A Tour of Kelly Mine
Kelly Mine worked the deposits of ore on three levels from adits, although there are older workings than records document. The old shaft shown on the plan and nearby collapse represents one such working. A shaft working is fairly unusual for 'Shiny Ore' mines since this type of working is not self-draining, and incurs the added expense of pumping.
The mined ore was passed down through the levels to the bottom adit or Main Tramming Level, where it was loaded into wagons and sent out of the mine. The wagons were pulled up the inclined tramway using the winch located in the Machine Shed.
The Machine Shed
The upper portion of the Dressing Shed contains the machinery used to power the mine. The turbine supplied power for the cross-shafting and thence the winch, compressor , crusher and classifier. During the dry summer months, when there was insufficient water to run the turbine, the Blackstone Oil Engine was used.
- A - Turbine Pipeline
- B - Compressed Air Receiver
- C - 0il Tank
- D - Blackstone Oil Engine
- E - Winch
- F - Ingersoll-Rand Air Compressor
- G - Turgo Impulse Turbine
- H - Early Waterwheel Pit
The
Dressing Shed
This is the area where the ore from the mine was crushed
to liberate the valuable material, washed and settled in
tanks.
- I - Four Head of Californian Stamps
- J - Screw Classifier
- K - Ore Washing Boxes and Sand Strips (also outside shed)
- L - Settling Tanks
- M - Slimes Tanks
The Miners
Dry
This building contained the comforts for the cold, wet
miners when they returned to surface at the end of the
shift. The interior of the Dry is insulated and has a
stove with boiler, supplying hot water to the sink for
washing and to the heating pipes around the walls. The
miners could change here, although they must have been
unpopular with their houseproud wives as the 'Shiny Ore'
was difficult to remove as it adheres to clothing and
boots, and deposits itself everywhere.
- N -Washing Sink
- O - Stove and Boiler
- P - Water Tank for
Sink and Boiler
The Drying
Shed
The wet concentrate was shovelled out of the settling
tanks into wagons and trammed across to the Drying Shed
to be dried and packed into barrels.
- Q - Furnace producing hot fumes which heated the drying floor
- R - Heated drying floor
- S - Waterwheel to run ore elevator and trommel
- T - Ore elevator and trommel (rotary brush sieve)
- U - Blacksmith's Shop which contained a portable smithy used to sharpen drill bits
- V - Scales Room with
scales for weighing the barrels of concentrate
From here the barrels were
rolled out to the loading bay in front of and to the side
of the mine office, to await removal to Lustleigh railway
station.
The original mine office was of light wooden construction
and decayed beyond repair. This area has been cleared and
a replacement office constructed.