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Post by Wheldale on Oct 13, 2012 14:36:06 GMT -5
In the days gone bye of steam engines, how did the mines keep up steam for essential services such as winding and ventilation over weekends and holidays?
Was there a full time boiler man 24/7 even say on Christmas day? Could say over a holiday period the boilers kept up a minimal heat to provide limited steam pressure?
When did boilers become mechanically fed? And did such mechanically fed boilers require supervision 24/7?
And my last question! Does anyone know how much coal a colliery used a year for its steam engines?
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Post by John on Oct 13, 2012 15:26:47 GMT -5
In the days gone bye of steam engines, how did the mines keep up steam for essential services such as winding and ventilation over weekends and holidays? Was there a full time boiler man 24/7 even say on Christmas day? Could say over a holiday period the boilers kept up a minimal heat to provide limited steam pressure? When did boilers become mechanically fed? And did such mechanically fed boilers require supervision 24/7? And my last question! Does anyone know how much coal a colliery used a year for its steam engines? I think one boiler was kept running at Clifton, there was always one winding engineman on duty at all times, not sure about Christmas Day though after inspections had been carried out. |
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Post by bulwellbrian on Oct 14, 2012 3:55:56 GMT -5
I don't know but I cannot imagine a colliery with everything shut down. I presume boilers were kept lit up. The boilers would have taken a long time to light up an come up to pressure, I think they would have just been damped down at weekends.
Collieries varied so much in size that their boiler coal consumption would also vary. A large deep million ton a year steam wound colliery would need much more than a shallow 100,000 tpa colliery.
In steam winding days Gedling colliery was winding coal on both shafts and had a large range of boilers I think at least 10.
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Post by dazbt on Oct 14, 2012 5:19:17 GMT -5
THE BOILER ROOM "‘Keeping your boilers stoked meant keeping your men alive in the colliery because everything depended on steam’
Come and marvel at the largest collection of steam boilers in the U.K. These six ‘Lancashire’ boilers were built, then used in the open air by 3 stokers who would get through 10 tons of coal every day until the building was erected in the 1930’s to protect them. They worked day and night through summer and winter, even Christmas day to make sure that enough steam was produced so the colliery could keep operating."www.cwmdulais.org.uk/cefncoed/exhibits.htm |
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Post by philford734 on Oct 14, 2012 5:26:45 GMT -5
I was at Sutton Manor Colliery for a time in the 70s.
At that time Manor was winding two shafts both with steam winders. The fan was driven with steam as well as the compressors.
The steam was raised in a bank of Lancashire boilers, most where fed by shovel but a number had a chain coal feed.
The boilers where manned 24/7/365. it was a prized job to get.
There was also a small power generating plant useing the fines from the screens.
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Post by bibobs on Oct 14, 2012 5:59:50 GMT -5
Gedling had 12 Lancashire boilers from opening to 1960, when electric winders from Welesley colliery in Scotland were installed. Four chain fed boilers then supplied the pits needs. In its heyday over 70 winds per hour were achieved.
Bibobs
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