BrokenTrack
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2018
- Messages
- 1,551
- Location
- Maine
- Tractor
- Tractors, Skidders, Bulldozers, Forestry Equipment
In that picture you will notice a few other things.
1. We remove so little out of the pit (it is only 8 acres in size), that by the time we get back to digging more gravel out, the overburden has slumped, and you end up spending quite a bit of time digging that stuff out so you can get to the good gravel. That was what I went down there to do yesterday.
2. The water table is really close to the surface. Test borings show the gravel goes down to a depth of 32 feet, BUT the water table is only down ten feet. I can go below the water table because this pit was started prior to 1970 when gravel pit laws were established, so I am fine there, but I need a long-boom excavator, or a dragline to get it out. I really, really, really, really want a dragline!
3. We sold this pit to the Federal Government in 1932 and then bought it back in 1946, and in using the gravel for the local roads and the CCC Boys during the depression, they used front-shovels (also called steam shovels, but with gas engines). because of the way they scoop gravel, they cannot dig below the level of the tracks. They also scoop in, and then up, which pushes the overburden up and out in big piles. This is what makes the numerous burrow pits even worse. The machines also were small in size, no more than 5/8 of a cubic yard, so when they hit a rock, they thought it was ledge, and just started digging somewhere else.
4. This gravel is glacier-melt so there is no more to find. It is just an 8 acre pocket of gravel, so while I have had many contractors want to use the pit, for me it has more value as my own use. If a contractor wanted a few loads to save on trucking, I would not care, but that is not what they want. If they haul in loaders, they want to dig thousands of cubic yards out, and I really do not want that. As I said, it has been there for awhile, and is not going to rot, so I am no hurry to sell it at a mere $2 a cubic yard.
1. We remove so little out of the pit (it is only 8 acres in size), that by the time we get back to digging more gravel out, the overburden has slumped, and you end up spending quite a bit of time digging that stuff out so you can get to the good gravel. That was what I went down there to do yesterday.
2. The water table is really close to the surface. Test borings show the gravel goes down to a depth of 32 feet, BUT the water table is only down ten feet. I can go below the water table because this pit was started prior to 1970 when gravel pit laws were established, so I am fine there, but I need a long-boom excavator, or a dragline to get it out. I really, really, really, really want a dragline!
3. We sold this pit to the Federal Government in 1932 and then bought it back in 1946, and in using the gravel for the local roads and the CCC Boys during the depression, they used front-shovels (also called steam shovels, but with gas engines). because of the way they scoop gravel, they cannot dig below the level of the tracks. They also scoop in, and then up, which pushes the overburden up and out in big piles. This is what makes the numerous burrow pits even worse. The machines also were small in size, no more than 5/8 of a cubic yard, so when they hit a rock, they thought it was ledge, and just started digging somewhere else.
4. This gravel is glacier-melt so there is no more to find. It is just an 8 acre pocket of gravel, so while I have had many contractors want to use the pit, for me it has more value as my own use. If a contractor wanted a few loads to save on trucking, I would not care, but that is not what they want. If they haul in loaders, they want to dig thousands of cubic yards out, and I really do not want that. As I said, it has been there for awhile, and is not going to rot, so I am no hurry to sell it at a mere $2 a cubic yard.
Had to pick it out after every bucket load but called and complained and was able to get the 3" crusher for almost half price. While i saved money there (i was going to get the 3" either way), it wont be much of a saving if i end up with a flat tire. I didnt take any photos yet because right now its just all soupy clay im dealing with but its nice out today so I may take some photos of the muddy mess..
