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Post by John on Feb 23, 2011 7:53:24 GMT -5
In Oz, I was always nervous handling the very large flexible cable that coupled the armoured gate feeder to the transformers, 11Kv!!! It was nicknamed the "Monty Python". I visualized myself being "fried" if it decided to break down where I was holding it.
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Post by John on Feb 23, 2011 10:32:45 GMT -5
I can recall when the two gate transformers were 150Kva, then up to 200Kva, now they talk in Mva! I think each of the two transformers we had at Angus Place in the Longwall were 800Kva each and were only just adequate! (11Kv/1Kv)
When at Boulby, we had standard FLP Brush transformers rated at 600Kva (6.6Kv/1.1Kv) with Brush SF6 HV breakers and sel on the secondary circuit.
Probably talking a foreign language to some of our guests.
sel = Sensitive Earth Leakage.
Kva = Kilo Volt Amperes, ie "watts"
Kv = Kilo volts, ie I.1Kv = 1100 volts.
FLP = Flameproof or to our American friends Explosion Proof.
The Brush SF6 was a high voltage circuit breaker charged with an inert gas to quench arcs, it could be transformer mounted or used as a free standing High Voltage section switch, either singly or mounted to other SF6's as a switchbank.
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Post by tonys on Feb 26, 2011 5:55:22 GMT -5
What kind of terminations were used on 3.3?
In the quarries we used BICC EC2 200A end boxes for both flexible and paper-leads. Tee’s from the header main were Reyrolle automatic earth switches. They were used to supply Rushton RB150 excavators.
(How do I upload an image?)
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Post by John on Feb 26, 2011 8:03:10 GMT -5
What kind of terminations were used on 3.3? In the quarries we used BICC EC2 200A end boxes for both flexible and paper-leads. Tee’s from the header main were Reyrolle automatic earth switches. They were used to supply Rushton RB150 excavators. (How do I upload an image?) Everything is "made up cables" for underground Tony, terminated in plugs with removable pins. |
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Post by John on Feb 26, 2011 8:52:37 GMT -5
What kind of terminations were used on 3.3? In the quarries we used BICC EC2 200A end boxes for both flexible and paper-leads. Tee’s from the header main were Reyrolle automatic earth switches. They were used to supply Rushton RB150 excavators. (How do I upload an image?) To post images or photos other than those from other sites, you will need a Photobucket account or a Flickr Account, both are free!! Upload your photos or images to those accounts and follow these instructions. coalmine.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=haht&action=display&thread=424 |
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Post by tonys on Feb 26, 2011 9:18:13 GMT -5
Were they like these?   As I said in an earlier post, most of our 3.3 gear was mine equipment. Where else could you get 3.3 plugs from along with header tee’s etc. It’s not something you order off the shelf from the average supplier. A quarry has to work to the same regs as mine surface workings, the gear and cable we needed for the excavators was readily available as mine Ex equipment. One beauty of the gear being Ex it was pretty well water tight! |
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Post by John on Feb 26, 2011 9:27:48 GMT -5
Were they like these? As I said in an earlier post, most of our 3.3 gear was mine equipment. Where else could you get 3.3 plugs from along with header tee’s etc. It’s not something you order off the shelf from the average supplier. A quarry has to work to the same regs as mine surface workings, the gear and cable we needed for the excavators was readily available as mine Ex equipment. One beauty of the gear being Ex it was pretty well water tight! Yep similar to those, when I started my apprenticeship, we had 3.3kv, 100/200 and 300 amp rated plugs for armoured cables. Then later standard 6.6kv ends and then the big 11kv ends. 550 volt armoured cables used the sam plugs rated for 3.3kv. |
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Post by tonys on Mar 1, 2011 15:20:08 GMT -5
Just out of curiosity what did you fill the couplers with? We used Trinidite hot compound. You couldn’t use that underground.
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Post by John on Mar 1, 2011 15:47:01 GMT -5
A two part cold pouring compound Tony, one large can, about the size of a large paint can, and a small can around about half a pint or so. There was room in the large can to pour the small's contents in, then stir it with a large screwdriver until the colour was consistent, the mix got hot due to chemical reaction, then fill the couplers up. One can would do one half coupler.
3M had one we used in Australia that we used on jointing HT cables. It was a two part resin in plastic pouches, the two parts were in the same plastic pouch with a seal between them you broke. If it was a cold roadway, you stuck a couple of pouches under your clothes to warm them up whilst you repaired the cable and fitted the bronze shell.
Then when done you broke the seal and mixed the contents of the plastic pouch by massaging it. When it was hot, it went into a device like a grease gun, snip one corner off then pump the compound into the couplers shell.
We also did temporary repairs to trailing cables at one time, but they must be in a section that's not disturbed. That was using a 3M Scotchcast. Eventually, the Inspectorate banned those repairs. Cables had to go outside and be vulcanised correctly. As far as I was concerned, they were perfectly safe until such time we could change the cable out for a fresh one.
I did a Scotchcast on the shearer cable one night, on the section in the main gate cable carrier. Perfectly safe and was actually stronger than the cable itself.
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Post by tonys on Mar 2, 2011 7:08:00 GMT -5
I’ve used both scotch cast and the two part bags. The bags were OK until you pulled the seal and the bag split. Scotch did a heat shrink-wrap around bandage for repairing outer servings, I’m surprised you didn’t use them.
