Towns and Nature: Gibson C: Lynnville, IN: Peabody Somerville Mine and Big Kate Dragline (B-E 2570)

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Gibson C: Lynnville, IN: Peabody Somerville Mine and Big Kate Dragline (B-E 2570)

(Satellite, when published)

(Satellite, Dec 2024)

The loadout is in Gibson County, but the pit is now in Warrick County.

This pit that is north of I-64 must be the Barren Fork Pit of the Wild Boar Coal Mine. [CoalZoom] I think the initial part of the Wild Boar Coal Mine was south of I-64.

This mine had an active dragline. But according to comments on a comment by Bradley Robinson on his Facebook post, Big Kate was parked a year ago [2019] and it is in bad shape. It is being used as a parts machine for draglines at Bear Run, which has 3 draglines. ''2 are in service and one is being parted out. 2 2570's 1 2550" [William Shane Keller's comments on a post]

(Mar 2022 Update: Big Kate was restored and it started running again on Mar 1, 2022. It is the only big iron that is still running in Warrick County. At one time there were 13 big machines in the county. [1:22 video])

Steele Lytle commented on a post

Note that Michael called this the Somerville Mine. This is why I changed the title from Wild Boar to Somerville.

Some comments on a post
[Indeed, Kate is just a little Northwest of the Museum of the Coal Industry.]

</update>

Satellite

The 1360 Experience posted
This is a picture of BIG Kate the Bucyrus Erie 2570W Dragline being built on the erection pad. She is special because she was lot # 1. This machine was named after the president of Old Ben Coal's wife, Katherine.

The 1360 Experience posted

The 1360 Experience commented on their post

The above closeup is highlighted in the lower-right corner of this image of the mine. It appears it may be parked because the mine has reached County Road 1025S and it ran out of land to strip.

Satellite

Screenshot

Peabody Coal in Eastern Gibson County... Big Kate soon to go back to work.

This video was posted by GCNT as The Last Days of Big Kate in 2019. Since then the doors have been welded shut and big Kate has been idle for months but soon we hear this giant piece of machinery one of the largest in the world will go back to work digging up coal.

Big Kate has been digging coal since 1971 and is one of the last remaining dragline of its size. Why the name BIG KATE well she does weigh 10.5 million pounds and can carry loads of more than 500,000 lbs in her bucket. If you put a roof on her bucket it would make for a nice 2 car garage.

Pictured in comments is Big Kate today Nov 11 as she sets in Eastern Gibson County also some great drone footage in comments section from a young man who traveled from Illinois a few weeks ago to get some footage.

VLloyd GCNT 11/11/21

[There are several stills of Big Kate in the comments. The Nov 5, 2021, 8:00 long drone video mentioned in the above comments.]

Carlton Crasher Photography posted eight photos with the comment: "Big Kate as this dragline is dubbed has a new lease on life with coal prices up for now. Undergoing repairs before it can be put back to use since it’s parking in 2019."

Anthony Quinn: Where is Kate at these days? My dad operated her 20+ years ago.

Carlton Crasher Photography: Anthony Quinn Dropped pin https://goo.gl/maps/uFb6WtqCYcP4jNvA6. Within the next year she is reported to be working where she is then walked across I-64 to another mine in warrick county.

Museum Of The Coal Industry shared

Michael Smith: May go south to 7 hills mine.

The 1360 Experience posted
A great view of Big Kate.
Jerry Louis Karr: Not lackin lube on those sheaves and cables!
[I had to look for a while before I decided that the photo was taken from the end of the boom. It is looking backwards towards the mast, the gantry and the top of the house.]

The 1360 Experience posted two photos.

Noah Emerson Chappell commented on Carlton's post
Got to see here last weekend thanks to a friend of mine, William Crupper.

1 of 10 photos and a 1:44 video posted by Darald W. Earles with the comment: "Big Kate."

cropped screenshot from 2nd of 3 videos
Mike Dicenzo: She is pretty close to the bank !
Ryan Yager: Mike Dicenzo 😬yes it is.
Alex Taylor: Thomas Kagerbauer that sound of the chains and rigging while it digs, and then the sounds of the house fans as it turns around to dump!

Nate Nowak shared a post of 20 photos: ""Big Kate" B-E 2570W yesterday [Aug 15, 2022]. Unfortunately I didn't get to see her dig much, they had to shut down because it was too dusty. Peabody South Somerville Mine, near Lynnville, IN"

Nate Nowak shared a post of 12 photos: "Big Kate 2570 dragline from the other side of the pit, Peabody South Somerville Mine, near Lynnville, Indiana."