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Middleton held the position of longwall electrical engineer for more than three years at West Wallsend before being promoted to the superintendent role.
Prior to that he was a longwall electrical engineer at Xstrata’s Ravensworth underground mine for one and a half years.
West Wallsend has a Caterpillar Bucyrus Type Electra EL 3000 DERDS with a drum diameter of 2.5m.
Cutting height is 4.0-4.6m, using uni-di methods and a web depth of 1000mm.
Its roof support manufacturer is Caterpillar Bucyrus with a two-leg chock shield, a 900t yield load and a 3.0-5.3m working range, using a Caterpillar Bucyrus PM4 control.
The face conveyor was manufactured by Inbye Nepean.
Other equipment includes two Voest Alpine ABM25s, one Joy 12CM15 continuous miner, five Joy 15SC shuttle cars, four Waracars, Hydramatic 200 series miner mounted bolting rigs, an AM75 roadheader and three Caterpillar Bucyrus SB 63Mt mobile feeder breakers.
