[Crossbones]

Cross--

The pictures were great (somehow--I missed them the first time).

I do have some more questions:
*What type of initial training does a miner receive? (Is it apprentice type work or classroom study type stuff?)
*In the roofbolt pictures--what is the purpose of a roofbolting? Is this how they keep the ceiling stable (please excuse my stupidity here).
*What do they use to start cutting out the mine? (Is it similar to a self miner? I could kind of see how that would make some sense?)
*Low long does it take to initally cut a mine?
*Do they always put tracks in through the mines for the machinery?

*And lastly--what is it like in a mine? Dusty, cold, damp?

Again--thanks. I really appreciate it. Showing me the website just made me more curious (and also a great deal more respectful of what you guys do)

To touch on what the Tribe stated.
1.Initial training is required to work in a coal mines, it is generally a 48 hour class (class room work). It will give you a bacis understanding of what goes on underground. It is required and you cannot enter until completed. At that time you can work underground but cannot operate any equipment for 90 working days, usually longer. During the 90 days you would be trained on the equipment or doing actual manual type labor.
2. Roof bolts are steel rods ranging anywhere from 36" to 12' long and are put into the rock above the coal seam after it is removed. The purpose is to hold the rock in a beam like manner over your head. Believe me, it does work. Yes falls do happen, but the theory is very sound. There are metal plates usually 8"x8" at the head of the bolt kinda like a big washer which will hold up any scaley type rock called drawrock. Something to think about. Roofbolter operators walk where no other man has ever walked before. They are the first person to step there. Kinda cool.
3. If you are refering to a new mines started from the outside. It will be faced up using dozers and endloader until there is a face of coal infront of you. Then the continuous miners will cut out the coal, usually 20' wide and anywhere from 20' to 35' deep and however high the coal seam is. After the cut is made the miner will back out and the roof bolter will move in and put up the roofbolts. Usually in a pattern of 4 in a row and 5 to 7 rows deep. Then the process starts over again.
3. If you are refering to 1 cut of coal it usually takes about 25 to 35 min. to complete for the roofbolter to take over. A very good producing mine will average about 18 cuts shift. Meaning they cut about 550 producably foot of coal a shift. That averages to about 4000 tons of coal a shift.
4. No not all mines put track in. ( the kinda track on a railroad) Some of the smaller companies do not because it is a great expense. Most larger companies do and it is used to transport the workers around in the mine and to haul the supplies and equipement if needed. The equipment is mobil and can move on there own wheels or tracks like on a dozer.