I was a hoist engineer for several years and our hoist was a Nordberg single drum double cable built in 1922. It looked almost identical to this hoist. It to had wooden brake pads. The wood used was bass wood. Bass is a soft wood but has no knots. It is the wood used by carvers. If you could get that hoist out of the mine you could sell it for about 20 thousand.
1000' down is a long way...I did the Katherine Mine Tour in Cripple Creek Colorado and they take you down 1000' in a small skip! All the wood work in these mines always amaze me! Great video Frank, thanks!
+Rob Farrow Thanks, Robin! Yes, the timbering is always pretty impressive to see. I have never done the mine tour that you mentioned in Colorado but hope to get up there someday to do it.
I caught onto your channel a few weeks ago and I use to try to fall asleep listening to Howard Stern, but now I fall asleep to the calm sounds of lose rock under your feet and your calm explanations. Believe it or not it has been almost therapeutic to me. Thank you sir you've been an asset to conquering my insomnia.
The "Brake pads" were part of a fail-safe system that I just learned about. They're on springs that press them against the rotor held away from the rotor by the action of a solenoid or other actuator that only functions when powered. If the power fails, one of the first things that happens is that the springs force the pads against the rotor to immediately start slowing it down. A rotor that large has a _lot_ of inertia, so thick pads make sense.
Thanks for this informative comment! I appreciate the additional information regarding the brake pads. I’m sure the other viewers do, too. Thanks again for checking out the video and for commenting!
+TrailRecon Thanks, man! Yeah, I like to do an occasional nighttime exploration now and again. It does add a whole new element, as you mentioned. Thanks for commenting and watching!
Found your channel today. Love the videos. I work in the mining industry (on the engineering side) and it's always fun to see the old methods. Thanks for sharing!
Also, that gauge at the end would have been to tell the hoistman at what level the conveyance was at on that drum. Old piece of technology but it was reliable enough.
Hardest part about that is getting people or robots reliably to them and them being able to work in the fraction of gravity the asteroid will have. Also, getting approval from space agencies to do so.
I work for a company the develops the mine. I work in the engineering department but have been on/in several mines as part of my job duties. Haven't actually picked up a miners wrench though.
The timber slide or chute as you call it is in fact used to haul up equipment, explosives and other supplies needed in the stope . normally a single drum air tugger ( winch) would be mounted ether at the bottom of the chute or the top . the cable would run from the tugger up the chute to an anchor and back down to a metal cart known as a pickle boat or skip. this would be loaded with whatever supplies were needed and hoisted up into or down the chute
Yeah, there's a poor-man's bell sheet at one of the manways for the tugger. They were used extensively in the older shrink stopes here. All the more modern work down the shaft was longhole stoping mucked with slushers, there's one spot with about a 75' wire rope run across an ore pass.
Wow, This one had some heavy duty building material and equipment in it. I love the entrance with the steel pipes, i bet it is pretty strong. Thanks for the adventure!
Thanks, Jim! Yeah, the portico over the portal was pretty unique, I thought. They definitely wanted to minimize the chance of a landslide burying the portal. Interesting, too, how the tunnel makes that hard right-turn just past the portico. I don't think I've ever seen a mine entrance like that.
That was one very interesting mine. Love all the timbering and the hoist mechanism, that looked like a little tlc and it could work again! Thanks for another great vid, keep them coming
Thanks for your ongoing support! You've been a long-time viewer, and I really appreciate that. Looks like you changed your avatar, too! Good to hear from you!
They really wanted to dig for ore in that location to put so much metal strapping and timbering up to reinforce the surrounding walls of the tunnels. At 6:16 what a stope or descent!! The homemade grappling hook was quite a find also! That IS a massive winch at 12:00. Wonder if someone could re-purpose those large winch wells for observatory gears for a large telescope? Thank you Frank and Mike for sharing this video!
Thank you for watching. And commenting! Yes, the abundance of strapping means only thing -- unstable rock overhead! We were careful, though, and passed through quickly and quietly. The grappling hook was an interesting find. It's still there if you want it. haha I like your idea about re-using the winches for an observatory. Clever thinking! Thanks again for commenting and watching. I appreciate your support.
Thanks Frank and Micheal, good underground footage, and fond it very interesting the scenes of the winder and associated gear. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Excellent video.
+Garry Stebbings Thanks, Garry! It seems like a lot of viewers enjoyed the footage at the end of the hoist-house and winches. I like how you referred to the winches as "winders." I think that is a better term! Thanks again for watching. Always nice to get a comment from you.
Hi Frank, winder is the term I knew them as from my days working in the mines at both Rossarden and Storeys Creek. Would think the term comes from the mostly English mining heritage we have inherited over here. Having worked on them at times, always interested in seeing different types and styles.
+BABA SOWLE Thanks for your comment! If an abandoned mine site does have equipment like the hoist-house and winch, I usually show it. However, a lot of sites no longer have any equipment at them due to removal by previous owners or by vandals. Thanks for your comments and feedback. I will keep it in mind as I'm filming future abandoned sites.
+LUDO Thank you for your comment. Several other viewers have said that they enjoyed the hoist-house footage as well. I appreciate hearing that because it lets me know what viewers enjoy seeing. That way, I can tailor future videos. It is uncommon, however, to find a hoist-house with a winch like that still in it. I was glad to get it documented on video. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment!
+ReclusiveMountainMan Thanks, Matt! Yes, once in a while I like to head out at night because it changes things up a bit. It's also cooler at night in the desert, too. If I can remember correctly, this particular night was especially dark because the moon had already set not too long after sunset.
that large gauge at the end would show the depth of the skip cart. typically the marking would indicate which level of the mine the cart was at. the operator was essentially working blind and trusted that those marks were accurate. the marks would have to be adjusted over time due to cable stretch or repairs made to the cable that would change the length.
Thanks, Jeffrey, for that information regarding the gauge. I did not look at it closely to see what the markings said that were on it. I'm glad you were able to clarify what the gauge was used for.
Great work! What I like about your videos is, that if you don't know you just say I don't know! So many don't have that kind of integrity they just keep guessing or just talk it to death until something else comes up. They had the brattice built to direct the air, with the door in it. And the curtain hung there. I really don't know how the aired a place like that. But the craftsmanship was unbelievable. The rod they put in to hold the layers of rock together was a split bolt drove in the rock. Today they have so many different types of roof bolts resins, bolts with screw chucks, Even bolts that are called Super Bolts. I know there system worked but also that's why some of them pulled and broke from the rock. Thanks great video.
Thanks for your comment! You comment often, and I really appreciate that. Yeah, believe it or not, I'm still learning about mining despite having been doing this now for a few years. Former miners like yourself (at least I think you mentioned a while back that you were a former miner) have been really helpful in clarifying some of the things I've shown and talked about in the videos. That is super cool, and I really do appreciate it. I'm sure the other viewers appreciate it, too. I'm just trying to preserve this lost art form of hard-rock mining that really isn't done in this manner these days. Everything is now done via open pits and mechanized miners. Love the history in these old mines, the old technology, and the geology!
As always Frank, another great video! The head frame was certainly impressive and the same goes for that winch. If I remember correctly, the Yellow Jacket Mine in Virginia City has a pretty big head frame still standing, not many of those left. Thanks again for taking us along, it was awesome!
+astral virgin Good to hear from you! Thanks again for watching and commenting. I have never been to Virginia City - yet. Somehow I keep getting sidetracked and ending up in other areas. Yes, headframes are slowly disappearing as they collapse or get deliberately demolished by government agencies. The one in this video was made out of metal, so it may last a little bit longer than the ones that are made out of wood. Let's hope so! Thank you again for following along in the video.
