@@TVRExploring Lets be honest who else but you is going to find something like that, YOU MADMAN haha...btw...what were they scurrying around down there for...seems to me that's what you were looking to learn.
"Беломорканал" literally means WhiteSeaChannel. Old soviet cheap working class filterless cigarettes. Used to cost 25 kopeeks (1/4 rouble) last time I bought one....35 years ago.
You can still buy them in Moscow but in shops that have old Soviet stuff. I bought them and some cigarettes called 'Kazbek' and another one called 'Kosmos'. Very nice tobacco, much better than the stuff you can buy now especially in Australia.
@@50centgotshot9times I start to think that new cigarets cause cancer and other stuff they have low nicotine so we smoke more we pay more and we get sick quicker.
Another excellent explore, dude you can hear in your voice how the low oxygen was effecting your narration & decision making to push on deeper in the mine. You had me worried. Anyone that doesn't read your descriptions are missing out. Thanks for taking us into the world of Russian mining. Happy New Year to you & the wife & please stay safe.
8:59 "No smoking" 11:52 the title on the right "Punishment by laughing". The page is from "Crocodile" - a popular satirical soviet magazine 19:35 cheapest soviet sigarettes "Belomor"
Can't argue with that... the only other thing i could compare them to would be plumb lines.. which really make no sense for those to be there, or that many
I love the style of your videos and the method you explore things. This is sure to be my new favourite channel. Keep up the awesome work and stay safe under all that earth!
Those passages were totally still accessible (well, at least the second one)! .... If you have a death wish. Thanks for showing it to us! Stay safe and keep up the awesome work!
I appreciate you preserving the integrity of TVR Exploring regarding the whole weird noise thing. Could have milked that into a click bait fest. Love this channel!
I agree 100 percent. Justin keeps it real. Awesome avatar there Turner. I miss ole Stevie big time. One of the best blues guitarists ever. The man could slay that ax. Went way before his time. He was just beginning to be recognized for how great he was.
@@georgeking9511 My granddaughter shares her birthday with SRV. She is 4 and asks me to put Pride and Joy on in the car. She loves it. Wish he'd got on Claptons helicopter. Imagine...hes still with us and still only 65. We can but dream.
@@turnerthemanc My kids grew up listening to SRV because of me, and they still listen to him today by their own choice. Their favorite was Pride and Joy as well. I'll never forget where i was that day when i heard the news. A sad, sad day indeed. He was one of a kind.
I am really surprised that as long as you've been doing this, that you don't have more subscribers Justin. I know from the comments that your channel is one of the more popular mine exploring channels on UA-cam, and the other channels respect and even admire what you're doing. I regularly speak of your channel on others comment sections, and have recommended this channel to everyone over the last couple of years. As far as I know, you have the widest range of mines across the globe. I don't know of anyone that's traveled as far as you have to bring us such diversity of mines. So I will continue to advertise TVR Exploring, as I believe you have one of the top channels if not the best of them, as I feel you deserve to have at least twice a many subscribers than you do now. Thanks for all your hard work, and for sharing your adventures with us.
Thank you very much for the kind words and continued support. Haha, yes, I have definitely covered mines in some really "out there" countries and locations... I still have some other countries in the backlog of videos too.
Thank you. Happy New Year to you as well! That gallery of woodwork inside there blew my mind... And, yes, the subtle differences are interesting to me too (as are the similarities).
I've seen only a few videos of US mines with such extensive timber work, and the most recent mine I saw in a vid was rather small in regards to this mine. Id assume the type of rock they worked in, in various sections determined how extensively they would have install timbers.
the dark material in the raise was "Unobtainium".......just kidding it was actually an ore of the element"thallium" which is extremely radioactive and very cuastic....... fortunate that it has a very short "half-life " of only 200 year's +or-
The trapezoid timber sets are an engineering masterclass all by themselves. Yes, i do read your synopsis, and i watch your uploads on my 60 inch screen with headphones. It REALLY does make a difference. I would encourage others to do the same. As always, the further you descended into that mine the more "sketchy" things become. I don't know why i see beauty in these places, but i do. I can only thank you and your friends for doing this, as documenting our industrial mining history is very important. Stay safe guys.....Peace.
The number of trees used to reinforce the tunnels is mind blowing! From the video, I hadn't realized how high the tunnels are until you mentioned that you had 12 to 15 fifteen feet above you!
I agree artifacts should *never* be removed - unless maybe they're in danger of destruction - but those empty dynamite boxes are so cute 😂 *Glad you showed the size scale; the tunnels are a lot higher than I'd realised ~ Thanks for the great videos!
11:23 bent shovel: can be used for dragging items from a hole. We had shovels like that for cleaning out freshly bored holes for power poles. Had to reach down into a 15 foot deep hole with something. May have similar purpose, reaching into a crack.
Yes, I always read the description first, helps me to understand as you are going through the mine ! 😊 When someone like yourself is exploring places like this out of interest and not profit, it really comes across, at least to me anyway ! I have the interest just not the capability ( or the gumption ) to do it, so your endeavors are much appreciated! Please be safe in your travels Justin and hope the coming year will be good to you! Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
You are one of the few that reads the descriptions! I appreciate the kind words... Thank you very much. I hope the coming year is an excellent one for you as well.
