest ongoing public works projects today, it is planned to come in at around 11 BILLION dollars.

For those of you unfamiliar with the project, it's too difficult for me to describe in a few sentences. Suffice it to say that it is a HUGE underground mining endeavor that will result in a new underground train station in the City with many new railway tunnels.

They had a number of pictures in there and I was pleased to see that there were several showing underground mining locomotives, tracks and trains. So. Mining with rail is not dead. It's alive and well in The Big Apple.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

I got the issue 3 days ago. Very interesting.

Are the sandhogs handling this project?

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May all those who have gone before us have a carbide lamp with an eternal flame.