At Criggion Quarry, Breiddon Hill in Shropshire the large primary gyratory crusher has been replaced by a very large caterpillar tracked mobile (jaw) crushing plant - a Nordberg Lokotrack CT 140, said to be one of the largest items of mobile plant in Britain.
The new plant at present discharges directly in to the 150m deep 3m diameter shaft, which takes the crushed rock from the top of the hill to a tunnel beneath. Ultimately the crusher will move around the quarry as the working face moves and the product will be transferred from the plant to the shaft top or rock-pass by caterpillar wheel loaders.
The old primary gyratory crusher (in 1995) which has been replaced by the mobile crushing plant.
Picture: Kelvin Lake - I.A.Recordings
View from the working level of the quarry, over the edge down to the conveyor belt taking the crushed rock from the shaft-tunnel system to the main works area.
Picture: Kelvin Lake - I.A.Recordings
Tunnel portal at the bottom of the hill, rock from the primary crusher falls down the shaft onto a conveyor belt which brings it out the tunnel to the main works.
Picture: Kelvin Lake - I.A.Recordings