No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

Urban exploration in Missouri
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Headframe Hunters
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No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

Post by Headframe Hunters »

This operation was worked from an undetermined date to around 1996. It was then reopened for short period about five years ago, worked with a few front-end loaders and a portable plant. The plant still on-site dates back to the older operating period. I think MODOT may still use the stockpiled material on the north side of the mine, but cannot confirm this.

We actually did this one over a period of two days; the first time was on the way back from running errands and I was not dressed for exploring. Gym shorts and mines are very much incompatible!

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Sign board near the entrance to the pit


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The old No. 11 plant; this produced sand and crushed stone. The tall structure in the center seems to have been a secondary jaw crusher


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Sand screws in the old plant - these dewatered, washed, and classified sand


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Huge electric motors on the secondary crusher


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What looks to have been the primary crusher and dump bin - my fiancee climbed the steel retaining wall to the right; I walked up the ramp :lol:


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The plant as seen from the primary crusher - a ramped haulage road led up to here to allow trucks or loaders to dump directly into the crusher


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Water truck and storage shed just west of the old plant


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I believe this dragline bucket was used to mine unconsolidated sand from an embankment on the east side of the mine


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Overview of the mine from near the cemetery
In loving memory of Nichole - 12/4/1996 -- 12/1/2017

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archinstl
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RE: No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

Post by archinstl »

It still amazes me, as a former small business-person (operated a bicycle store for 30 years in StL), how so much steel material (and machines) can simply be abandoned.
Do they have no value in scrapping?
Of course, this particular site is not alone.
What am I missing?
At least one would think the metal could be recycled? That would seem to be some bucks?
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Headframe Hunters
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RE: No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

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When shreddable scrap steel is only bringing a few cents per pound, I guess the cost of removing the equipment and hauling it to a scrapyard exceeds its scrap value. Especially when you consider needing to manually dismantle equipment, load it into trucks, and possibly use an acetylene torch to cut larger structural members, I could see labor costs adding up very quickly.
In loving memory of Nichole - 12/4/1996 -- 12/1/2017

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SubLunar
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RE: No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

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Nice!
4Valhal
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Re: RE: No. 11 Jerome Mine/Plant

Post by 4Valhal »

Headframe Hunters wrote:When shreddable scrap steel is only bringing a few cents per pound, I guess the cost of removing the equipment and hauling it to a scrapyard exceeds its scrap value. Especially when you consider needing to manually dismantle equipment, load it into trucks, and possibly use an acetylene torch to cut larger structural members, I could see labor costs adding up very quickly.
I had this conversation years ago with a sergeant of mine who ran a mine that was shutting down. You are entirely spot on! Their first thought is to leave it intact to hopefully sell it. But by the time that falls through there is no capital left to tear down and scrap plus the return on investment is weak.
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