What is it?
Yes. An Eimco 12b, also called a rocker shovel, mucker, or just "The 12b". Used to load the blasted rock (muck) into the cars. Rail mounted, usually about 24" gauge. Air powered, about 90 psi, 2" hose. Used in small vein underground mining. You stand on a step attached to the left side. Right hand controls bucket up/down. Left controls forward/backwards. Swings by hand pushing left and right on a center pin to clean the ribs. At least two big brothers, the 21 and the 22. The 22 had a power swing but it was to big for most of the track drifts I worked in.
Some of tricks were to shoot all the lifters on the same delay to throw the muckpile flat and back over the rail so you could get more of it before putting in the slide rails. Wing the bottom left lifter a little low and left so there were no tights on the operators side. That way the bucket couldn't grab and pull the mucker over on you. Stand up straight, on the dump the bucket is about 6" from your head when it goes by. Stay on the step so you don't have to worry if your toes are on the rail. Use a little skill and dump the first bucket in the front of the muck car, the weight holds it better on the pin so it don't come off and you gotta chase it back down the drift and push it back up to the mucker. Don't run over the air hose, life gets exciting when it comes off.
That's more than you probably wanted to know. Mostly long forgotten now days.
Thank you,
MrSmith
That was very informative. Thank you for your response. What is a slider rail?
thank goodness no, normal volume of shite. Did get sick once and spray painted our living room though.
I'll try. In mining, rail is extended in 20 foot sections. The drift, or tunnel, is extended in 6 or 8 foot blasts, each called a round. So it takes 3 or 4 rounds before you can put in a stand (20' section) of rail on permanent ties. Also you need to keep the end of the rail 6' or so back from the face to prevent blast damage.
So, in short, you have to go 20' where there's no rail before you have enough room to put in rail. After you blast and muck to the end of your stood rail you lay a 20 ft section of slide (just regular rail) on it's side on the ties inside the two stood rails. The ball of the slide, what the wheel runs on when right side up, nestles into the web of the stood section and you spike the foot (flat bottom) so it stays tight. One on each side up agin your stood rails.
Then you back up the mucker to the rear of the slides, drop the bucket and it'll just catch the foot of the slides that are sticking up. Shove (easy) them both forward as long as they go fairly straight and level. Now the flanges of the mucker wheels will ride in the web of the slides as they rest on the leveled shot rock. Then go to mucking, although a little more careful because what your running on isn't the most stable. Clean a foot and a half or so then back up and shove (slide) them forward again. After you go as far as you are comfortable with, usually 3 to 5 feet, you pick and shovel down to line and grade(ish) and lay a temp tie or two. Loose spike the slide down to the temp tie to stable it out a little, shove the slide again, and repeat. You do this for the 3 or 4 rounds needed to make room then take a half shift to stand 20' of permanent rail to proper line and grade. Then do it again.
Probably got you really confused by now. PM if you're interested. I enjoyed the life back then but I was a lot younger.
Edit: Slide rail was also old tramp slang for a loan.
Thank you,
MrSmith
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I understood. I like how you use the bucket of the mucker to feed the slider forward. Thank you.
Mils or moa?
Barn door.
^^^^^
Ancient alien theorists suggest that octopus are other worldly beings. So they "are" gods. Tasty, but gods.
Ancient alien theorists suggest that octopus are other worldly beings. So they "are" gods. Tasty, but gods.
C
Can you imagine all the up keep on that place to keep it looking like that!
You’ve obviously done that, very interesting!
Start by not watching cnn….
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