Thanks so much for replying, I really appreciate it! I would love to do what you do, but Northern California doesn't have much in the way of abandoned mines, unfortunately! Stay safe out there!
+Evil GST Actually, both of us were armed that night. You are absolutely correct, though - one never knows what one might encounter out in the middle of nowhere at these remote sites
What a great looking mine, never seen so much metalwork nailing back the rock like that before. I think they now use longer rods and wire mesh to stop the rocks falling. Nice looking timber down there too, a real work of art the guys done of it and for 100years old, not bad at all! Great video Frank!
Hopefully you saw the one part of the video where I showed a large chunk of the tunnel wall still hanging from a section of strapping where it had come out of the wall in a partial collapse. Those rock bolts certainly are no guarantee of preventing a collapse! I would think that the wire mesh and longer rods that you mentioned would be a lot safer than the strapping seen in this video. Thanks, man, for taking the time to watch and comment!
That was a cool mine.. that hoist was massive, I can't believe how big the cable was, just massive. Thanks Frank for another awesome video as always :)
+turokk1 Certainly glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. Thank you for commenting! Haven't heard from you in a while, so it's good to hear from you again. I appreciate your ongoing support. Yes, the cable was massive. Considering the work that it had to do, it makes sense, though.
Ya I've been busy getting ready to move to a new house. So I get on when I get some free time to watch your videos. Once I get settled things will change lol 👍😀
It seemed to be in good condition overall. I thought the wooden brake pads were interesting. Might have to get some of those for my car! haha You and I gotta plan another expedition soon before it gets too cold up there!
Hell I'll migrate south for the winter! lol I want to find a big headframe like that, stand at the top while eating a grilled chz-camping style, and throw rocks at old dynamite on the ground!
+ADIT ADDICTS LOL! Grilled cheese sandwiches! Those just weren't any damn old grilled cheese sandwiches - those were gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches! The only thing that would've made them better would have been a couple of swigs from one of your flasks. Yeah, you might have to migrate south in the winter months. Get out of that snow and cold. Paul and I were talking about that the other day and how you should come down here for four days or so this winter. Could show you a lot of awesome stuff, that's for sure!
I believe that gauge would have told the winder driver when the skip got to the surface.. so when he had men on board he would know when to slow down & to stop. I worked on one of the largest shaft's in Western Australia. Over 1000m deep. Upgraded braking & Hoist Rope Gauges.. plus wheel diameters. Even they had a simple gauge like that. However had seperate man cage to hoist men, than ore.
Thanks for that information! Really helps to clarify what that gauge was used for. I always appreciate it when you miners and former miners contribute comments that either correct or amplify what I'm trying to describe or show. Thanks for your interest and input!
Exploring Abandoned Mines no problems.. it was also used as a gauge to tell you when the skip would be approaching a level. Do you know if that drum had a clutch ? If you can disengage it(or back in the day) then they would have hoisted from different levels ( wind one rope / skip down further or come up one or two levels ) meanwhile the other skip is at the surface disengaged. Until they slip the clutch / winding drum back in.
that was a nice dual drum counterbalanced skip/ore winch. The pedal was definately a brake pedal. One skip goes up one goes down. The hoist operator would sit in the shack and listen for bells or buzzers to tell him where they needed an ore bucket or man skip. Nice find guys. As always be safe.
They may have only run one skip. That may be why here was no wire on the other spool. But it is a double drum hoist. After watching the video again when you are in the hoist control room you can only one control for up and down so I do believe they were only running one drum.
If you look at this picture you can see the double drum hoist for men and material at the Bunker Hill mine. You can clearly see the cable on the left drum comes out the top while the cable on the right drum comes out from the bottom. The big round things above the drums are level indicators. One for each drum. The gentleman you see is not the hoist operator, he is in a chair directly behind the beam. www.miningartifacts.org/Main_Hoist_-_Bunker_Hill_Mine_-_Idaho.jpg
If you look in this picture you will see the skip that was operated by that hoist. You can see the second set of tracks with the cable in the center just to the left of the ladder between the skips. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1183223768364471&set=gm.1739179063007948&type=3&theater If this is to much into Frank just delete these post lol.
That gauge you mentioned in the end of the video...tracked mechanically with the winch to let the operator know how much cable was out and the marks represent levels it stopped at, so he could reduce speed and stop in time to align the cart or cage at the correct level opening. Don't you wonder how they got that huge machinery down into the mine...in pieces, that's how....charlie
If I remember correctly, a couple friends of mine installed that hoist in the early 80s. They had a diesel LHD (load-haul-dump) on the 600 level that was caged down in pieces, and left a drill crawler behind on the 200 East that presumably came down the same way.
@@Porty1119 Incredible the work miners do! Can't think of a single job that requires so much effort and coolness in the head dealing with dangerous things surrounding them. I dredged in the middle fork of the American River for 2 years straight, we had an 8" & 10" running side by side then but it was the best job I ever had. We called our hole in the bottom of the river our 'Emerald Orfice' because of the color of the water at that depth.
Another excellent video Frank. Something about this mine made it just a little more special, perhaps the relatively pristine condition it was in. Surprised you didn't find more artifacts in there considering how untouched it looked. Loved that headframe and hoist motor house. Hoping you manage to find more of these in your travels. Stay safe mate and thanks again for the vids!
+MrRem7600 There are probably artifacts on the lower levels, but the vertical shaft's ladders were not nailed in place. At least the ladder at the top where we were was not nailed in place. Therefore, we did not want to take a chance climbing down them. I do think there were platforms every 15 or 20 feet or so, but with the top ladder not being firmly anchored it just seemed pretty dangerous to attempt a descent. I thought the shot of the headframe at night while lit up with our lights was kind of cool! Thanks for watching the video and taking the time to comment.
I've descended this shaft with climbing gear. There's a lot of equipment left on the 200 and 300 levels. I'm sure the others have quite a bit too, but we ran out of rope and time. This is one of my favorite mines, especially since I only live about 25 minutes from it!
Very impressive timbering. It amazes me at the ingenuity and determination the miners of the 18 and 1900s had. I don't think they get enough credit for what they achieved.
Thanks again Frank, that was interesting. That huge headframe and monster winch indicate a labyrinth of tunnels you fellas may not have seen or been able to access.
There are several vertical shafts at the site. One if 1000 feet deep and the other is 700 feet deep or thereabouts. I was under the impression that the tunnel we were in connected to two of the vertical shafts, but that did not seem to be the case. Yes, I believe there is a lot more there to see if one is willing to descend the nearly-vertical ladders in the shaft that I showed in the video. We would've possibly done that but the ladder was not firmly nailed in place. That was an immediate "no-go." Thanks for watching and commenting, man!
Thanks for doing what you do, most of us do not live in areas that have accessible old mines. I believe it's VERY important to document as much as possible for future generations to see, and that's exactly what you do. Take care
Thanks, Bill! I was impressed with how big the cable was on the winch. I really had never looked at winch cable up close like that before. Must've been a noisy, busy place when everything was up and running full-steam.
@ Exploring Abandoned Mines: Frank, that appears to be "Five Wrap Cable" - immagine taking a high tensile 1/4 inch cable and pulling it taut and then wrapping a second 1/4 inch cable in a CLOCKWISE spiral fashion around the first cable; then taking a third 1/4 inch cable and wrapping it in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE spiral fashion on top of the previous wrap; then a third wrap CLOCKWISE; a fourth wrap COUNTERCLOCKWISE; and finally a fifth wrap CLOCKWISE. This way you would have five alternating-direction wraps around a central core. This is done to eliminate "cable twist" which cannot be tolerated in a Mine hoisting cable. Remember, this cable is constantly traveling up & down, wrapping tightly around the Hoist Drum, running over Sheaves, all with a tremendous amount of weight on the bottom end; and if it were allowed to twist, the torsional tensions in the cable would quickly cause the individual fibers in the cable to break and cause a catastrophic failure of the cable, - NOT a good thing, especially if your hauling Men or Explosives in the Shaft. -
There's grid power up on the ridge; it's the only mine in the greater district that didn't rely on gensets. It did have a big green Joy electric air compressor that's sitting at a laydown yard in town now.
