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THRUPE LITE - PICTURES-2

(Epiphany to the Maglite/Rubicon shaft)

Photographs by Paul Stillman (PS); Clive North (CN); Tony Audsley (TA)

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Richard and Clive fitting steelwork below Advent Chamber.

(PS)

The end of the dig at 12 February 2001, just before the foot and mouth outbreak stopped digging for most of the summer.

(PS)

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Epiphany. A composite of three photographs.

(CN)

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Looking into Maglite from Epiphany.

(CN)

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Stal in Epiphany.

(CN)

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Tony, working his way into Maglite Chamber.

(CN)

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Stal in Maglite Chamber.

(CN)

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The stalled up rift above the Hammerhead.

(CN)

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Stal in the Priest's Hole, Maglite Chamber (composite).

(CN)

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The bottom end of Maglite Chamber, where the Hammerhead used to be. Preparing for steelwork to be installed.

Rubicon Chamber lies beyond the black hole at the bottom of this picture, but the foundation of Maglite Chamber is a moving slurry of watery gravel. Until this area is stabilised, it would be foolish to dig the choke in Rubicon.

(CN)

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Tony, admiring the rock cut pocket for the steelwork at the bottom of Maglite Chamber.

(CN)

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Richard enlarging the right-hand rock cut pocket at the bottom of Maglite Chamber. The new section of rail shoring can be seen in the foreground.

(TA)

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Richard enlarging the left-hand rock cut pocket at the bottom of Maglite Chamber.

(TA)

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3^rd April 2002 (TA)
A formation in Maglite Chamber. Unfortunately, the new way on is directly underneath here.

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3^rd April 2002 (CN)
A composite photograph of the rail in position at last, together with the angle iron cross pieces. This is doing its best to look like a "Grizzly" in a Cornish mine.

This area will now be backfilled (with fill) and a new way driven into the Rubicon starting from the left side of Maglite Chamber.

[ It was backfilled but then re-excavated - see below ]

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10^th April 2002 (TA)
Some idea of the squalid, cramped conditions. Plan B (or is it Plan C ?) is in operation. On the left, Dave S is digging below the priest's hole, trying to open a way into Rubicon Chamber. On the right, Richard is stacking the spoil over the railway line shoring, blocking off the old route into the Rubicon. Later the same evening, this process was reversed and the spoil over the rail was removed and stacked back into the hole excaved under the Priest's Hole. This was Plan C (? or possibly B) - It's all rather confusing really.

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14^th May 2002 (CN)
Earlier plans have been abandoned as unworkable - it was not possible to drive an alternative route into the Rubicon. The NEW plan involves removal of the railway line and associated steelwork and the installation of a short steel shaft at the original entrance to the Rubicon. The photograph shows this new shaft under construction. The lower ring of steel is placed roughly in position before drilling and bolting.

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5^th June 2002 (TA)
Richard in Maglite Chamber, gazing lovingly at a sandstone cobble.

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12^th June 2002 (TA)
Tav, sitting in the bottom of the shaft at the entrance to the Rubicon, resting between hauling buckets from the digging face.

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12^th June 2002 (TA) Looking up the shaft from the Rubicon back into Maglite Chamber. This shot is also notable for the superb view straight up Dave King's right nostril - (just move the mouse pointer onto the image)

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Last modified:   23-Jun-2007