Australia is the dry continent? Wrong! Sometimes it gets very wet - like 2007/08. A day ago, the Central Queensland city of Mackay had a quick shower - well, it only lasted 6 hours. It also dumped 600mm of rain, or 24 inches, during that time and the town went under. Dot's cousin Stan lives there and we received an email message from him two days ago before the event. We don't know if he has lost his home or not.
We also own a coal loader at Dalrymple Bay just north of Mackay, but have yet to hear if it was damaged! Maybe Australia should start some programs in Ark building. It could even come in useful in Armidale, despite our being 3200 feet asl. Three days ago it poured here and the town was cut in two.
AS
2 comments:
I was fascinated to know what a 'coal loader' was but alas we are left guessing!
Richard.
U.K.
A coal loader does precisely that! Australia has massive coal reserves for which there is high demand everywhere from North Asia (China, Japan, Korea) to Europe. It's hauled to various specialist ports around the country and there loaded automatically aboard large ships.
The one we own(!), via a direct shareholding, at Dalrymple Bay in North Queensland is essentially a very long (c. 1.5 km) jetty which whisks coal from stockpiles (of different quality) directly into ships' holds. It's a fast process and one can see the ship berth and then sink slowly lower under the weight of the coal. It then departs, to be replaced by another vessel from among the up to 40 waiting their turn off-shore!
The delivery of the coal to stockpiles is also completely automated. Immensely long trains arrive from the mine areas c. 200 km or more inland and drop their loads while on-the-run. The trains don't stop and the wagons discharge their loads at the appropriate point according to the quality of the coal. The coal is then transported by conveyor belt to the right stockpile. The wagons arer also loaded automatically at the mine on the move, so the train is almost in perpetual motion along a track with loops at both ends!
The mining is itself almost completely automated with vast open-cut pits. It's not an under-ground job and therefore much safer. If you visit us, I can arrange a visit to such a mine and maybe even a coal loader.
AS
AS
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