That's a pretty serious piece of machinery! Very nice find, thanks for sharing! Every time I saw Michael though, my mind just went "No helmet, no boots, no nothing!" x) You guys stay safe!
That was my first time out with Mike. I'm sure he is working on obtaining the appropriate gear for future outings. I always have a helmet, boots, and other gear. I can't tell you how many times I have seriously banged my head on overhanging rocks for which my helmet saved me from injury. Thanks for watching the video, man!
Thanks for another great video Frank. Wish i could get out there with you guy's sometime. I get out to northern Nevada when i can but never get a chance to do much underground exploring because im usually by myself. Look forward to your next video. Stay safe.
Thanks, Mike! I've done some solo underground exploring myself but not within the past year. It really isn't a big deal as long as your extremely safety-conscious and have good judgement and have the right gear. Going solo, though, does place limits on what one can do. Thanks again for commenting!
+1uptospeed Yes, got caught up doing the graveyard shift on this one. Definitely worth it, though! Thanks again for watching and commenting. You've been a long-time supporter of these videos, and I thank you for that!
the cage next to the shaft is an emergency man cage. rather than climb the ladders to get out 1 man would get in and be hoisted to the surface much quicker
I've heard of those type of cages, but the one in this abandoned mine seemed too small to hold a full-grown man. It was big enough for a child, that's for sure, but not big enough for an adult -- at least it looked that way to me. Thanks, Richard, for your comment! I appreciate you contributing to the discussion.
Every old house I've lived in felt like it was made for children. It seems the majority of people were smaller. Frank, do you know how old the mine is? Could it be possible it was left over from child miner days or am I reaching?
richard green yea they could houist you child out and your midget wife. But you'd be stuck! It looks like a hobbled together bullshit apperatice. That they fucked together to get a job done!
I'm always impressed at the effort to accomplish all that timbering. It can't be easy to haul the wood in to the mine considering the size of the wood.
That one deserves a return visit to descend the shaft to lower levels. Also open the closed area behind the yellow tarp. I saw a video from "Exploring Abandoned Mines In BC" where he squeezed through a small opening and discovered a HUGE complex of drifts, shafts and stopes. Nobody had been there for 100 years it looked like.
Good ideas! What I didn't mention in the video was that we think the closed area behind the yellow tarps leads into an area of the mine where there was a big collapse in the early 1900s in which several miners were killed. They rehabilitated that area not too long afterward, but I'm thinking that maybe that walled-off drift from the vertical shaft is where the collapse occurred. Might have to go back there and take a closer look. We weren't able to climb down the ladders that you saw there in the shaft because the first one wasn't even firmly connected to anything. Not sure why it was so loose like that. Being that it was, that was an immediate "no-go."
If your wondering what that "gauge" is outside the operators booth, it's a level or floor gauge....each colored line would represent a level as you go down further in the mine, meaning that vertical shaft goes down a very long distance. Also...that pedal you seen in the booth is indeed a brake actuator, it would have operated either on air or hydraulics to apply pressure on the band brake on each hoist drum. Pretty cool how there were only a few controls...there are some abandoned mines in PA that I've visited that have a ton of buttons and switches and levers to them.
Thanks, Phil, for the information! Makes sense to me! Looks like, according to that gauge, that there are nine levels off of that vertical shaft. That would make sense because I think that shaft is 1000 feet deep or so. There probably is a drift level every 100 feet or so. Lot of coal mines back there in Pennsylvania -- be careful in those! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. I appreciate your support!
Exploring Abandoned Mines: : Thanks and I always am safe to the best of my powers when exploring old abandoned Coal Mines, I take along a few friends and never go it alone. Where I live in Southeast Michigan we don't have anything aside from active salt mines and the only one I know of is located near Rouge River. I believe it's "The Detroit Salt Co." and as far as I can tell they originally had 2 main shafts that go about 1200 feet down to the salt deposits and then expanded the second one so it's a double compartment. One side for the salt and skip car and the other side for the man lift. the original shaft I believe is capped off.
Does the outside temperature change the ventilation of the mine? Such as night time usually has a lower surface temperature compared to a higher surface temperature at day time.
+Bobby0345 From my experience, it seems that these mines are usually the same temperature inside year round. I have heard, though, that the outside temperature can affect the ventilation of the mine. However, I don't think it's that great of an affect.
This continues to be the coolest channel on the planet. Just living vicariously through these guys. Is this the Clyde mine in the Clear Creek area of Colorado? I'm reading the history of the Clear Creek Narrow Gauge RR at the moment...
Hey, Brian! Thanks for your comment! I was looking for a way to contact you privately regarding your recent comments, but I don't see a "Send a Message" link on you TH-cam channel nor on your Google+ page. Can you send me a private message here on TH-cam if you're able, and I'll respond to that.
11:34 there is a similar Nordberg hoist at the Coal Mine exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. They used to run it but they don't anymore because it shook the whole building!
That’s awesome! It would be something to see and hear one of the hoists in operation. Must’ve been super loud! When we have found some ore carts still sitting on the ore cart tracks in some of these mines and push them along the tracks, we are amazed at how loud even that sound is! Thanks for watching and commenting - I appreciate it!
Awesome video👍🏻 The caged frame you found would have probably been used for shaft inspection and repairs to pipe work, by a person seated in cage. This narrow frame would have been lowered down the ladder side of the shaft hence it being so small.
I've been down to the 200 and 300, and will eventually get to the 600 (the shaft was backfilled below the 600). There's a lot of interesting stuff down there!
Hi. With regards to That Gauge that looks like a clockat the end of the video, i think it was a way for the winch operator to know what level the cart was at. I have seen a very similar system here in the UK that was used at the Levant tin mine in Cornwall. A mine that actually went out under the seabed of the atlantic ocean. The man engine operator used a gauge like that to know what level the man lift was at. regards. Ben
+MrGrunter0 Thanks, Ben, for your comment. Somebody else had already said the same thing in an earlier comment, and I think both of you guys are correct. Wow! I can't believe you have a mine over there that goes underneath the seafloor!
I had never heard of wooden brake pads before. Always learning new things while doing all of these abandoned mine explorations and documentations. Thanks for contributing that fact about the Montreal subway trains.
Yes, there are probably extensive drift levels. We would've gone down the ladder but the first one was not nailed to anything in the shaft and seemed very loose.
The foot pedal was call a dead man you had to hold it down for the hoist to run and gauge told you what level you were on the steel tubes in the mat we're called split bolt's you drilled I hole them used the jack Hammer and a special tool and drove them in they were wildly used for the 1970 untill present
Hey, Les! Thank you for the information! Sounds like you have a mining background. I always appreciate when you guys post clarifying comments on my videos. I often don’t know what I’m talking about, as I’m sure you have seen. LOL Thanks again for watching and commenting!
Looks like the gauge was used for the different levels of the mine, where drifts are, where main haulage tunnels or stopes were. This was a busy mine, that's for sure. Makes me wonder how many abandoned coal mines there are, them being in near-infinite abundance.
If you head on over to the TH-cam channel of Southern New Mexico Explorer, he and a buddy descended the vertical shaft inside this mine on recent trips. He published a video a couple months ago and one about four days ago. He refers to it in the titles as the “Hidden Treasure Mine.“ You might want to check those out if you want to see what’s down those vertical shafts that I was too scared to climb down! There are significant underground workings including HUGE stopes.