Happy New Year Justin . @ 18:14 - Those cone shaped metal items were probably the used bits for a Single - Boom Continuous Miner ( Road Header ) . When I worked for American Borate Co. in Death Valley, CA we had a Single - Boom AEC Alpine Miner that took cutter bits very similar to those . The cutter bits would have a Tungsten Carbide tip , and when the tip wore down or broke off we would have to replace the entire cutter bit . The small short circular end fit into a bit block and was held in place by a C-clip . -- < Doc > .
nothing in the mine showed the cutting marks of a continuous miner. also it would not have advanced beyond the area where "surface control " is not in effect.(at least somewhat) however the "side cut-out" with track supported something mechanical
@@aaronkeeth651 -- Our little AEC Alpine was on crawler track (like a bulldozer) and would cut a 20 ft. entry drift and then back out . Then the miners would come in with their jacklegs and drill and blast the trimmers and bolt the heading . Our drifts were 12 to 14 ft. wide and about 18 ft. tall . They finally parked the little Alpine back in a deadend drift after they bought two , new , much larger Voest Alpine Twin - Boom Road Headers which would cut the much larger drifts that we needed (without the need for trimmers) . -- .
@@001desertrat3 the continuous miner is good for soft formation, bud don't shear along the cleave plane of the granite. something like a cat long wall miner has a variety just for "hardrock".....something about the grinder head makes it possible to break the rock and not chew @ the surface.....I'll find a link
Happy New Year to you too, Justin. I really enjoy your European and Eastern European trips - I am so envious! To the people worried about the amount of timber in this mine, Russia and the former Soviet Union have more forest and timber resource than the rest of the world put together. The infinitesimal amount used here is not a problem. More difficult is how it was transported here from where the forests are.
Are you kidding me? I love reading the descriptions! That is where the real cool information is found. That you go to these remote old mines in distant country's just to document them is amazing. I view it as a way of honoring the people who worked and lived in the worst conditions just to bring needed materials to the rest of the world. Awesome work Justin and I really enjoy it. Have an awesome New Year and be safe. Oh and the Russian mines are very interesting because it was not too long ago that most of the world did not know much of what went on behind the iron curtain. Now it's nice to see that the people living there are not that different than us. :)
Happy New Year to all. Your voice changes when the oxygen level goes down. This is a fascinating place! Different tools and supplies were used than in the US. Curious about those solid kinda-pointed metal objects. They remind me of metal fence toppers. I just returned from around Tucson AZ. Lots of old mining around there. I saw an old ore cart at a roadside establishment. Very cool!!
Happy New Year to you as well! Yes, the reduced oxygen levels affect one in a number of ways... I find the differences (and similarities) between the Soviet mines and what we have in the U.S. to be very interesting.
I actually do read the descriptions. You never know what creators will put in there. Awesome video as always sir. I hope you and yours had an excellent Christmas and New Year's Justin. Did you not have an oxygen monitor with you? Whenever I get done with one of your videos or Franks I'm instantly jonesing for the next one lol.
You're one of the few that reads the descriptions! I hope you had an excellent Christmas and have a great 2020 too. Thank you. No, I didn't have the oxygen meter with me on this one. It was not possible to bring it given the countries I was passing through.
Thanks for all your great explores Justin, and have a safe and fantastic 2020. I do read the comments. You provide a lot of good supplementary information and commentary.
Just stumbled across your channel, I'd like to say thank you for doing these videos, I'd imagine 99.9% of the population would hate to be in these caves (including myself) thanks for being that .1% you've earnt a new sub!
Thank you! it is a real privilege getting to see all the amazing places that we would never get to see If it wasn't for you traveling all over the world doing this!
Another interesting mine including language issues. Sincerely you got balls going down to those drifts. And you've taken the correct choice going back to the surface ;) Happy New Year from Spain and we're waiting for the next episode. Best regards ;)
Very nice video clip about a very interesting mine exploration. I really like your channel and always read the description for some additional information. Happy New Year!
A very interesting series of videos your efforts in all of them are much appreciated,watched this and previous ones with my little boy and he was very interested too - well done ! Good luck for 2020 looking forward to seeing your vids.
Not so sure about these logging roads, the mines are located at about 2700 meters. (nearly 9000 feet) I do not think it is likely that there were ever trees in this location.
@@PlanetMojo Some trees do not justify roads for a logging industry, these roads higher up can only have been made during mining activities is my guess. The upper tree line is 2800-3050 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountain range in eastern Kyrgyzstan. I do not make that up I found it on the internet. ;-) But who knows you could be right.
@@Arthurvanderlee -- I'm pretty sure most of the roads in that area were used to deforest the area to supply timber for the mines. Not very likely they trucked the timber in, but whatever...
Great Video Happy New Year. The roof blots can hold up the weight of modern S U V . When they let lose they sound like 12 gauge shot gun going off and the bolt will go in the ground a foot deep.
That main haulage adit is awesome. Would have loved to have seen it back when it had its rail and some old school little lights strung down it. It's so cool to see these old Soviet mines with proper filming. Thanks Justin 👍
Just finished watching my first video of this mine which was all concrete, this one is timbers just love it man a lot taller than I'd thought...not checked was the mine coal or something else as Russia has so much mineral deposits....13.07 in British coal mines it could that hot that the miners would work nude, because the heat and humidity so maybe that's why you spot trousers a lot....and starting new seams they'd be lying down on their bellys or kneeling....good set of boots and gaiters mate keep you dry and warm..👍👍👍🔥🔥🤗🤗🤗
Kinda worried that if there hadn't been that cave in, you would have continued into the area with bad air. Don't make a once in a lifetime experience into your last experience, man.
