Page 21 - Gordon Nash: DOSCO Miner Introduction

ISSUE : Issue 42

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1986/6/1

price for big lump coal. So to start with, they didn't want a machine which chewed up the coal. But about that time, the coal started to be used for power plants. And power plants pulverized the coal. So it wasn't a disadvantage, as you say, chewing up the coal. The coal was chewed up and then fell onto a conveyor. (Silver's prototype--was it developed for the longwall?) No. That's a good point. Our company, Joy Manufacturing, bought it. At that time there was no longwall in the United States. They were only interested in room-and-pillar. The main reason for that was because they had wonderful seams of coal in the United States. Most of their seams were flat. And room-and-pillar was very easy for them. They didn't have to go submarine. There was no need for longwall. (And the Silver was developed.oo) For room-and-pillar. And we made--the Joy Manufacturing Company made--I think they made 30 to start with. And they put them in different parts of the United States. Now, enter Harold Gordon and some of the mining engineers, and we let them know a- bout this development. See, after all, this is why Harold Gordon decided to manu? facture this machine--he went over to Britain and he couldn't find suitable ma? chines. Although they had a lot of long- wall, he wasn't satisfied with their ma? chines . And (he) went down to Pittsburgh and negotiated with the Joy Manufacturing Company. Mr. Gordon said, "I don't want a room-and-pillar one. I want one for long- wall/' And the Joy Company said, "Well, really, we're not too much interested in longwall anyway." So they finally sawed it off and said to Mr. Gordon, "Ybu go ahead and redesign the machines for longwall, and we will help you all we can to get the thing on the way. And if it's a success, perhaps we'll all participate." So it was redesignedo And this was a com? plete Nova Scotia development. Because it was manufactured in the Trenton Steel Works. It was redesigned by Mr. John Rus? sell, the chief mechanical engineer, under the guidance of Harold Cordon. Nearly all the designers except one, who was a French? man from Quebec, were local people. And it was put into service. And after quite a few modifications, it became a standard for the company. (The standard?) Well, they converted all their longwalls for use with the Dosco Miner. (I ask you about that because it seems re? markable to me that a company whose busi? ness is coal mining should go into manufac? turing of mining equipment. I understand buying the machinery--but that they would work at adapting and actually manufactur? ing. Does that seem unusual to you, or was that common?) No, you're absolutely right. Completely right. Very few companies would ever do that. Well, a coal company, they usually sit back and let manufacturers come up with their designs. But in this particular case, Harold Gordon didn't have a suitable machine. And the only way he could get it was to be redesigning it him? self. He was pushed into it. (And the Dos? co shareholders let him do it?) Well, he was able to sell the idea, that's right. And for 10 years, the Dosco Miner was a leader in the coal mechanization in the world. As local manager, I got visitors from Australia, Japan, France, India. These people all came because it was a leader in the world. Now everybody's a- shamed of it. Victorian Furniture All Famous Btands: Gibbard, Super Style Chesterfield Co. JOHN CUNNINGHAM LTD. Draperies and Home Furnishings 602 GEORGE ST. * SYDNEY Custom Made Draperies or Fabric by the Yard or the Meter Tourist Brochures 6c Colour Printing A Specialty PRINTERS LIMITED 180 TOWNSEND STREET, SYDNEY, N.S. TELEPHONE (902) 5646245 Highland Heart Canteen Hardware * Fresh Groceries * Souvenirs Magazines * Everyday Needs * Paint * Drugs Fruit & Vegetables * Fishing & Hunting Licenses Open Dally, and Sunday Afternoons DINGWALL 383-2640 (21)

Cape Breton's Magazine