The Arizona coral snake's range is only supposed to be in southern Arizona and New Mexico. They are a cousin to the cobra and they fart as a defensive behavior. They stopped making anti-venom and the last vials expired in 2010, so don't get bitten.
clockguy2 Well, then geographically it was in the right place. I’m just glad it was already dead. Thanks for contributing that bit of information about the coral snakes. I appreciate it!
Hi, Guys, I've got to say you're very brave going into these mines,do you ever wonder about earth tremors while your 100's of feet in. You must have nerves of steel. But if it were not for you showing us what it is like in side,no one would ever know.Be safe guys.
Grew up in the American southwest and did not know there are coral snakes there - I thought they stayed in Florida. Chances are the wood brakes re maple - lots of equipment used Maple for rubbing blocks and brakes. Any idea when the last time that mine was worked?
+kevin kidd Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos, Kevin! Thank you for your comment. At this particular mine, we were underground for about three hours or so. We could've spent a lot more time underground had we gone down the shaft where the ladders were. Some abandoned mines you can literally spend 10 or more hours in depending on how much you want to see and how willing you are to take risks. I think the most I have been underground at one time was five hours.
great video like always i can tel you about wood break pad the montreal subway is using wood pad and the pedal was surely what you call the dead man pedal its a safety device in case the operator pass out take your foot off and it stop the winch and put the break on
that hoist i close to what the use on drill rigs,but everyone i worked on only had one drum.to cut the wire of that size .we used a tool that had a place to slip on the wire and held the wire . then the tool had a big chisel that up hit with a sledge hammer to cut the wire.the wires has tar wrap around it and in between the wire .this stopped it from rust in wet use.when the wire wears the outside wires start to look flat.the brakes are wood . they are water cool . if they get hot they smell like pine.hope you enjoy the info.
Took me quite a while to figure out what those wooden chutes were used for. Somebody had to explain it to me. I knew they were some kind of device to haul stuff - I just didn’t know what or why.
They use bolts to affix the strapping to the walls and ceiling. I would guess that the metal strapping is then hammered into place so it fits snugly against the curve of the tunnel, etc..
I've always wondered about those ore shoots, I know from even making Concrete shoots that ore would not slide willingly down those shoots without a sheet metal bottom.
Hey man, your videos are amazing. Can I suggest something? Get someone with a DSLR and a 50 mm 1.4 or 1.2 lens and get some really artsy shots going. Seriously with the places you explore you have so much opportunity to capture these relics and tunnels in some amazing high-def. Also if you filmed/took photos in 4k you could make some videos with the title "Amazing mine shots in 4k" or something. You could make money by monetizing the videos as I bet you'd get STUNNING footage and photos with a 4k capable camera, preferably a DSLR. At like 4:28 in your video, there is a piece of wood sticking out from a wall with a dark cavern shaft in the background and you shine a light on it. Someone with a DSLR could capture this thing sticking out in INCREDIBLE detail and it would look visually stunning. If you don't have a 4k TV or monitor, I'd suggest heading down to the local Best Buy or whatever and seeing it for yourself in person. The places you travel to shot in HD would be better than National Geographic type shit!
+Exploring Abandoned Mines it is fun and very hazertis many of the same skills used in mine exploration are the same. I think the chance for toxic waste contamination is greater though. The government dumped a lot of bad stuff in them when no one was looking.
Is that winch machinery a 100 years old? Unbelievable it's in such good condition. What's the white paint/coating on it? Appears it's protected it against rust, although it looks like a very dry mine.
It was installed in the early 80s, but was purchased used. I wouldn't be shocked if it were a hundred years old, there's a hundred-year-old converted steam hoist at a mine up the road that we operated a couple years ago.
Subscriber here! Love your vids! What would make them even better is a microphone like this: 3Dio Binaural Microphone. Please get one, i want to hear those creepy mines for real.
![ปฏิเสธไม่ไหว (Crush on you) - LIPTA feat. No One Else [TEASER MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VC689EgdSIw/mqdefault.jpg)
I love architecture, abandoned places, and creepy things. This channel is the perfect combination of those three things.
I was a hoist engineer for several years and our hoist was a Nordberg single drum double cable built in 1922. It looked almost identical to this hoist. It to had wooden brake pads. The wood used was bass wood. Bass is a soft wood but has no knots. It is the wood used by carvers. If you could get that hoist out of the mine you could sell it for about 20 thousand.
1000' down is a long way...I did the Katherine Mine Tour in Cripple Creek Colorado and they take you down 1000' in a small skip! All the wood work in these mines always amaze me! Great video Frank, thanks!
+Rob Farrow Thanks, Robin! Yes, the timbering is always pretty impressive to see. I have never done the mine tour that you mentioned in Colorado but hope to get up there someday to do it.
I caught onto your channel a few weeks ago and I use to try to fall asleep listening to Howard Stern, but now I fall asleep to the calm sounds of lose rock under your feet and your calm explanations. Believe it or not it has been almost therapeutic to me. Thank you sir you've been an asset to conquering my insomnia.
The "Brake pads" were part of a fail-safe system that I just learned about. They're on springs that press them against the rotor held away from the rotor by the action of a solenoid or other actuator that only functions when powered. If the power fails, one of the first things that happens is that the springs force the pads against the rotor to immediately start slowing it down. A rotor that large has a _lot_ of inertia, so thick pads make sense.
Thanks for this informative comment! I appreciate the additional information regarding the brake pads. I’m sure the other viewers do, too. Thanks again for checking out the video and for commenting!
This mine is awesome. It has everything . Thanks guys for taking me there!
It certainly did have a little bit of everything! Thanks, Stan! I appreciate you following along with us in the video.
It's nice to see some of these very old mines are in good shape and not vandalized by idiots! Thanks for sharing.
+tread Marsh This was a very pristine site - no graffiti, no tagging, no trash.
Very intriguing mine with that haulage tunnel plus the vertical shaft. As always nicely done.
+Kevin Dellinger Thanks, Kevin! I think another trip there is warranted based on what we saw during this one.
Always enjoy watching your adventures! In the dark brought a whole new element!
+TrailRecon Thanks, man! Yeah, I like to do an occasional nighttime exploration now and again. It does add a whole new element, as you mentioned. Thanks for commenting and watching!
That was awesome frank thank for the upload and as always stay safe and keep'em coming...
Thanks, Joshua, as always for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
Found your channel today. Love the videos. I work in the mining industry (on the engineering side) and it's always fun to see the old methods. Thanks for sharing!
Also, that gauge at the end would have been to tell the hoistman at what level the conveyance was at on that drum. Old piece of technology but it was reliable enough.
Robert Clarke how long do you think b4 we are mining asteroids?
Hardest part about that is getting people or robots reliably to them and them being able to work in the fraction of gravity the asteroid will have. Also, getting approval from space agencies to do so.
I work for a company the develops the mine. I work in the engineering department but have been on/in several mines as part of my job duties. Haven't actually picked up a miners wrench though.
The timber slide or chute as you call it is in fact used to haul up equipment, explosives and other supplies needed in the stope . normally a single drum air tugger ( winch) would be mounted ether at the bottom of the chute or the top . the cable would run from the tugger up the chute to an anchor and back down to a metal cart known as a pickle boat or skip.
this would be loaded with whatever supplies were needed and hoisted up into or down the chute
Yeah, there's a poor-man's bell sheet at one of the manways for the tugger. They were used extensively in the older shrink stopes here. All the more modern work down the shaft was longhole stoping mucked with slushers, there's one spot with about a 75' wire rope run across an ore pass.
Wow, This one had some heavy duty building material and equipment in it. I love the entrance with the steel pipes, i bet it is pretty strong. Thanks for the adventure!