Just as the shot panned over the pants on the floor, I was thinking, "More pants left in the workings!" and you made your comment. What is it with miners and taking their pants off underground? Coats, hats, gloves I get. But pants? I can see it now. Miner does a Johnny Paycheck and as a final salute to the boss, whips off his pants and storms out of the tunnel in his underware into the -40' weather.
You can see the original mill in the first few seconds, Justin actually points at it when he says "those specks down there". Interestingly it seems that in the time since this video was taken the mill has been given a roof, so presumably there are efforts to re-open the mine.
Strange how they used a concrete portal then it's timber lined. I was just saying on another channel, our old mines use stone arching as it was cheaper than wood due to woods having been felled for fuel for the mines. Even with rock bolts, I tend to find those areas fall apart quickly after abandonment. The one good thing about being in a bad air section, is walking back into good air, it's so fresh and is like being drunk on oxygen.
Another excellent video - thanks for sharing. DISCOVERY CHANNEL needs to feature a pilot program and see how it flies. I think many viewers would be interested in a show such as this one on their TV.
It definitely takes some prepping. Don’t head in before you feel that you’ve taken plenty of time to research, and know what you’re getting into and have the equipment you need.
I heard some very definite high pitched electrical humms around the 12:00 minute mark when he discovered that newspaper. I actually paused the video to be sure some of my electronics weren't to blame as I was sitting under fluorescent lights with ballasts, and sure enough it was in video. I wonder if it could be some sort of interference or if its just so quiet in there at times you the mic could pick up his electronic equipment operating?
I am constantly surprised by how many mine explorers on You Tube refer to adits (drifts in coal mines) as shafts. You have always used the correct terminology. Where I grew up in Western PA we had shaft, slope and drift entries, but rooms, not stopes or winzes.
Yes, it is interesting to me how often the term "mine shaft" is incorrectly used. Some words are just due to regional variations or to the type of mining being done, but "mine shaft" is pretty universal.
Due to the countries I was passing through and the process of going through the border crossings, I was not able to bring a lot of the gear that I normally have.
Hi, those cone shaped things are called a miners plummet and they were used as a plumb bob to make sure things were straight. I've never seen timber supports go on that long, wow. I was so relieved to see you got to the end of that haulage level, it was starting to worry me about your breathing. Thank you for sharing, I hope you had a great Christmas and I hope you have a fantastic 2020, happy new year. xx
Ah, gotcha... Thank you, Sue. I have never seen timber sets running that far back into a mine either! They were very large as well - like I said in the video, it felt like a railroad tunnel... Ha, yes, I wasn't too sorry to reach the end of that level. Aside from the air issues, it was getting into increasingly bad ground and it wasn't fun being wet outside in those temperatures.
When i was in the mine our hydraulic oil came in cans that when opened showed a type of vegetable oil. It was like they pressed the can backwards for hydraulic oil. Also the more they refined the oils the thinner and thinner it got. We also got emulsion fluid from them. The pallets would have stickers similar to that.
Dude if you don't an air-quality meter they're going to find your crusty corpse in one of those dark holes one day. Usually by the time you realize it's affecting you it's too late. Stay safe because we want to see more of your work.
I was thinking that the miner who wore those pants into that mine might have been injured, stripped to check the wound, & then carried out without those pants.
Im curious about the language issue. You don't read or presumably speak russian. How do you end up being able to setup a trip to explore an old soviet mine by yourself? Might be an interesting vid just looking at the setup for such an expedition. Just getting to the mouth of the cave is more of a trip than many of us know how to make.
For those wondering why this is abandoned - economics. China, Indonesia, Myanmar produce 2/3 of the world tin. It is not at all profitable to do it in the remote second world. And there is plenty of supply to meet demand.
3:33 could the vegetable oil have been used as a cheap form of rust prevention coating on the metal pipe to protect it from deteriorating away over time?
@@TVRExploring when I saw that it just got me to thinking about how my mom would always wipe her old cast iron pots and pans down with cooking oil or a light coating of shortening after using them. Perhaps the miners had the same idea
So this is what happens when you own a lumberjack company, a saw mill company, a carpentry company and decide to get into mining! Now we know. That place is awesome, talk about labor intensive. Another great video, man
Ok, 1 more thing lol I believe that shovel was bent purposely for mucking. There are a few around here that were cut and welded and if you're really lucky, you'll find a riveted one. But not likely.. they have been found though here in the past.
You know any attractive Russian volunteers for the interpreter position? And, yes, you're 100% right about the bent shovel. Some days my brains works more slowly than others (too many concussions over the years).
It was very concerning to hear the change in your breathing as you explored further. Couple that with stirring up particulates from the rotting wood and it was kind of tough to watch. Very cool videos, but please be safe.
These metal cones looked like some detacheble teeth for a cogeel or cogbelt. And the thing next to the fusecord reminded me of old eatern europeans cigarett pachages. I also looved the newspaper. This red crocodile with the pitchfork somejow intrigued me. It looked like some kind of satirical publication, goven the high amount of presumably anticapitalist karikatures. I found it intersting, that once you found the rail aigin, it was somewhat less substantial than the one on the other shaft, I assumed that they uses the same typeof rail, were they had probably run regular russian narrow gage engines. The log bach in the mine definitly heldt some wich, that probably ws used to service the disused shaft underneath the false floor.