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Post by John on Mar 2, 2011 11:03:43 GMT -5
I’ve used both scotch cast and the two part bags. The bags were OK until you pulled the seal and the bag split. Scotch did a heat shrink-wrap around bandage for repairing outer servings, I’m surprised you didn’t use them. Heat shrink wraps wouldn't be allowed on trailing cables with sheath damage Tony, that's why we used Scotchcasts, besides where would you get the heat to shrink "shrink wraps"  The trailing cable repairs I made were classed as in a hazadous area, ie within 300 feet of a working faceline. IN the UK, damaged trailing cables had to be taken out of service right away under the M&Q Act, sent to the surface as soon as possible and repaired in an approved manner in an approved cable repair workshop. When I worked at BG's Marblaegis Mine near East Leake, we repaired our own trailing cables, had our own "cooker" (vulcanising machine) We'd repair on average six a month. That included locating internal faults, repairing severe external damage etc.. I could fit a plug blindfolded in minutes to a trailing cable. Biggest culprits were the Secoma drill rig drivers when flitting from one heading to another heading. |
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Post by shropshirebloke on Mar 2, 2011 17:58:05 GMT -5
I can remember working on a haulage team on afternoons and being sent to fetch a replacement shearer cable on the promise of an "early note". Looped in figures of eight in three coffin dans if I remember correctly. We got it there ASAP then got to pit bottom at the speed of light, riding the dirt on the belts (loco road belt was scary coz it went into a 200 ton bunker, with the belt about 15' up and no stepping off point - manriding wasn't allowed on the loco road). Fair enough, they put the gates on the cage for manriding (afternoons didn't see that much traffic) so we got to the bank about 2 hours earlier than usual. Raced through the baths.........then realised that unless I fancied a five mile walk I'd still got to wait for the pit bus or one of my mates with a car.....so I sat in the canteen for two hours.
Funny how I can still remember this sort of stuff like it's on HD video, but I can't be too sure where I left my keys...
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Post by John on Mar 2, 2011 18:27:13 GMT -5
I can remember working on a haulage team on afternoons and being sent to fetch a replacement shearer cable on the promise of an "early note". Looped in figures of eight in three coffin dans if I remember correctly. We got it there ASAP then got to pit bottom at the speed of light, riding the dirt on the belts (loco road belt was scary coz it went into a 200 ton bunker, with the belt about 15' up and no stepping off point - manriding wasn't allowed on the loco road). Fair enough, they put the gates on the cage for manriding (afternoons didn't see that much traffic) so we got to the bank about 2 hours earlier than usual. Raced through the baths.........then realised that unless I fancied a five mile walk I'd still got to wait for the pit bus or one of my mates with a car.....so I sat in the canteen for two hours. Funny how I can still remember this sort of stuff like it's on HD video, but I can't be too sure where I left my keys... I know just what you mean, now where the hell are my glasses?? ;D I didn't live far from my first pit, but when it closed ended up at Cotgrave, wasn't that far as the crow flies, but double or more that distance by road. I'll relate a couple of tales on the Cotgrave thread later... |
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Post by tonys on Mar 5, 2011 6:06:38 GMT -5
Getting cables in to place was a matter of chucking the couplers in the back of the van and tying the cable to the tow bar OK until you get an idiot like me driving! Swing around a corner and the cable wraps around a stop sign. So I’m now driving towards the face with the cable and stop sign in tow, closely followed by one very irate quarry manger!
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Post by John on Mar 5, 2011 7:58:39 GMT -5
Getting cables in to place was a matter of chucking the couplers in the back of the van and tying the cable to the tow bar OK until you get an idiot like me driving! Swing around a corner and the cable wraps around a stop sign. So I’m now driving towards the face with the cable and stop sign in tow, closely followed by one very irate quarry manger! A bit like that at BG, only we looped the trailing cable around the pipe vise on the back of the tractor and dragged it back to the shop for repair. |
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Post by tonys on Apr 2, 2011 9:31:59 GMT -5
I was driving an old 1950’s Bedford Iron Side van, 2.5 straight six, crash gearbox. It was a wreck, but still capable of 30 PMH with 200 yards of cable in tow!
It’s what I learnt to drive in. I had to take driving lessons. Not to learn drive, but to get out of my bad habits before taking my test!
P.S. I passed my test first time after 2 lessons.
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Post by John on Apr 2, 2011 10:31:31 GMT -5
Installed 1929 You say you worked for Wilson Ford. I met Blaze Ford when we had problems at Stanton Iron Works with a 2000hp motor. He was helpful, but it took me another 6 weeks to get to the bottom of the problem. I missed this one, sorry Tony. The only two Fords I knew was Arthur, who had started the company way back when they were housed in the Lace Market opposite St Mary's Church, later the premises were used by Ranby and Key rewinds. And I knew John Ford, Arthur's Son, he used to be married to Sally Shipstone, Daughter of the owner of the old Shipstones brewery. Fords are still at the same place in Old Basford, Nottingham. |
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Post by tonys on Apr 3, 2011 8:58:49 GMT -5
Wilson Ford went through a rough time a few years back, to the stage that we took back a motor they had in storage for us before the receivers moved in. I think they went under.
Blaze Ford was the son of the founder, a very clever bloke. But not able to sort out our problem at the time. It took me months to sort the fault out.
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Post by John on Apr 3, 2011 9:29:13 GMT -5
Arthur started the company in the late 1940's as an electrical contractor, someone did tell me years ago how the Wilson side came into it, but too long ago now to recall.
I worked there in the early 70's and John Ford, Arthur's Son was in charge of the company with Arthur dropping by once a week. Pleasant elderly man.
John was alright too, I recall on very hot and humid summer days, he'd go out and buy a load of ice lollys/icecreams etc for all the shop floor workers.
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Post by tonys on Apr 12, 2011 1:48:05 GMT -5
There’s every chance Blaze was John’s son then. The company did go under in the early 2000’s. A company based on the original Stanton site took the factory in Baseford over after they were forced out by rent rises at Stanton.
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The trailing cable repairs I made were classed as in a hazadous area, ie within 300 feet of a working faceline.