REEFTON MECHANISED PRODUCTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 April 1946, Page 2

REEFTON MECHANISED PRODUCTION

■ COAL OUTPUT SPEEDED UP

(O C ) REEFTON, April 12. ‘A new chapter in the history of production of coal in the Reefton district has been commenced by the employment at Eklund and Party’s open-cast coal mines in the Waitahu section of a Diesel power-driven shovel.

Imported from England, the new machine, which commenced work a week ago, is the first power-diiven shovel to be permanently opei a ted on the Reefton coalfield. It is a Smith excavator type of caterpillar tractoi. The shovel weighs 11 tons and has a three-eights of a yard bucket. It can travel along a road or a track on its own power and can swing in a complete circle. The machine will rill a four-ton motor truck in six minutes'. Attachments have been provided ioi work as a grab, a dragline excavatoi and for the clearing of overburden from a coal face. . The shovel at present is in the largest open-cast mine in the Heeiton coal mining area. This is o cut in the open hillside of about 100 lest in height and over 400 feet wide. Seventy feet of this face is solid coal. Five motor trucks are used in con 7 junction with the shovel, and they shift 20 tons of coal in each trip to the loading bank at the Reefton F 31 1" way station four miles away. Lacn trip fills two and a-half railway waggons. Some 150 tons ol coal pei day is produced from the mine, ana it is understood a much larger output would be available if sufficient rai r“ way wagons were provided. The ID men employed at the mine often lose two hours’ work a shift owing to this lack of wagons. . i . , The new shovel is being used at present to clean up several isolated blocks of coal on the floor of the mine. These would have been too costly to work by hand and each contains thousands of tons of coal. When completely developed, the coal lace will be worked on the bench system. The over-burden, which is about 20 feet thick, will be sliuced off under pressure. The water is provided by a dam in the hills close to the face. Some coal is also sluiced down for loading, but this method will not be in general use. When the benches are cut the coal will be loaded direct into the motor-trucks for transpol t to the railhead. The new installation should result in a heavy increase in the weekly tonnage consigned from Reefton.

WAITAHU GOLF CLUB There was a record attendance at the recent annual meeting of the Waitahu Golf Club, presided over by the president, Mr. E. Patterson. The annual report showed a considerable increase in the membership. The balance sheet showed the club to be in a very sound financial position. The following officers were elected: —President: Mr. E. Patterson; vice-president: Mr. R. Yellowlees; club captain: Mr. P. J. Gallagher; Dept. Club captain: Mr. D. E. McVicar; hon secretary and treasurer: Mr. C. D. Doyle; Hon Auditor: Mr. H. Lee jnr.; committee: Messrs J. Pfahlert, T. Gilmer, F. Watts, F. Collis, W. J. August and A. Turner. At a subsequent meeting of th@> committee the following sub-com-mittees were appointed: Match committee: Messrs P. J. Gallagher; D. E. McVicar and C. D. Doyle. Greens committee: Messrs E. Patterson, T. Gilmer and J. Pfahlert. Handicapper: Mr. R. Yellowlees. Opening day was held last weekend and the best cards returned in a nine hole Canadian foursome were: Mr. and Mrs. August 45/12/33; A. Turner and Miss King 47/8/39; Mr. and Mrs. Reichenbach 58/15/43.