Thank you for the explanation. Yes, the differences between this adit and the last one were interesting to me... That is a good point about the winch. That makes sense.
Yes, I explored these mines solo. Not many volunteers for this journey... No forests nearby - this is very barren, desolate territory. So, those timbers came in from a long way away!
@@TVRExploring | Yeah, probably. Btw, when you comment on the size of things (wether it be timbers or tools/macinery), could you place your hand next to it for comparison? It's actually really hard to understand the scale some times.. :p
Im the asshole who would bring a mannequin to leave peaking around a corner into the main tunnel.
That's not very nice...
It'd be hilarious to see the reaction though!
@@TVRExploring well, i do admit to being an asshole.
@@TVRExploring Lets be honest who else but you is going to find something like that, YOU MADMAN haha...btw...what were they scurrying around down there for...seems to me that's what you were looking to learn.
@@lllPlatinumlll Haha, fair point! This was primarily a tin mine...
The nicest thing about these videos are that they exist.
It means you made it out with your recorded footage and felt well enough to do the editing.
yo imagine all footage lost in century old mineshafts because something happened
@@xd1712 some people who died due to bad air. Usually you dont notice heavier breathing. You just go to sleep and thats it. You are dead.
"Беломорканал" literally means WhiteSeaChannel. Old soviet cheap working class filterless cigarettes. Used to cost 25 kopeeks (1/4 rouble) last time I bought one....35 years ago.
Haha, that's awesome... Thank you for sharing that.
You can still buy them in Moscow but in shops that have old Soviet stuff. I bought them and some cigarettes called 'Kazbek' and another one called 'Kosmos'. Very nice tobacco, much better than the stuff you can buy now especially in Australia.
@@50centgotshot9times I start to think that new cigarets cause cancer and other stuff they have low nicotine so we smoke more we pay more and we get sick quicker.
@@erimemrebaran1206 smoke doinks bro
@@50centgotshot9times That's interesting because in cold war ear pulp fiction they like to say the Soviet tobacco was terrible.
The reason miners leave their pants in the mines is because they had a close call and shit them self!
Seems reasonable to me
Straight up, Those pants looked like they were pooped in a little
Another excellent explore, dude you can hear in your voice how the low oxygen was effecting your narration & decision making to push on deeper in the mine. You had me worried. Anyone that doesn't read your descriptions are missing out. Thanks for taking us into the world of Russian mining. Happy New Year to you & the wife & please stay safe.
....the breathing issues are a concern especially around the rotting timbers......breathing in fungus is not good for the lungs.
Une Mine de Quoi ? Quels Minerais?
8:59 "No smoking"
11:52 the title on the right "Punishment by laughing". The page is from "Crocodile" - a popular satirical soviet magazine
19:35 cheapest soviet sigarettes "Belomor"
Thank you again for the translation work!
He should of brought more torches and leave them around so things don’t spawn behind him.
Things spawning behind you are what make it fun
Sucky mine though.... Not even one chest.
he doesn't even have a water bucket with him
I've often thought this myself. Plus he's playing in hardcore mode.
Those cone like things appear to be replacement teeth for a rock milling machine.
Thank you.
Can't argue with that... the only other thing i could compare them to would be plumb lines.. which really make no sense for those to be there, or that many
@@jon_z3538 no they definately are not BUT wow you're right I didn't even think of that.
@@jon_z3538 - yeah, first thing I thought of - but that many? sheesh, someone wasn't too sure of themselves if that was the case ;)
Def from a rock mining machine .. Google "Continuous Miner bits" for an idea of what they would have looked like new .. Probably Tungston Carbide
I love the style of your videos and the method you explore things. This is sure to be my new favourite channel. Keep up the awesome work and stay safe under all that earth!
Thank you very much...
Those passages were totally still accessible (well, at least the second one)!
.... If you have a death wish.
Thanks for showing it to us! Stay safe and keep up the awesome work!
I appreciate you preserving the integrity of TVR Exploring regarding the whole weird noise thing.
Could have milked that into a click bait fest.
Love this channel!
I agree 100 percent. Justin keeps it real. Awesome avatar there Turner. I miss ole Stevie big time. One of the best blues guitarists ever. The man could slay that ax. Went way before his time. He was just beginning to be recognized for how great he was.
@@georgeking9511 My granddaughter shares her birthday with SRV. She is 4 and asks me to put Pride and Joy on in the car. She loves it.
Wish he'd got on Claptons helicopter. Imagine...hes still with us and still only 65. We can but dream.
@@turnerthemanc My kids grew up listening to SRV because of me, and they still listen to him today by their own choice. Their favorite was Pride and Joy as well. I'll never forget where i was that day when i heard the news. A sad, sad day indeed. He was one of a kind.
I am really surprised that as long as you've been doing this, that you don't have more subscribers Justin. I know from the comments that your channel is one of the more popular mine exploring channels on UA-cam, and the other channels respect and even admire what you're doing. I regularly speak of your channel on others comment sections, and have recommended this channel to everyone over the last couple of years. As far as I know, you have the widest range of mines across the globe. I don't know of anyone that's traveled as far as you have to bring us such diversity of mines. So I will continue to advertise TVR Exploring, as I believe you have one of the top channels if not the best of them, as I feel you deserve to have at least twice a many subscribers than you do now. Thanks for all your hard work, and for sharing your adventures with us.
Thank you very much for the kind words and continued support. Haha, yes, I have definitely covered mines in some really "out there" countries and locations... I still have some other countries in the backlog of videos too.
