Tony intends to have the dredge up and running for end of season 5 or season 6. Before Tony bought it, the bucket chain had not been moved for 30 years, and rusted together. The buckets processed over 2yd/min lifting paydirt 60-ft to the trommel. The best season the dredge had, it caught $5million in gold. The dredge's trommel was originally installed before WWII. At the time Tony bought it, it had not run in 27 years. Then in the 1980s gold went up, and the dredge was refurbished, and run until 1988, when gold dropped again, and was not used until Tony Beets bought it. The dredge was idled when gold prices fell. The dredge ran for for 22-yrs, catching $55million in gold. Spud: that piles into the bed below the dredge allowing the dredge to rotate about and hold in place.Bucket line: 130-ft long, 72 cast iron buckets, 660 lbs.Purchase cost: $1million just before season 5 by Tony Beets.Last used: 27 years before season 5 at Clear Creek Claim on Clear Creek. First built: 75 years before season 5 (1938).The dredge has no rudder, nor propulsion engine, and is maneuvered with the dredge chain, and dredge tractors on dry land to which it is tied to. If averaging $20/cu-yd for gold, then the dredge can run 24/7, so have $350,000/wk, ending with $7.5million in a standard 5-month Klondike season, but can run 7-8 months in a season.
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