Thanks, Jim! Yeah, the portico over the portal was pretty unique, I thought. They definitely wanted to minimize the chance of a landslide burying the portal. Interesting, too, how the tunnel makes that hard right-turn just past the portico. I don't think I've ever seen a mine entrance like that.
That was one very interesting mine. Love all the timbering and the hoist mechanism, that looked like a little tlc and it could work again! Thanks for another great vid, keep them coming
+ScubaOz Thanks, man!
the bracing is a thing of beauty. Sweet video. Thanks for sharing.
+Edward Austin They certainly used a lot of it both inside and outside the mine. Thanks for watching, Edward!
Great video, Frank and Michael. What a neat mine! Thanks for your efforts!
Thanks for your ongoing support! You've been a long-time viewer, and I really appreciate that. Looks like you changed your avatar, too! Good to hear from you!
Thank you for sharing this with us. They are great, stay safe most of all.
+Michelle Lenczewski Thanks, Michelle! Always glad to hear when someone is enjoying the videos.
They really wanted to dig for ore in that location to put so much metal strapping and timbering up to reinforce the surrounding walls of the tunnels. At 6:16 what a stope or descent!! The homemade grappling hook was quite a find also! That IS a massive winch at 12:00. Wonder if someone could re-purpose those large winch wells for observatory gears for a large telescope? Thank you Frank and Mike for sharing this video!
Thank you for watching. And commenting! Yes, the abundance of strapping means only thing -- unstable rock overhead! We were careful, though, and passed through quickly and quietly. The grappling hook was an interesting find. It's still there if you want it. haha I like your idea about re-using the winches for an observatory. Clever thinking! Thanks again for commenting and watching. I appreciate your support.
I am glad to see you guys carry protection, not always are abandoned tunnels uninhabited.
Always armed. Always.
Thanks Frank and Micheal, good underground footage, and fond it very interesting the scenes of the winder and associated gear. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Excellent video.
+Garry Stebbings Thanks, Garry! It seems like a lot of viewers enjoyed the footage at the end of the hoist-house and winches. I like how you referred to the winches as "winders." I think that is a better term! Thanks again for watching. Always nice to get a comment from you.
Hi Frank, winder is the term I knew them as from my days working in the mines at both Rossarden and Storeys Creek. Would think the term comes from the mostly English mining heritage we have inherited over here. Having worked on them at times, always interested in seeing different types and styles.
that old winch was pretty cool. I would like to see more of that type of stuff.
+BABA SOWLE Thanks for your comment! If an abandoned mine site does have equipment like the hoist-house and winch, I usually show it. However, a lot of sites no longer have any equipment at them due to removal by previous owners or by vandals. Thanks for your comments and feedback. I will keep it in mind as I'm filming future abandoned sites.
I really enjoyed the last few minutes i find the mechanical parts of the mine most interesting. Thank you for your time and effort.
+LUDO Thank you for your comment. Several other viewers have said that they enjoyed the hoist-house footage as well. I appreciate hearing that because it lets me know what viewers enjoy seeing. That way, I can tailor future videos. It is uncommon, however, to find a hoist-house with a winch like that still in it. I was glad to get it documented on video. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment!
Great vid, Frank. These night time explorations are cozy!
+ReclusiveMountainMan Thanks, Matt! Yes, once in a while I like to head out at night because it changes things up a bit. It's also cooler at night in the desert, too. If I can remember correctly, this particular night was especially dark because the moon had already set not too long after sunset.
that large gauge at the end would show the depth of the skip cart. typically the marking would indicate which level of the mine the cart was at. the operator was essentially working blind and trusted that those marks were accurate. the marks would have to be adjusted over time due to cable stretch or repairs made to the cable that would change the length.
Thanks, Jeffrey, for that information regarding the gauge. I did not look at it closely to see what the markings said that were on it. I'm glad you were able to clarify what the gauge was used for.
Glad I could help, love your videos. Keep up the good work!
Thanks again Frank, just what I needed to perk up my Monday morning! Great video !
Always glad when I can perk up someone's Monday morning! haha Thank you for watching and commenting. So glad to hear that you enjoyed this one.
Great work! What I like about your videos is, that if you don't know you just say I don't know! So many don't have that kind of integrity they just keep guessing or just talk it to death until something else comes up.
They had the brattice built to direct the air, with the door in it. And the curtain hung there.
I really don't know how the aired a place like that. But the craftsmanship was unbelievable. The rod they put in to hold the layers of rock together was a split bolt drove in the rock. Today they have so many different types of roof bolts resins, bolts with screw chucks, Even bolts that are called Super Bolts. I know there system worked but also that's why some of them pulled and broke from the rock. Thanks great video.
Thanks for your comment! You comment often, and I really appreciate that. Yeah, believe it or not, I'm still learning about mining despite having been doing this now for a few years. Former miners like yourself (at least I think you mentioned a while back that you were a former miner) have been really helpful in clarifying some of the things I've shown and talked about in the videos. That is super cool, and I really do appreciate it. I'm sure the other viewers appreciate it, too. I'm just trying to preserve this lost art form of hard-rock mining that really isn't done in this manner these days. Everything is now done via open pits and mechanized miners. Love the history in these old mines, the old technology, and the geology!
As always Frank, another great video! The head frame was certainly impressive and the same goes for that winch. If I remember correctly, the Yellow Jacket Mine in Virginia City has a pretty big head frame still standing, not many of those left. Thanks again for taking us along, it was awesome!
+astral virgin Good to hear from you! Thanks again for watching and commenting. I have never been to Virginia City - yet. Somehow I keep getting sidetracked and ending up in other areas. Yes, headframes are slowly disappearing as they collapse or get deliberately demolished by government agencies. The one in this video was made out of metal, so it may last a little bit longer than the ones that are made out of wood. Let's hope so! Thank you again for following along in the video.
Thanks so much for replying, I really appreciate it! I would love to do what you do, but Northern California doesn't have much in the way of abandoned mines, unfortunately! Stay safe out there!
Glad to see at least one of you carrying a firearm, you never know what you might encounter in these mines. Stay safe.
+Evil GST Actually, both of us were armed that night. You are absolutely correct, though - one never knows what one might encounter out in the middle of nowhere at these remote sites
No hard hat though. Hard hats are for squares.
What a great looking mine, never seen so much metalwork nailing back the rock like that before. I think they now use longer rods and wire mesh to stop the rocks falling. Nice looking timber down there too, a real work of art the guys done of it and for 100years old, not bad at all! Great video Frank!
Hopefully you saw the one part of the video where I showed a large chunk of the tunnel wall still hanging from a section of strapping where it had come out of the wall in a partial collapse. Those rock bolts certainly are no guarantee of preventing a collapse! I would think that the wire mesh and longer rods that you mentioned would be a lot safer than the strapping seen in this video. Thanks, man, for taking the time to watch and comment!
Yes I watched it all. they certainly liked plating the rocks with that! I guess at the time it was a good idea and quicker than timbering it out.
good exploration and video. thanks Frank!
I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Thank you very much!
That was a cool mine.. that hoist was massive, I can't believe how big the cable was, just massive. Thanks Frank for another awesome video as always :)
+turokk1 Certainly glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. Thank you for commenting! Haven't heard from you in a while, so it's good to hear from you again. I appreciate your ongoing support. Yes, the cable was massive. Considering the work that it had to do, it makes sense, though.
Ya I've been busy getting ready to move to a new house. So I get on when I get some free time to watch your videos. Once I get settled things will change lol 👍😀
Thanks Frank, for another great video.
Thank you, Doug! I appreciate the comment.
Brother, that hoist motor and cable assembly was absolutely BADASS!!