Amazing timber-work in there! Interesting to see the slight differences between this and typical American mines. Happy New Year!
Thank you. Happy New Year to you as well! That gallery of woodwork inside there blew my mind... And, yes, the subtle differences are interesting to me too (as are the similarities).
I've seen only a few videos of US mines with such extensive timber work, and the most recent mine I saw in a vid was rather small in regards to this mine.
Id assume the type of rock they worked in, in various sections determined how extensively they would have install timbers.
You and gly coolness are by far on another level of mine exploreing....keep up the great work!
That big headline in old news paper said "Наказание Смехом" - Punishment by Laughter.
I like it.
Happy New Year Justin... wishing you many safe travels in 2020.
the dark material in the raise was "Unobtainium".......just kidding it was actually an ore of the element"thallium" which is extremely radioactive and very cuastic....... fortunate that it has a very short "half-life " of only 200 year's +or-
*very short*
*200*
Liam Armstrong relatively
The trapezoid timber sets are an engineering masterclass all by themselves. Yes, i do read your synopsis, and i watch your uploads on my 60 inch screen with headphones. It REALLY does make a difference. I would encourage others to do the same. As always, the further you descended into that mine the more "sketchy" things become. I don't know why i see beauty in these places, but i do. I can only thank you and your friends for doing this, as documenting our industrial mining history is very important. Stay safe guys.....Peace.
The number of trees used to reinforce the tunnels is mind blowing! From the video, I hadn't realized how high the tunnels are until you mentioned that you had 12 to 15 fifteen feet above you!
Yes, it blew my mind how big this was...
I agree artifacts should *never* be removed - unless maybe they're in danger of destruction - but those empty dynamite boxes are so cute 😂 *Glad you showed the size scale; the tunnels are a lot higher than I'd realised ~ Thanks for the great videos!
Cool another Soviet mine vid..I like the vids of the visits ..really interesting
great stuff young man. We do appreciate your efforts from 2019 and look forward to 2020.
Thank you.
11:23 bent shovel: can be used for dragging items from a hole. We had shovels like that for cleaning out freshly bored holes for power poles. Had to reach down into a 15 foot deep hole with something. May have similar purpose, reaching into a crack.
Yes, that absolutely makes sense... In hindsight, I'm sure it was intentionally bent like that.
Am glad this channel was recommended. I love watching explorer videos. Thank you man!
Yes, I always read the description first, helps me to understand as you are going through the mine ! 😊
When someone like yourself is exploring places like this out of interest and not profit, it really comes across, at least to me anyway ! I have the interest just not the capability ( or the gumption ) to do it, so your endeavors are much appreciated! Please be safe in your travels Justin and hope the coming year will be good to you!
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
You are one of the few that reads the descriptions! I appreciate the kind words... Thank you very much. I hope the coming year is an excellent one for you as well.
Nice to see nothing screamed at you in this one! Happy new year and stay safe I watch your videos as soon as you post them.
Haha, yeah, I was just fine with no screams in this one... Happy New Year to you as well!
Happy and healthy new year, Justin!
Man you go all over the place. Thank you for taking us along.
As always, thank you for coming along...
Happy New Year Justin . @ 18:14 - Those cone shaped metal items were probably the used bits for a Single - Boom Continuous Miner ( Road Header ) . When I worked for American Borate Co. in Death Valley, CA we had a Single - Boom AEC Alpine Miner that took cutter bits very similar to those . The cutter bits would have a Tungsten Carbide tip , and when the tip wore down or broke off we would have to replace the entire cutter bit . The small short circular end fit into a bit block and was held in place by a C-clip . -- < Doc > .
nothing in the mine showed the cutting marks of a continuous miner. also it would not have advanced beyond the area where "surface control " is not in effect.(at least somewhat) however the "side cut-out" with track supported something mechanical
@@aaronkeeth651 -- Our little AEC Alpine was on crawler track (like a bulldozer) and would cut a 20 ft. entry drift and then back out . Then the miners would come in with their jacklegs and drill and blast the trimmers and bolt the heading . Our drifts were 12 to 14 ft. wide and about 18 ft. tall . They finally parked the little Alpine back in a deadend drift after they bought two , new , much larger Voest Alpine Twin - Boom Road Headers which would cut the much larger drifts that we needed (without the need for trimmers) . -- .
001DesertRat Fascinating.
@@001desertrat3 the continuous miner is good for soft formation, bud don't shear along the cleave plane of the granite. something like a cat long wall miner has a variety just for "hardrock".....something about the grinder head makes it possible to break the rock and not chew @ the surface.....I'll find a link
ua-cam.com/video/Ch8MR9JfOLM/v-deo.html
Very cool timbering!!!! Can't wait to see what ya have in store for us in 2020!!! Be safe out there man. Happy new year
Yes, I was impressed with it! Happy New Year to you too!
Thanks, Justin. Another great vid to start the New Year
It’s amazing how cold weather can preserve that smell of the pine. Stay safe. Always.
Happy New Year to you too, Justin. I really enjoy your European and Eastern European trips - I am so envious!
To the people worried about the amount of timber in this mine, Russia and the former Soviet Union have more forest and timber resource than the rest of the world put together. The infinitesimal amount used here is not a problem. More difficult is how it was transported here from where the forests are.
Thank you very much. Happy New Year to you too! Yes, Eastern Europe is one of my favorite parts of the world to visit...
