Blair Athol Coal Mine at Clermont, New South Wales, Australia, 14 Jan. 2004. Dynamite Is Used To Loosen The Coal For Collection By Powerful Electric Shovels.
But Heat From The Explosion and An Exposed Coal Seam Can Sometimes Be A Bad Combination. Fire erupts from the coal face... What do you do with a burning coal face? You ship it! Transport that danger away in a CAT 789D Mining Truck!
Perhaps 2 or 3 runs will be required to move all the flaming cargo from the Coal Face - sprayed with water in the safe area - the coal seam and mine will now be safe.
Caterpillar's exclusive design ownership provides advantages by creating a total hauling unit that delivers the best integration of high production, availability, and payload in combination with low operating cost and long life.
The Cat 789D continues the tradition of Caterpillar's proven 789 Truck with high productivity and lowest in class cost per ton.
History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal
History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal (BAC) is located approximately 25km north-west of Clermont and 240km south-west of Mackay in Central Queensland. BAC produces 11mtpa of export quality steaming coal, all of which is mined from the 30m thick Number 3 Seam. The coal is mined using 2 x P&H 2100 electric shovels and a fleet of 6 x Caterpillar 789 rear-dump trucks.
The No.3 Seam is overlaid by an average of 40m of overburden, which is removed by a BE1370 dragline, assisted by dozers. The overburden also incorporates the 1-2m thick No.2 Seam, which is spoiled with the overburden.
There is a long history of coal mining in the Blair Athol area. The deposit was initially discovered in 1864 with mining commencing in the 1890s. Initially the deposit was underground mined, and the extent of the underground workings can be seen in Figure 1. There were 4 significantly sized collieries and approximately 50% by area of the remaining deposit has been affected by underground workings.
The underground workings range from single level through to 3-level in some areas (1 level in the thin No.2 Seam and 2 levels in the 30m No.3 Seam). The mines were worked by hand-mining "bord and pillar" methods, with shafts for ventilation and access purposes. Typically roadways were taken 5m wide by 3m high, with pillars approximately 20m thick. Support was by timber props, most of which continue to be in place today, over 50 years later. Some of the collieries were divided into clearly identifiable panels, such as the Newcastle Colliery, whereas others followed no apparent plan, such as Blair Athol No.3 Colliery.
In 1936 the first attempt at significant scale open-cut workings was made. The method proved to be more economic than underground working and by the late 1950s most of the underground collieries were closed. In the late 1970’s, the Blair Athol Coal joint venture was established by CRA (now Rio Tinto) together with ARCO and two Japanese power generation utilities. In 1984, the first shipment of coal was exported from the expanded open-cut operation.
But Heat From The Explosion and An Exposed Coal Seam Can Sometimes Be A Bad Combination. Fire erupts from the coal face... What do you do with a burning coal face? You ship it! Transport that danger away in a CAT 789D Mining Truck!
Perhaps 2 or 3 runs will be required to move all the flaming cargo from the Coal Face - sprayed with water in the safe area - the coal seam and mine will now be safe.
CAT 789D Mining Truck Specifications
Caterpillar's exclusive design ownership provides advantages by creating a total hauling unit that delivers the best integration of high production, availability, and payload in combination with low operating cost and long life.
The Cat 789D continues the tradition of Caterpillar's proven 789 Truck with high productivity and lowest in class cost per ton.
- Engine Model - 3516C - HD.
- Net Power- 1468.0 kW.
- Gross Power - 1566.0 kW.
- Rated Net Power (ISO 9249) - 1468.0 kW.
- Gross Machine Operating Weight (GMW) - 324319.0 kg.
- Body Weight Range - 23 920 kg-45 547 kg (52,850 lb-100,414 lb).
- Empty Operating Chassis Weight (EOCW) - 99129.0 kg.
- Nominal Payload Capacity - 181.0 ton (US).
- Standard Combi Body (SAE 2:1) - 153.0 m³.
- Standard Dual Slope Body (SAE 2:1) - 108.0 m³.
- Standard Gateless Coal Body (SAE 2:1) - 191.0 m³.
- Standard MSD Body (SAE 2:1) - 130.0 m³.
- Standard X Body (SAE 2:1) - 123.0 m³.
- Transmission Forward 1 - 12.6 km/h.
- Transmission Forward 6 - 57.2 km/h.
- Transmission Reverse - 11.8 km/h.
- Standard Tires - 37.00-R57.
- Optional Tires - 40.00-R57.
- Steering Angle - 36.07 °.
- Turning Diameter (Front Wheel) - 27.53 m.
- Vehicle Clearance (Turn Circle) - 30.23 m.
- Steering Standards - SAE J1511 OCT90 ISO 5010:1992.
History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal
History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal (BAC) is located approximately 25km north-west of Clermont and 240km south-west of Mackay in Central Queensland. BAC produces 11mtpa of export quality steaming coal, all of which is mined from the 30m thick Number 3 Seam. The coal is mined using 2 x P&H 2100 electric shovels and a fleet of 6 x Caterpillar 789 rear-dump trucks.
The No.3 Seam is overlaid by an average of 40m of overburden, which is removed by a BE1370 dragline, assisted by dozers. The overburden also incorporates the 1-2m thick No.2 Seam, which is spoiled with the overburden.
There is a long history of coal mining in the Blair Athol area. The deposit was initially discovered in 1864 with mining commencing in the 1890s. Initially the deposit was underground mined, and the extent of the underground workings can be seen in Figure 1. There were 4 significantly sized collieries and approximately 50% by area of the remaining deposit has been affected by underground workings.
The underground workings range from single level through to 3-level in some areas (1 level in the thin No.2 Seam and 2 levels in the 30m No.3 Seam). The mines were worked by hand-mining "bord and pillar" methods, with shafts for ventilation and access purposes. Typically roadways were taken 5m wide by 3m high, with pillars approximately 20m thick. Support was by timber props, most of which continue to be in place today, over 50 years later. Some of the collieries were divided into clearly identifiable panels, such as the Newcastle Colliery, whereas others followed no apparent plan, such as Blair Athol No.3 Colliery.
In 1936 the first attempt at significant scale open-cut workings was made. The method proved to be more economic than underground working and by the late 1950s most of the underground collieries were closed. In the late 1970’s, the Blair Athol Coal joint venture was established by CRA (now Rio Tinto) together with ARCO and two Japanese power generation utilities. In 1984, the first shipment of coal was exported from the expanded open-cut operation.
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