This is my first actual thread on here so I hope this finds everyone doing well!! My name is Michael and I live in Nashville, TN right now. I was born and raised a coal miners son in Western Kentucky though, in a small town named Central City, KY. Yes, it is the largest city of the county in the infamous John Prine song, "Paradise". The song talks of Muhlenberg County and the small Green River town of Paradise, KY. Paradise is long gone, but it wasn't by "Mr. Peabody's Coal Train". It was instead, bought. Bought by The Tennessee Valley Authority because of the ash fall and health concerns of the folks living there after the first two 740MW units were fired up. My family was all from this area part of Kentucky with about 150 years all wrapped up in coal mining. My dad worked for 17 years at Peabody's River Queen Surface Mine. This mine, one of the former largest in the world, was home to the fourth largest shovel in the world. That shovel, the Marion 5960, was put into service in 1969 and ran until around 1989. I had the privilege, seeing how my dad helped to operate that machine, to get onboard this shovel as a kid as well as getting onboard their Bucyrus Erie 1260-W. Both were amazing! As the 90's came in, the mines went out. With only a few small jobs running, we are now seeing the demand for Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana coal coming back and coming back strong. Technology and utilities have finally caught up with high sulfur coal! I miss seeing all the giants close to my home like the BE 3850-B my grandfather & aunt worked around at Peabody's Sinclair Surface Mine. Or the Marion 8800 over at Peabody's Ken Surface. But, just recently we've had an investment in three thirty-something year old draglines that's got the community talking. These draglines pretty much did their majority of digging for a company called Andalex Resources Inc. in Hopkins County, KY. The draglines, three Page 752's, were all shuttered a few years ago. Well new life has been breathed into all of them at Armstrong Coal Company in Ohio County, KY. One is stripping as we speak at Armstrong's Midway Surface Mine outside of Centertown, KY and the other two are getting ready to go at the new "Equality Surface Mine" on the Green River side of Centertown, KY. As someone who grew up with all these machines around me, I had a BIG interest in this new development. I was able to meet a nice gentleman who had the ability to show me a couple of their new machines at the "Equality Erection Pad" just a few thousand feet from the Green River and Muhlenberg County. Below are a selection of pictures I got while there. You can see the whole collection on my webpage at "Flickr". The link to that page is; http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspectivephotography/sets/72157623020345264/ I only went inside one machine which had a tri-structure gantry on it. I still haven't figured that out since all the machines are the same. Here are a few of the pictures. If you have any comments or questions, let me know!! Michael Davis Completely digital Cab now. No pedals at all! Inside the Mechanical House. Looks brand new! This is the second dragline right behind us. The dragline we toured from a distance. I have more pictures on my webpage and I don't want to flood this with pictures. This gives you the idea though just how impressive these machines look now!! Take care and have a great new year!
Are you going to operate this dragline ? If so, you are a lucky young fellow. Back in the 70's ( i was a youngster) we would travel to Wheeling WVA from central Ohio along I-70 and you could see Big Muskie and other big electric draglines stripping the overburden off in the distance. Quite impressive. Great pictures by the way.
Thank you! No, I am just a Freelance Photographer and I'm starting work on gathering photos for a picture book on my home county. It'll cover the past and present and really go after connecting folks with memories they may have. It's a small town and a small population base overall so everyone knows everyone. Plus, this is my way of giving back to my community and preserving some of its very colorful history. I would love to operate these machines, but unfortunately I will not be setting in that chair. I can say this, if the job market here in Nashville doesn't get better then working in the new coal mines back home may be a real option. Time will tell. I'm sure you would agree if you have followed the mining industry. These machines are cut up for scrap 99% of the time when their work is done. Some get lucky and pick up new work somewhere, some you lose track of, and others just get cut up. It seems any attempt, outside of the folks at Big Brutus in Kansas, to save these machines falls short. It has become more and more obvious to me that these machines may only exist in pictures and videos. I hope that can change but again, time will tell with that too.
I met to add these to my last reply so I do apologize for the double post. These are still parked in Hopkins County, KY awaiting their fate. The smaller dragline with no name on it is a Bucyrus Erie 650B. And the larger one with "Andalex Resources" on it's side is a Bucyrus Erie 2550-W. Both are owned by Hopkins County Coal Company. One is proposed to be part of a regional coal museum based in Madisonville, KY. I hope it works!
Awesome set of pics Lexy! Wish there were more drags that size over here
Oh daddy won't you take me back to Mulenberg county. Down by the Green River, where Paradise lays. I'm sorry my son, you're too late in asking, Mr Peabody's coal train done hauled it away. Thanks for the photos. I live in Western Ky also. Acutally the Purchase area. I'm actually farther West than Western Ky. I've always heard of those large draglines, but other than driving down the interstate, had never seen them.
That's cool! Thank you very much. I know the song very well along with "Sixteen Tons". It was written originally about Muhlenberg County as well (which is my home county).
Great pics .Awesome machines...
Thank you very much!
Maaate, the photos are great, the size and power of the draglines are awesome....good one thanks for sharing....