Absolutely fantastic country, great views!
Are you kidding me? I love reading the descriptions! That is where the real cool information is found. That you go to these remote old mines in distant country's just to document them is amazing. I view it as a way of honoring the people who worked and lived in the worst conditions just to bring needed materials to the rest of the world. Awesome work Justin and I really enjoy it. Have an awesome New Year and be safe. Oh and the Russian mines are very interesting because it was not too long ago that most of the world did not know much of what went on behind the iron curtain. Now it's nice to see that the people living there are not that different than us. :)
Thank you. You articulated my feelings on this quite well!
You are awesome! Love the description, I'll be reading those from now on.
Happy New Year to all.
Your voice changes when the oxygen level goes down. This is a fascinating place! Different tools and supplies were used than in the US. Curious about those solid kinda-pointed metal objects. They remind me of metal fence toppers.
I just returned from around Tucson AZ. Lots of old mining around there. I saw an old ore cart at a roadside establishment. Very cool!!
Happy New Year to you as well! Yes, the reduced oxygen levels affect one in a number of ways... I find the differences (and similarities) between the Soviet mines and what we have in the U.S. to be very interesting.
I actually do read the descriptions. You never know what creators will put in there. Awesome video as always sir. I hope you and yours had an excellent Christmas and New Year's Justin. Did you not have an oxygen monitor with you? Whenever I get done with one of your videos or Franks I'm instantly jonesing for the next one lol.
You're one of the few that reads the descriptions! I hope you had an excellent Christmas and have a great 2020 too. Thank you. No, I didn't have the oxygen meter with me on this one. It was not possible to bring it given the countries I was passing through.
Stop by a pet store.
Bring a canary.
@@__cypher__ - Special Russian canary that can cope with those cold temperatures! 🙂
@anthony cypher - Or just light a match, if it goes out you know there's no air ;) and if it explodes you know it's dangerous :P
Thanks for all your great explores Justin, and have a safe and fantastic 2020. I do read the comments. You provide a lot of good supplementary information and commentary.
Thank you very much, DaveG... I hope you have a great 2020 as well.
The cones are mining bits that go on a machine and a small one evidently, not like in a coal mines.
Thank you.
Just stumbled across your channel, I'd like to say thank you for doing these videos, I'd imagine 99.9% of the population would hate to be in these caves (including myself) thanks for being that .1% you've earnt a new sub!
Thank you! it is a real privilege getting to see all the amazing places that we would never get to see If it wasn't for you traveling all over the world doing this!
Thank you for coming along!
Another interesting mine including language issues. Sincerely you got balls going down to those drifts. And you've taken the correct choice going back to the surface ;)
Happy New Year from Spain and we're waiting for the next episode.
Best regards ;)
Thank you.
Very nice video clip about a very interesting mine exploration. I really like your channel and always read the description for some additional information. Happy New Year!
You're one of the rare few that does read the descriptions! Thank you for that and for the kind words... Happy New Year to you as well!
A very interesting series of videos your efforts in all of them are much appreciated,watched this and previous ones with my little boy and he was very interested too - well done ! Good luck for 2020 looking forward to seeing your vids.
Thank you.
those Solid Cone metal things look like the attachments you would put on the end of a jack hammer
Once again you have produced and uploaded an excellent video! Thanks so much for all of your efforts. Happy New Year, sir!
Thank you. Happy New Year to you too!
The crisscrossing roads are likely logging roads from when the cut down all of those timbers. The hills in our area look the same in the winter.
Not so sure about these logging roads, the mines are located at about 2700 meters. (nearly 9000 feet) I do not think it is likely that there were ever trees in this location.
@@Arthurvanderlee --There are trees next to the roads in the video when he says "see the roads".
@@PlanetMojo Some trees do not justify roads for a logging industry, these roads higher up can only have been made during mining activities is my guess. The upper tree line is 2800-3050 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountain range in eastern Kyrgyzstan. I do not make that up I found it on the internet. ;-) But who knows you could be right.
@@Arthurvanderlee -- I'm pretty sure most of the roads in that area were used to deforest the area to supply timber for the mines. Not very likely they trucked the timber in, but whatever...
Awesome series of videos of your trip to Englichek. Loved it. Thanks for sharing your trip TVR!
Thank you very much. This one was tough to get to and so I'm glad you liked it...
Happy New Years . Thank you for another video . I cant wait till I can get a chance to view it .
Happy New Year to you as well!
Great Video Happy New Year. The roof blots can hold up the weight of modern S U V . When they let lose they sound like 12 gauge shot gun going off and the bolt will go in the ground a foot deep.
That main haulage adit is awesome. Would have loved to have seen it back when it had its rail and some old school little lights strung down it.
It's so cool to see these old Soviet mines with proper filming. Thanks Justin 👍
Thank you. Yes, I would love to have seen how this one looked the day before they abandoned it!
Just finished watching my first video of this mine which was all concrete, this one is timbers just love it man a lot taller than I'd thought...not checked was the mine coal or something else as Russia has so much mineral deposits....13.07 in British coal mines it could that hot that the miners would work nude, because the heat and humidity so maybe that's why you spot trousers a lot....and starting new seams they'd be lying down on their bellys or kneeling....good set of boots and gaiters mate keep you dry and warm..👍👍👍🔥🔥🤗🤗🤗
These mining camps getting more and more interesting and honestly just pretty to look at
You’re way more brave than I, crawling through those caved in sections - I’ll pass on that.