It seemed to be in good condition overall. I thought the wooden brake pads were interesting. Might have to get some of those for my car! haha You and I gotta plan another expedition soon before it gets too cold up there!
Hell I'll migrate south for the winter! lol I want to find a big headframe like that, stand at the top while eating a grilled chz-camping style, and throw rocks at old dynamite on the ground!
+ADIT ADDICTS LOL! Grilled cheese sandwiches! Those just weren't any damn old grilled cheese sandwiches - those were gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches! The only thing that would've made them better would have been a couple of swigs from one of your flasks. Yeah, you might have to migrate south in the winter months. Get out of that snow and cold. Paul and I were talking about that the other day and how you should come down here for four days or so this winter. Could show you a lot of awesome stuff, that's for sure!
I'm prepping my wings and feathers as I type this!
I believe that gauge would have told the winder driver when the skip got to the surface.. so when he had men on board he would know when to slow down & to stop. I worked on one of the largest shaft's in Western Australia. Over 1000m deep. Upgraded braking & Hoist Rope Gauges.. plus wheel diameters. Even they had a simple gauge like that. However had seperate man cage to hoist men, than ore.
Thanks for that information! Really helps to clarify what that gauge was used for. I always appreciate it when you miners and former miners contribute comments that either correct or amplify what I'm trying to describe or show. Thanks for your interest and input!
Exploring Abandoned Mines no problems.. it was also used as a gauge to tell you when the skip would be approaching a level. Do you know if that drum had a clutch ? If you can disengage it(or back in the day) then they would have hoisted from different levels ( wind one rope / skip down further or come up one or two levels ) meanwhile the other skip is at the surface disengaged. Until they slip the clutch / winding drum back in.
that was a nice dual drum counterbalanced skip/ore winch. The pedal was definately a brake pedal. One skip goes up one goes down. The hoist operator would sit in the shack and listen for bells or buzzers to tell him where they needed an ore bucket or man skip. Nice find guys. As always be safe.
+Doc McCoy Thanks, Doc! I never would have thought that there would have been two skips in the shaft. I'm glad you pointed that out.
They may have only run one skip. That may be why here was no wire on the other spool. But it is a double drum hoist. After watching the video again when you are in the hoist control room you can only one control for up and down so I do believe they were only running one drum.
If you look at this picture you can see the double drum hoist for men and material at the Bunker Hill mine. You can clearly see the cable on the left drum comes out the top while the cable on the right drum comes out from the bottom. The big round things above the drums are level indicators. One for each drum. The gentleman you see is not the hoist operator, he is in a chair directly behind the beam. www.miningartifacts.org/Main_Hoist_-_Bunker_Hill_Mine_-_Idaho.jpg
If you look in this picture you will see the skip that was operated by that hoist. You can see the second set of tracks with the cable in the center just to the left of the ladder between the skips. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1183223768364471&set=gm.1739179063007948&type=3&theater If this is to much into Frank just delete these post lol.
That gauge you mentioned in the end of the video...tracked mechanically with the winch to let the operator know how much cable was out and the marks represent levels it stopped at, so he could reduce speed and stop in time to align the cart or cage at the correct level opening.
Don't you wonder how they got that huge machinery down into the mine...in pieces, that's how....charlie
If I remember correctly, a couple friends of mine installed that hoist in the early 80s. They had a diesel LHD (load-haul-dump) on the 600 level that was caged down in pieces, and left a drill crawler behind on the 200 East that presumably came down the same way.
@@Porty1119 Incredible the work miners do! Can't think of a single job that requires so much effort and coolness in the head dealing with dangerous things surrounding them.
I dredged in the middle fork of the American River for 2 years straight, we had an 8" & 10" running side by side then but it was the best job I ever had. We called our hole in the bottom of the river our 'Emerald Orfice' because of the color of the water at that depth.
Another fantastic video, great job
That was amazing to see thank you Frank and Michael. :)
RIght on, Richard! Thanks for commenting and watching!
Another excellent video Frank. Something about this mine made it just a little more special, perhaps the relatively pristine condition it was in. Surprised you didn't find more artifacts in there considering how untouched it looked. Loved that headframe and hoist motor house. Hoping you manage to find more of these in your travels. Stay safe mate and thanks again for the vids!
+MrRem7600 There are probably artifacts on the lower levels, but the vertical shaft's ladders were not nailed in place. At least the ladder at the top where we were was not nailed in place. Therefore, we did not want to take a chance climbing down them. I do think there were platforms every 15 or 20 feet or so, but with the top ladder not being firmly anchored it just seemed pretty dangerous to attempt a descent. I thought the shot of the headframe at night while lit up with our lights was kind of cool! Thanks for watching the video and taking the time to comment.
I've descended this shaft with climbing gear. There's a lot of equipment left on the 200 and 300 levels. I'm sure the others have quite a bit too, but we ran out of rope and time. This is one of my favorite mines, especially since I only live about 25 minutes from it!
awesome vid frank. I've never seen a mine entrance that had the immediate right turn downward. keep up the good work and stay safe.
+H Grantham Thanks for your comment! Yes, the immediate right hand turn and constantly sloping downward tunnel was kind of unique.
holy shit, I didn't know they had that sophisticated technology 100 years ago... awesome vid!!
Very impressive timbering. It amazes me at the ingenuity and determination the miners of the 18 and 1900s had. I don't think they get enough credit for what they achieved.
Thanks again Frank, that was interesting. That huge headframe and monster winch indicate a labyrinth of tunnels you fellas may not have seen or been able to access.
There are several vertical shafts at the site. One if 1000 feet deep and the other is 700 feet deep or thereabouts. I was under the impression that the tunnel we were in connected to two of the vertical shafts, but that did not seem to be the case. Yes, I believe there is a lot more there to see if one is willing to descend the nearly-vertical ladders in the shaft that I showed in the video. We would've possibly done that but the ladder was not firmly nailed in place. That was an immediate "no-go." Thanks for watching and commenting, man!
Thanks for doing what you do, most of us do not live in areas that have accessible old mines. I believe it's VERY important to document as much as possible for future generations to see, and that's exactly what you do. Take care
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Placesх
Эзотерика
really cool, was hoping for a peek down the vertical shaft though
Winch was really cool. They must have had a large genset to run that operation. Great video Frank.
Thanks, Bill! I was impressed with how big the cable was on the winch. I really had never looked at winch cable up close like that before. Must've been a noisy, busy place when everything was up and running full-steam.
@ Exploring Abandoned Mines: Frank, that appears to be "Five Wrap Cable" - immagine taking a high tensile 1/4 inch cable and pulling it taut and then wrapping a second 1/4 inch cable in a CLOCKWISE spiral fashion around the first cable; then taking a third 1/4 inch cable and wrapping it in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE spiral fashion on top of the previous wrap; then a third wrap CLOCKWISE; a fourth wrap COUNTERCLOCKWISE; and finally a fifth wrap CLOCKWISE. This way you would have five alternating-direction wraps around a central core. This is done to eliminate "cable twist" which cannot be tolerated in a Mine hoisting cable. Remember, this cable is constantly traveling up & down, wrapping tightly around the Hoist Drum, running over Sheaves, all with a tremendous amount of weight on the bottom end; and if it were allowed to twist, the torsional tensions in the cable would quickly cause the individual fibers in the cable to break and cause a catastrophic failure of the cable, - NOT a good thing, especially if your hauling Men or Explosives in the Shaft. -
Bill, most large Mines had powerlines brought in by a Power Company and only used large gensets for when there was a power failure.
There's grid power up on the ridge; it's the only mine in the greater district that didn't rely on gensets. It did have a big green Joy electric air compressor that's sitting at a laydown yard in town now.
