K r iia lr P i t a n d M o n o - R o ll H o is t S p e e d W o r k in .J erm y n C o llie r y
S
IX years ago T he H udson Coal Co. threw off the restraints of tradition by relieving the operating departm ent of th e responsibilities of equipment m aintenance. Even without the testim ony of the cost sheets it is apparent th at this system of managem ent and the new m ain
tenance m ethods which have been inaugurated un der it have been abun
dantly successful in reducing delays and in lowering the labor of m ain
tenance. F o r instance, because of fewer breakdowns it has been possible to reduce the force in the electrical
departm ent of the central repair shop from 34 to 18 men.
M aintenance and construction have been rightly placed under one head, because for many of the maintenance jobs the equivalent of a construction crew is required and because with this arrangem ent a type of installa
tion is likely to be erected which will operate with m inim um trouble. T he tie-up is m ade m ore complete by having the electrical engineer, the mechanical engineer and the superin
tendent of maintenance and construc
tion all report to one head— namely
the chief electrical and mechanical engineer—who in tu rn reports to the operating vice-president. Design, in
stallation and m aintenance all fall to the same departm ent, the head of which thus has no alibi.
F o r each division, consisting usually of one colliery, m aintenance forem en are appointed. T his forem an looks a fte r all equipment. All mechanical and electrical workm en, including the wiremen in the mines, rep ort to their respective m aintenance foremen.
These foremen, who reside at the various collieries, report to the superintendent of m aintenance and construction, who has an office in Scranton but whose time, together with that of his two assistants, is spent largely in the field. All col
lieries are accessible by improved road, arid the farthest is only 28 miles from Scranton.
Except for hoisting ropes, general inspectors of equipm ent are no longer employed. Instead it has been found preferable to have the inspections m ade by the local m aintenance fo re
man who can immediately take action to rem edy any faulty conditions that inspection may have revealed.
Each m onth the electrical m ain
tenance forem an m ust fill out a standard form on which he lists every item of equipment under his ju risd ic
tion. W here any faults are noted he appends an approxim ate date on which the deficiency will he corrected.
W here there is too much equipment for the one man to see, he is helped by an assistant upon whose eyes he can depend.
O ther m onthly reports subm itted by the electrical m aintenance forem an include: m eter readings; changes in total a.c. and d.c. connected loads ; equipm ent items received, shipped aw ay or relocated, and total m an- hours and the am ount chargeable to each of thirteen different types of
6 1 8 C O A L A G E [ N I N T H M O D E L M I N I N G N U M B E R ] V O L . 3 4 , N O . 1 0
T O A V O ID D O IN G JOBS th at would never have had to be done h ad a little attention been given to trifling m aladjustm ents when they first occurred, to avert break
downs th at inevitably slow down operation if m achinery is not inspected, to preserve the life an d usefulness of m achinery, T h e H udson Coal Co. has laid stress always and everywhere on M A IN T E N A N C E . T h e slogan is
“Care Before T rouble” instead of “C onsternation A fter T rouble.”
O ne o f th e U n e C row T ru ck « O u t o n t h e J o b
L e f t — O v e r h a u lin g : M e n u s R e b u ild in g :
a L o c o m o t iv e
R ig h t — S t o r a g e - B a t t e r y L o c o m o t iv e L ea v in g : C e n t r a l S h o p A f t e r O v e r h a u lin g :
L e f t — W o r n L o c o m o t iv e a t L e f t R e a d y t o E n t e r t h e E l e c t r i c a l S h o p a n d O v e r h a u le d L o c o m o t iv e a t t h e R i g h t L e a v i n g “ L ik e N e w “
O C T O B E R , 1 9 2 9 [ T H E H U D S O N C O A L C O M P A N Y ] C O A L A G E 6 1 9
E a c h C o llie r y I s E q u ip p e d W ith I n d ic a tin g : I n s t r u m e n t s ; P o r t a b le G r a p h ic M e t e r s A r e B o r r o w e d
F r o m S c r a n t o n O ffice E q u ip p e d W ith W a i s c l i a r e t V a lv e
G e a r to R e d u c e M a in t e n a n c e
O v e r h a u le d L o c o m o t iv e W ith S h o p B u ild in g s in B a c k g r o u n d
L o o k in g D o w n A is le in M a c h in e S h o p
R e p a ir e d B r e a k e r R o l l s in M a t e r i a l Y a r d a t P r o v i d e n c e R e p a ir S h o p
6 2 0 C O A L A G E [ N I N T H . M O D E L M I N I N G N U M B E R ] V O L . 3 4 , N O . 1 0
equipm ent. T he m aintenance fo re
m an of mechanical equipm ent m ust subm it a report of m an-hours divided under 45 equipm ent heads. In both the electrical and mechanical reports the m an-hours are divided under each
tant ropes his inspections include calipering as an indication of in
ternal condition. H e, w ith his two assistants, personally supervises the installation of new hoisting ropes and the socketing of ropes that are sh o rt
ened or otherw ise changed.
O n inside m aintenance the mining departm ent drills the holes fo r the suspension of trolley-w ire hangers and other electrical conductors, but takes no fu rth e r responsibility for the less skilled in detecting dangerous roof conditions than employees ap
pointed by the colliery superintendent.
P atchw ork is not tolerated in ball-bearing assembly is installed.
W heels and gears of electric loco
motive trucks are not reconditioned at the colliery. A gainst the need for tired wheels, depending upon the-type of equipm ent used and the service, each division following a regular schedule in the care of locomotive arm atures and stationary m otors. F o r instance, at the O lyphant division locomotive arm atures are removed, cleaned, baked and painted at regular plete overhauling in accordance with a prearranged schedule, but steam lo ard-gage locomotives, the mechanism is outside the wheels where it can be
laneous gray-iron parts, mostly spe
cials, including odd lengths of flanged the tolerances allowed in machining.
T h ere was a time when gears for tipples and breakers were considered
"good enough” even if they were equipm ent m anufacturer all armature and stato r coils except “so ft” coils. reports to the superintendent of main tenance and construction, and th superintendent of the other depart m ents of the central shop reports t the mechanical engineer. As hot the superintendent of maintenanc and construction and the mechanic
O C T O B E R , 1 9 2 9 [ T H E H U D S O N C O A L C O M P A N Y J C O A L A G E 6 2 1
Kugrfired T r o l l e y - U n e C o n s tr u c t io n a t C lin to n C o llie r y