Kinda worried that if there hadn't been that cave in, you would have continued into the area with bad air.
Don't make a once in a lifetime experience into your last experience, man.
4:05 says 4 litres on the veg oil sticker, perhaps they were having a fry up ?
Just as the shot panned over the pants on the floor, I was thinking, "More pants left in the workings!" and you made your comment. What is it with miners and taking their pants off underground? Coats, hats, gloves I get. But pants?
I can see it now. Miner does a Johnny Paycheck and as a final salute to the boss, whips off his pants and storms out of the tunnel in his underware into the -40' weather.
I think the cone-shaped bits are the working end of the drill-steels. Likely constantly sharpening them on the workbench as they dulled.
Thank you.
You can see the original mill in the first few seconds, Justin actually points at it when he says "those specks down there". Interestingly it seems that in the time since this video was taken the mill has been given a roof, so presumably there are efforts to re-open the mine.
I’m assuming this right hand rule is always turn right so that way when you want to leave, just make lefts?
Exactly right!
@@TVRExploring pun intended?
hello im new to your channel but i am really enjoying the videos and yes i read the description, cool stuff thanks
Strange how they used a concrete portal then it's timber lined. I was just saying on another channel, our old mines use stone arching as it was cheaper than wood due to woods having been felled for fuel for the mines. Even with rock bolts, I tend to find those areas fall apart quickly after abandonment. The one good thing about being in a bad air section, is walking back into good air, it's so fresh and is like being drunk on oxygen.
Hadn't thought about the "return to fresh air" perspective before, but, yes, it sure is a good feeling!
that was an excellent little series in Engilchek man, gee you could hear your laboured breathing in them rotten drifts , thats a bit scary
Why did you your O2 sensor alarm?.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked the Engilchek series because it was tough to get there! And, yes, it definitely got tougher to breathe toward the end...
Another excellent video - thanks for sharing.
DISCOVERY CHANNEL needs to feature a pilot program and see how it flies. I think many viewers would be interested in a show such as this one on their TV.
Man, I'd love to explore old mines. But I'd be scared to death of losing my way. And getting lost.
....just keep using the Right Hand Rule dude....and never change it !!
It definitely takes some prepping. Don’t head in before you feel that you’ve taken plenty of time to research, and know what you’re getting into and have the equipment you need.
@@StarrySky2023-d7l I think I'll just stick to my hobby of fountain pens. And leave the cave exploring to the professionals who bring cameras.
14:11 if you listen very closely you can hear something, kinda sounds like wind or smell electronic noises.
I heard some very definite high pitched electrical humms around the 12:00 minute mark when he discovered that newspaper. I actually paused the video to be sure some of my electronics weren't to blame as I was sitting under fluorescent lights with ballasts, and sure enough it was in video.
I wonder if it could be some sort of interference or if its just so quiet in there at times you the mic could pick up his electronic equipment operating?
@@100GTAGUY I was just at that point when I read your comment. I could hear it all too.
A Peaceful, Prosperous 2020, Justin & Co. - Cheers!
Thank you! Same to you...
I am constantly surprised by how many mine explorers on You Tube refer to adits (drifts in coal mines) as shafts. You have always used the correct terminology. Where I grew up in Western PA we had shaft, slope and drift entries, but rooms, not stopes or winzes.
Yes, it is interesting to me how often the term "mine shaft" is incorrectly used. Some words are just due to regional variations or to the type of mining being done, but "mine shaft" is pretty universal.
Where is your O2 monitor? I'm curious what the reading would have been.
With breathing that rapid and deep I'd guess between 17 and 18 percent O2, and falling. Touch and go there for a while.
Due to the countries I was passing through and the process of going through the border crossings, I was not able to bring a lot of the gear that I normally have.
For one person you should be fine unless your doing a marathon through it it but 2 or 3 people could pose a potential issue
Hi, those cone shaped things are called a miners plummet and they were used as a plumb bob to make sure things were straight. I've never seen timber supports go on that long, wow. I was so relieved to see you got to the end of that haulage level, it was starting to worry me about your breathing. Thank you for sharing, I hope you had a great Christmas and I hope you have a fantastic 2020, happy new year. xx
Ah, gotcha... Thank you, Sue. I have never seen timber sets running that far back into a mine either! They were very large as well - like I said in the video, it felt like a railroad tunnel... Ha, yes, I wasn't too sorry to reach the end of that level. Aside from the air issues, it was getting into increasingly bad ground and it wasn't fun being wet outside in those temperatures.
@@TVRExploring I bet it was the best thing in the world to get a hot coffee and be warm again, thank you. x
It was!
Amazing video to start 2020!
When i was in the mine our hydraulic oil came in cans that when opened showed a type of vegetable oil. It was like they pressed the can backwards for hydraulic oil. Also the more they refined the oils the thinner and thinner it got. We also got emulsion fluid from them. The pallets would have stickers similar to that.
Also the timbers should be an inch per foot. So 12 foot is a 12 inch timber
So at 9:07 the way that the rocks have been cut, makes it look like a side silhouette of a face. Pretty cool!
You have balls of steel that was intense seeing you go deeper into the Russian mine , definitely scary. Glad you made it out
Dude if you don't an air-quality meter they're going to find your crusty corpse in one of those dark holes one day. Usually by the time you realize it's affecting you it's too late. Stay safe because we want to see more of your work.
I have multiple gas meters.
Great video as always. Thank you for sharing.