That's a pretty serious piece of machinery! Very nice find, thanks for sharing! Every time I saw Michael though, my mind just went "No helmet, no boots, no nothing!" x) You guys stay safe!
That was my first time out with Mike. I'm sure he is working on obtaining the appropriate gear for future outings. I always have a helmet, boots, and other gear. I can't tell you how many times I have seriously banged my head on overhanging rocks for which my helmet saved me from injury. Thanks for watching the video, man!
it's so fantastic....I love this program ....greatest from costa rica
Hey, Alexandro! Thanks for chiming in from Costa Rica. Really appreciate your comment, and thank you for watching.
Thanks for another great video Frank. Wish i could get out there with you guy's sometime. I get out to northern Nevada when i can but never get a chance to do much underground exploring because im usually by myself. Look forward to your next video. Stay safe.
Thanks, Mike! I've done some solo underground exploring myself but not within the past year. It really isn't a big deal as long as your extremely safety-conscious and have good judgement and have the right gear. Going solo, though, does place limits on what one can do. Thanks again for commenting!
I love your video's!
+gamer guy Awesome comment! Short and to the point. Thanks! Always stoked to hear from enthusiastic viewers like yourself.
That is some fun explorations!
Thank you again
+v1v2x3 Thanks for watching!
Great video! Stay safe man loved ur videos
Thanks, bruh!
thanks for working the nightshfit on this one frank , them walls looked a little spooky though, all them straps.
+1uptospeed Yes, got caught up doing the graveyard shift on this one. Definitely worth it, though! Thanks again for watching and commenting. You've been a long-time supporter of these videos, and I thank you for that!
the cage next to the shaft is an emergency man cage. rather than climb the ladders to get out 1 man would get in and be hoisted to the surface much quicker
I've heard of those type of cages, but the one in this abandoned mine seemed too small to hold a full-grown man. It was big enough for a child, that's for sure, but not big enough for an adult -- at least it looked that way to me. Thanks, Richard, for your comment! I appreciate you contributing to the discussion.
People were smaller then? ture
Every old house I've lived in felt like it was made for children. It seems the majority of people were smaller. Frank, do you know how old the mine is? Could it be possible it was left over from child miner days or am I reaching?
the cage was more likely used with the miners on the outside. 4 to 8 at a time
richard green yea they could houist you child out and your midget wife. But you'd be stuck! It looks like a hobbled together bullshit apperatice. That they fucked together to get a job done!
I'm always impressed at the effort to accomplish all that timbering. It can't be easy to haul the wood in to the mine considering the size of the wood.
+Lane Frank I have assumed that in the mines from the early 1900s, a lot of that lumber was hauled in on the backs of burros. Burro power!
That one deserves a return visit to descend the shaft to lower levels. Also open the closed area behind the yellow tarp. I saw a video from "Exploring Abandoned Mines In BC" where he squeezed through a small opening and discovered a HUGE complex of drifts, shafts and stopes. Nobody had been there for 100 years it looked like.
Good ideas! What I didn't mention in the video was that we think the closed area behind the yellow tarps leads into an area of the mine where there was a big collapse in the early 1900s in which several miners were killed. They rehabilitated that area not too long afterward, but I'm thinking that maybe that walled-off drift from the vertical shaft is where the collapse occurred. Might have to go back there and take a closer look. We weren't able to climb down the ladders that you saw there in the shaft because the first one wasn't even firmly connected to anything. Not sure why it was so loose like that. Being that it was, that was an immediate "no-go."
Right on. I enjoy your videos, seen em all and look forward to the next one. Thanks for sharing!
If your wondering what that "gauge" is outside the operators booth, it's a level or floor gauge....each colored line would represent a level as you go down further in the mine, meaning that vertical shaft goes down a very long distance. Also...that pedal you seen in the booth is indeed a brake actuator, it would have operated either on air or hydraulics to apply pressure on the band brake on each hoist drum. Pretty cool how there were only a few controls...there are some abandoned mines in PA that I've visited that have a ton of buttons and switches and levers to them.
Thanks, Phil, for the information! Makes sense to me! Looks like, according to that gauge, that there are nine levels off of that vertical shaft. That would make sense because I think that shaft is 1000 feet deep or so. There probably is a drift level every 100 feet or so. Lot of coal mines back there in Pennsylvania -- be careful in those! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. I appreciate your support!
Exploring Abandoned Mines: : Thanks and I always am safe to the best of my powers when exploring old abandoned Coal Mines, I take along a few friends and never go it alone. Where I live in Southeast Michigan we don't have anything aside from active salt mines and the only one I know of is located near Rouge River. I believe it's "The Detroit Salt Co." and as far as I can tell they originally had 2 main shafts that go about 1200 feet down to the salt deposits and then expanded the second one so it's a double compartment. One side for the salt and skip car and the other side for the man lift. the original shaft I believe is capped off.
That strapping and the split set type of bolt used to secure it points to mining activity less than 20 years old, possibly even more recent than that.
I was thinking that myself. I might guess 1970s or later, but it's certainly recent.
A friction type bolt used in mining for ground support, check out google for a good explanation and pictures.
@@350munrohome Since that last comment, I've become directly involved with mining in this area. This mine last operated in 1993.
Another amazing video!! thanks Bro!! Tc
+D WRECKOR Carrillo I really appreciate your comment! Thanks!
Does the outside temperature change the ventilation of the mine? Such as night time usually has a lower surface temperature compared to a higher surface temperature at day time.
+Bobby0345 From my experience, it seems that these mines are usually the same temperature inside year round. I have heard, though, that the outside temperature can affect the ventilation of the mine. However, I don't think it's that great of an affect.
What was the power source for all the equipment? I couldn't see any electric motors or controls, but also couldn't see any evidence of steam.
There had been electricity going to the site at one time. I didn't really show the electrical control panels that were to the right of the winches.
This continues to be the coolest channel on the planet. Just living vicariously through these guys.
Is this the Clyde mine in the Clear Creek area of Colorado? I'm reading the history of the Clear Creek Narrow Gauge RR at the moment...
Hey, Brian! Thanks for your comment! I was looking for a way to contact you privately regarding your recent comments, but I don't see a "Send a Message" link on you TH-cam channel nor on your Google+ page. Can you send me a private message here on TH-cam if you're able, and I'll respond to that.
Thanks: Just PM'd you on TH-cam.
11:34 there is a similar Nordberg hoist at the Coal Mine exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. They used to run it but they don't anymore because it shook the whole building!
That’s awesome! It would be something to see and hear one of the hoists in operation. Must’ve been super loud! When we have found some ore carts still sitting on the ore cart tracks in some of these mines and push them along the tracks, we are amazed at how loud even that sound is! Thanks for watching and commenting - I appreciate it!
great video 👍
+upalevel productions Thanks, man! I appreciate the thumbs up.
What a fascinating mine
Awesome video👍🏻 The caged frame you found would have probably been used for shaft inspection and repairs to pipe work, by a person seated in cage. This narrow frame would have been lowered down the ladder side of the shaft hence it being so small.
Awesome, thanks!
I think we need to secure a vast amount of rope and go document these lower lvls! This is a wicked cool video.
I've been down to the 200 and 300, and will eventually get to the 600 (the shaft was backfilled below the 600). There's a lot of interesting stuff down there!
First that says first, Great!
Could that gauge type thing in winch room be weigh scale of some kind I wonder ?
Nice video!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Maria!
Hi. With regards to That Gauge that looks like a clockat the end of the video, i think it was a way for the winch operator to know what level the cart was at.
I have seen a very similar system here in the UK that was used at the Levant tin mine in Cornwall. A mine that actually went out under the seabed of the atlantic ocean. The man engine operator used a gauge like that to know what level the man lift was at.
regards.
