Move the mouse pointer over a red dot for a picture of that area of the mine.
Introduction
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
the 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 - Oil Tank
- D - Blackstone Oil Engine
- E - Winch
- F - Ingersoll-Rand Air Compressor
- G - Turgo Impulse Turbine
- H - Early Waterwheel Pit with New Waterwheel
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 Californian Stamps
- J - Screw Classifier
- K - Ore Washing Boxes and Sand Strips (also outside shed)
- L - Settling Tank
- M - Slimes Tank
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 Mine Office
The original mine office was of light wooden construction
and decayed beyond repair. This area has been cleared and
a replacement office constructed.