First and last skip installations.

[Wheldale]

Does anyone know which was the first colliery in the UK to have skips fitted in the shaft? Also, likewise does anyone know which was the last colliery to have skips fitted in the shafts?

I know Wheldale had them put in in 1949 and I think Barnburgh had them put in in the 1930's. I'm thinking it might be a Welsh mine that was the last colliery to have them fitted?

[philford734]

The last colliery to have skips installed may have been Sutton Manor Colliery, St Helens, Lancashire in 1985 or 86.

[mickfitter]

We had our skips fitted at Lea Hall around 1988 by AMCO, we closed not long after!

[John]

Apr 26, 2012 17:31:19 GMT -5 mickfitter said:

We had our skips fitted at Lea Hall around 1988 by AMCO, we closed not long after!

That's called "the writing on the wall"

In 1967 I recall our electric shop being fitted out with a brand new electric crane, one of the old Wollaton blokes said, that's what we had a year before they closed us down....Sure enough, later that year it was announced we were to be closed. The NCB had also spent a lot of money proving the reserves of the seam below Tupton, then starting headings ready for two drifts down to that seam. Would have given us another 50 years of production!! Not to mention the feasibility study and planning for a surface drift to bring all production to the surface via conveyor belt.
Makes one wonder how Hobart House ran.

[Wheldale]

I knew a fella who worked at Lea Hall, he told me that when Lea hall had skips fitted one of the contractors siad every pit they had fitted skips at had closed with in 6 years!

It makes you wonder about planning. Lea Hall was a new mine and didnt have skips fitted at the beginning where as Wheldale in Castleford was an old mine with a small output but their skips were installed in 49. I would have thought the newer high production mines would have been priority with projects like that?

[dazbt]

Monkton 1,2 & 6 probably fell within that six year closure after skip installation as well.

[Wheldale]

Yeah I think your right about Monckton, i'll have to look at my book! My dads family all worked at Monckton 3&4 till clousure in 66. That was a waste of investment. I believe no.6 shaft had 4 skips.