Ben
+MrGrunter0 Thanks, Ben, for your comment. Somebody else had already said the same thing in an earlier comment, and I think both of you guys are correct. Wow! I can't believe you have a mine over there that goes underneath the seafloor!
The subway in Montreal also uses wooden brake pads. You can sometimes smell burning wood in the stations.
I had never heard of wooden brake pads before. Always learning new things while doing all of these abandoned mine explorations and documentations. Thanks for contributing that fact about the Montreal subway trains.
Nice one! Do you think there are extensive tunnels deeper down that shaft? That headframe was pretty incredible, must've been a productive mine.
Yes, there are probably extensive drift levels. We would've gone down the ladder but the first one was not nailed to anything in the shaft and seemed very loose.
Why explore at night? Something to do with the temperature or do you just enjoy the extra level of spookiness... ? :-p
Nighttime explorations do tend to be cooler than daytime explorations when out in the desert. Going at night is a fun way to mix things up a bit.
The foot pedal was call a dead man you had to hold it down for the hoist to run and gauge told you what level you were on the steel tubes in the mat we're called split bolt's you drilled I hole them used the jack Hammer and a special tool and drove them in they were wildly used for the 1970 untill present
Hey, Les! Thank you for the information! Sounds like you have a mining background. I always appreciate when you guys post clarifying comments on my videos. I often don’t know what I’m talking about, as I’m sure you have seen. LOL Thanks again for watching and commenting!
Looks like the gauge was used for the different levels of the mine, where drifts are, where main haulage tunnels or stopes were.
This was a busy mine, that's for sure.
Makes me wonder how many abandoned coal mines there are, them being in near-infinite abundance.
If you head on over to the TH-cam channel of Southern New Mexico Explorer, he and a buddy descended the vertical shaft inside this mine on recent trips. He published a video a couple months ago and one about four days ago. He refers to it in the titles as the “Hidden Treasure Mine.“ You might want to check those out if you want to see what’s down those vertical shafts that I was too scared to climb down! There are significant underground workings including HUGE stopes.
Another Good Vid 👏👏 👏
+Steely V1983 Thanks!
The Arizona coral snake's range is only supposed to be in southern Arizona and New Mexico. They are a cousin to the cobra and they fart as a defensive behavior. They stopped making anti-venom and the last vials expired in 2010, so don't get bitten.
clockguy2 Well, then geographically it was in the right place. I’m just glad it was already dead. Thanks for contributing that bit of information about the coral snakes. I appreciate it!
Hi, Guys, I've got to say you're very brave going into these mines,do you ever wonder about earth tremors while your 100's of feet in. You must have nerves of steel. But if it were not for you showing us what it is like in side,no one would ever know.Be safe guys.
Awesome search! I have a question. Do you have to seek permission to search these places and does it vary by state?
Thanks for your comment and question, Abigail! Like most mines, this one is abandoned and located on public land.
Thank you!
Good job!
Grew up in the American southwest and did not know there are coral snakes there - I thought they stayed in Florida.
Chances are the wood brakes re maple - lots of equipment used Maple for rubbing blocks and brakes.
Any idea when the last time that mine was worked?
wow, all that strapping makes me wonder about the stability of the back in there
It sure does!
That's why you always get sent in first, Paul! Hehe
Paul Niblock mats not strapping. Did mining know jargon . just clarifying.
The air must be dry there - everything is very well preserved, almost pristine.
Yes, this mine was pretty dry from what I can remember.
go to bed
What does that mean?
good stuff....your videos take me places I would never get to see. just curious how much time do you spend on average underground at each location
+kevin kidd Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos, Kevin! Thank you for your comment. At this particular mine, we were underground for about three hours or so. We could've spent a lot more time underground had we gone down the shaft where the ladders were. Some abandoned mines you can literally spend 10 or more hours in depending on how much you want to see and how willing you are to take risks. I think the most I have been underground at one time was five hours.
great video like always i can tel you about wood break pad the montreal subway is using wood pad and the pedal was surely what you call the dead man pedal its a safety device in case the operator pass out take your foot off and it stop the winch and put the break on
+ray tru Thanks, Ray, for that information! It really helps shed light on what is being shown in the video. I really appreciate it. Thanks again!
that hoist i close to what the use on drill rigs,but everyone i worked on only had one drum.to cut the wire of that size .we used a tool that had a place to slip on the wire and held the wire . then the tool had a big chisel that up hit with a sledge hammer to cut the wire.the wires has tar wrap around it and in between the wire .this stopped it from rust in wet use.when the wire wears the outside wires start to look flat.the brakes are wood . they are water cool . if they get hot they smell like pine.hope you enjoy the info.
A lot bats in there. And that metal strapping was really something.
Thanks for the comment, Adam! This mine had the most bats in it that I have ever seen.
I work in a mine where we still have those wooden structures to send gear or tools to different levels.
Took me quite a while to figure out what those wooden chutes were used for. Somebody had to explain it to me. I knew they were some kind of device to haul stuff - I just didn’t know what or why.
How was the strapping fitted and formed to the rock?
They use bolts to affix the strapping to the walls and ceiling. I would guess that the metal strapping is then hammered into place so it fits snugly against the curve of the tunnel, etc..
Thanks. Fascinating stuff!
TO WORK DOWN THERE.. WOW
HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET THAT MACHINERY IN THERE?
ALL SO AMAZING THANKS GUYS,
How did they get those large gears and machinery so far down there? This was one of my fav videos so far.
+Michael David Cilantro Some of the big equipment was taken down into the shaft in pieces and then reassembled down there, I would guess.
I've always wondered about those ore shoots, I know from even making Concrete shoots that ore would not slide willingly down those shoots without a sheet metal bottom.
Hey man, your videos are amazing. Can I suggest something? Get someone with a DSLR and a 50 mm 1.4 or 1.2 lens and get some really artsy shots going. Seriously with the places you explore you have so much opportunity to capture these relics and tunnels in some amazing high-def. Also if you filmed/took photos in 4k you could make some videos with the title "Amazing mine shots in 4k" or something. You could make money by monetizing the videos as I bet you'd get STUNNING footage and photos with a 4k capable camera, preferably a DSLR. At like 4:28 in your video, there is a piece of wood sticking out from a wall with a dark cavern shaft in the background and you shine a light on it. Someone with a DSLR could capture this thing sticking out in INCREDIBLE detail and it would look visually stunning.
If you don't have a 4k TV or monitor, I'd suggest heading down to the local Best Buy or whatever and seeing it for yourself in person. The places you travel to shot in HD would be better than National Geographic type shit!
Thanks for the reply its 10 past 10 in England .just going to bed .work in the morning .
Nice explore frank, reminds me of exploring abandoned missle bases back when I had time to do fun things. What was mined there? Be safe brother
Thanks, David! I believe gold was mined here. Going into abandoned missile bases sounds like a good time!
+Exploring Abandoned Mines it is fun and very hazertis many of the same skills used in mine exploration are the same. I think the chance for toxic waste contamination is greater though. The government dumped a lot of bad stuff in them when no one was looking.
Silver with some trace gold. The ore was very high in silica and low in other contaminants so it was sold directly to a nearby smelter as flux.
Good stuff! In the future could you put in the comment what was mined in places like this?
Is that winch machinery a 100 years old? Unbelievable it's in such good condition. What's the white paint/coating on it? Appears it's protected it against rust, although it looks like a very dry mine.
It was installed in the early 80s, but was purchased used. I wouldn't be shocked if it were a hundred years old, there's a hundred-year-old converted steam hoist at a mine up the road that we operated a couple years ago.
Subscriber here! Love your vids! What would make them even better is a microphone like this: 3Dio Binaural Microphone.
Please get one, i want to hear those creepy mines for real.