Outside of class, Quentin, a third-year student in the Grande École Program, Programon the Lille campus (currently pursuing a dual degree with Georgia Tech), volunteers for an association called the CMCF Centre de la Mine et du Chemin de Fer de Oignies (62). The goal of this association of enthusiasts? To restore and restart the extraction machine in pit 2, located in the Denis-Papin center in Oignies and classified as a historic monument.
This association also builds model railways of all scales and restores railway equipment from northern France.
A connection with the school was established thanks to the workshop teachers.
At the time, this machine was used to operate the cable that ran to the trestle and then descended vertically to the bottom of the mine, 500 meters underground. Out of service since November 10, 1976, it is now "blocked" and requires a number of repairs and interventions before it can be restarted: each part must be dismantled, cleaned, and lubricated in order to minimize friction and the force required to set the machine in motion.
This is where the link with the school was forged, thanks to the workshop teachers, notably Maurice LEPOIVRE, Jérôme GAVOIS, and Philippe CARPENTIER, who gave Quentin lots of advice on dismantling certain parts and maintenance methods, and shared their technical knowledge of systems that are rarely used today, or even specific to this machine.
Project successes and next steps
The next major step in this project will be to lift the main shaft in order to rebuild the oil cushion of the plain bearings under the shaft.
Quentin says: "One of our recent major successes was the rotation of one of the machine's drums. As one of the drums could be 'disengaged', Mr. LEPOIVRE, during a site visit, advised the team to work on this part to reduce the machine's inertia and thus the force required to turn the whole unit. It should be noted that the entire axle weighs 156 tons and the drum in question weighs 66 tons. You can find a video of this drum in motion on the club's Facebook page: https://fb.watch/fwGeehN1eT/ "
A project that provided Quentin with new skills
This personal and technical project enabled Quentin to acquire and develop numerous skills in analysis and problem solving, decision making (he is the project manager), as well as in documentary research, feasibility, and manufacturing: "With the team, we had to think about and design specific tools to remove certain parts,"explains Quentin. Finally, he was able to develop communication skills during various exchanges with the town hall, the media, and historic monuments. He concludes, " This project allows me to apply and deepen what I have learned at school in a concrete and historical context."
We congratulate him for his commitment and involvement in this wonderful project with his association!
We will be sure to keep you informed of the progress of their work, as well as the inauguration date of the extraction machine.