Holy timbers Batman !! Wow !! Nice video . Happy New Year .
Pretty wild, huh?
@@TVRExploring For sure !
Yeah, that whole pants thing? I am just not able to phantom a Bright Smiley Happy Shiny People scenario there. 🤨
I wonder if it was some last day working at the mine ritual , where they tore off their work pants and shirt and walked out in their undies !?
You know, maybe they just brought an extra pair of pants to work and forgot to take them home. Not everything can be fantastic!
You ever worked a hard labor job with no bathrooms close by?
@@solutionless123 Yep that's empty cardboard boxes are for. If you see one sitting in a corner on a job site, don't investigate.
I was thinking that the miner who wore those pants into that mine might have been injured, stripped to check the wound, & then carried out without those pants.
Super interesting thank you. This time I stopped the video to read your written statement. Super interesting.
Looking at all of this footage, and seeing all of that silverish dust on the ground reminds me of all of the ash from Dark Souls III, pretty cool!
Thank you for taking us along!
Im curious about the language issue. You don't read or presumably speak russian. How do you end up being able to setup a trip to explore an old soviet mine by yourself? Might be an interesting vid just looking at the setup for such an expedition. Just getting to the mouth of the cave is more of a trip than many of us know how to make.
Awesome video, and cliffhanger too, just like LOTR 1!... I looked for the 2nd part.
For those wondering why this is abandoned - economics. China, Indonesia, Myanmar produce 2/3 of the world tin. It is not at all profitable to do it in the remote second world. And there is plenty of supply to meet demand.
100% correct
You almost wonder if the just logged the mountain for trees before they started mining. Must be a whole forest in there.
Awesome video as always.
2019... the video from calm and happy times.
3:33 could the vegetable oil have been used as a cheap form of rust prevention coating on the metal pipe to protect it from deteriorating away over time?
I thought it was just put there as a joke by one of the miners, but, yes, what you said makes sense too.
@@TVRExploring when I saw that it just got me to thinking about how my mom would always wipe her old cast iron pots and pans down with cooking oil or a light coating of shortening after using them. Perhaps the miners had the same idea
Do you carry any supplemental O2 and a dosimeter?
Supplemental O2 wouldn't really be very useful...if your meter goes off, turn around. Simple as that.
anyone come up with an explanation that makes sense of the blood curdling scream/howl from last video yet Justin?
The sound of water dripping on metal effected by the acoustics of the mine?
Tommy Knockers!
Balrog.
It was swamp gas set off by a hot air balloon
What else could it be but the tortured souls of miners who died digging the mine.
So this is what happens when you own a lumberjack company, a saw mill company, a carpentry company and decide to get into mining! Now we know. That place is awesome, talk about labor intensive. Another great video, man
I guess you need to find a Russian translator lol
Ok, 1 more thing lol I believe that shovel was bent purposely for mucking. There are a few around here that were cut and welded and if you're really lucky, you'll find a riveted one. But not likely.. they have been found though here in the past.
You know any attractive Russian volunteers for the interpreter position? And, yes, you're 100% right about the bent shovel. Some days my brains works more slowly than others (too many concussions over the years).
@@TVRExploring sadly, I dont. But I think we're onto something!
Did you look for mineral samples? Those mines had all kinds of weird ores of tungsten and other metals, there could be rare samples remaining there.
Nice explore. how many trees, nice clean mine no beer cans or bottles glass or plastic
I've convinced myself that the eerie sound you heard was the rails expanding( or contracting) against the rail spikes
You might be right...
Those timber sets are gorgeous. Wow....
Pretty impressive, huh?
It was very concerning to hear the change in your breathing as you explored further. Couple that with stirring up particulates from the rotting wood and it was kind of tough to watch. Very cool videos, but please be safe.
A very interesting but very crumbly old mine in a bit of a bad shape, i guess there are more big cave ins in the other part, hence the bad air.
I believe the bad air was a result of the rotting wood. The damp part of the mine is where the issues started...
These metal cones looked like some detacheble teeth for a cogeel or cogbelt. And the thing next to the fusecord reminded me of old eatern europeans cigarett pachages. I also looved the newspaper. This red crocodile with the pitchfork somejow intrigued me. It looked like some kind of satirical publication, goven the high amount of presumably anticapitalist karikatures. I found it intersting, that once you found the rail aigin, it was somewhat less substantial than the one on the other shaft, I assumed that they uses the same typeof rail, were they had probably run regular russian narrow gage engines.
The log bach in the mine definitly heldt some wich, that probably ws used to service the disused shaft underneath the false floor.
Thank you for the explanation. Yes, the differences between this adit and the last one were interesting to me... That is a good point about the winch. That makes sense.
Did u explore these mines solo ? And is there a forest nearby? That's a lot of trees in there.
With that many timbers being used probably not a tree for a long distance! 😊
Yes, I explored these mines solo. Not many volunteers for this journey... No forests nearby - this is very barren, desolate territory. So, those timbers came in from a long way away!
There "was" a forest nearby.
The forest seems undergound now
Amazing timberwork... not often you see it that well preserved. Might be the cold climate doing it? Awesome video as always!
Thank you. I believe it was the simple fact that it was dry in the first part of the mine that was preserving those timbers...
@@TVRExploring | Yeah, probably. Btw, when you comment on the size of things (wether it be timbers or tools/macinery), could you place your hand next to it for comparison? It's actually really hard to understand the scale some times.. :p