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UNDERGROUND RAIL
platform as well as the rail system ’ s own network controlling things at a train scale .
The trains will consist of two locos either end of an A train or B train – the A train being used for ore and waste ( 239 t maximum ), and B trains for personnel and materials . The A train will have 14 , 5.8 m3 bottom discharge rail cars from Nordic Minesteel Technologies in North Bay ( one empty as an overspill ) and the maximum haulage distance will be 1.6 km . The battery capacity will be enough for 10 hours of operation during each shift with each loco ( two in each train ) having two 52 kW motors and 184 kWh of battery power .
The trains need to be rotated on a regular basis between being A and B trains as the A trains will take much more weight which means more battery power demand – this will even out the usage pattern for the battery packs & will allow them to last up to 15 years . It will not be the first Li-ion battery mining rail system but is certainly the most powerful ever built . The batteries were supplied by a Canadian manufacturer for combining with the locos shipped from the UK .
The locos arrived in Canada in late 2020 after testing in the UK and started working in May 2021 following certification , approvals , battery fitting and testing at Clayton ’ s Canadian agency facility , Variant Mining Technologies ( VMT ) in Sudbury , only half an hour from the mine . The locos went down the shaft in three pieces for
final assembly underground .
The haulage level will include 12 track lines . The rail system itself will have its own WiFi network and RFID tagging to allow the locos to read speed limits based on what line they are going to , what type of train it is and what ’ s coming next , including applying autonomous braking using hydraulic disc brakes plus dynamic service brakes for operator use .
While there will be loco operators , he or she cannot override the set overspeed limits ; with 16 km / h set for personnel trains and 10 km / h for trains carrying any explosives . They cannot take the train where the safety logic does not allow such as a fully laden ore train into the maintenance personnel or material areas . A very high level of safety is incorporated meaning A trains are only permitted on certain lines and the same for B trains . The trains are effectively have the potential to be fully autonomous capable with the backbone in place but with operators there initially running them in semi-autonomous mode .
The mine wants the locos now for efficient materials and personnel movement but also
Trident 25 t lithium powered Goodman locomotive before shipping to Ghana
some early ore movement during development works . They also want to be able to commission and check underground crushers , feeders and the loading stations .
Trident and a new era of on-board charging
Trident South Africa , the maker of the Goodman underground locomotive brand and a global leader in underground rail , told IM it sees the end of underground trolley line locomotives as lithium battery technology will render trolley lines obsolete . The company stated : " The ability to fast charge and Trident ' s on-board charger will
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