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Post by Wheldale on Jan 28, 2014 15:12:53 GMT -5
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Post by tygwyn on Jan 28, 2014 16:56:29 GMT -5
Interesting read Wheldale,
Sounds like that last Manager was one of the closure Managers that traipsed the coalfields for the next one to close.
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Post by Wheldale on Jan 28, 2014 17:28:12 GMT -5
The thing I found interesting was how the mine went went having millions of tonnes of reserves to being practically none at all in a very short time at all.
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Post by tygwyn on Jan 28, 2014 17:40:38 GMT -5
The thing I found interesting was how the mine went went having millions of tonnes of reserves to being practically none at all in a very short time at all. Aye,always before closure, Its been the case for many a Colliery. |
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Post by John on Jan 29, 2014 8:25:42 GMT -5
The thing I found interesting was how the mine went went having millions of tonnes of reserves to being practically none at all in a very short time at all.
Headings were being driven above the goaf/gob of 51's face, still cutting about a mile ahead, and just ready to start driving two drifts down to the Ashgate seam, a virgin seam not worked before. The seam was proven, good quality and thick....I think it joined to the Blackshle south around Cotgrave Colliery.
We had 50 years of working left in these reserves. New washery planned, surface to underground main conveyor drift planned and surface already cleared to start the drift.
Novemeber of 67, the pit will be closed in early 1968!! |
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Post by Wheldale on Jan 29, 2014 12:31:50 GMT -5
New Monckton collieries were the same too, brand new shaft with 4 skips, 150 million tonnes of god quality coking coal. Shut because of economic reasons after a multimillion pound investment. Criminal!
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Post by garryo on Jan 30, 2014 8:14:17 GMT -5
Hi all
I was fortunate to be at Houghton Main in about 1978-79, I was at that time working for Mathew Hall Ortech who where installing a new washery. At that time there was great optomism in the coal industry. In Barnsley area they were pressing ahead with three main concentration schemes viz Westside, Southside and East side . The first based on Wooley, the second on Grimethorpe and the third on South Kirby. Houghton lower level coal was going to washed in a new washery at Grimethorpe (all the lower coal was already being wound at Grimethorpe).
The washery I was involved with was to treat Dearne Valley and Houghton Main Dunsil seam. Coal from Dearne Valley came via a conveyor from the drift about 1 mile from the washery which was in Houghton Main yard. Dunsil seam coal was wound up the old downcast shaft which was fitted with a new (secondhand) 950hp winder from the Morrison Busty colliery in County Durham, The other 950hp winder from the Morrison Busty also ended up in Barnsley area at the refurbished Barnsley Main colliery which was being redeveloped as part of the Westside project. After commisioning the washery we stayed around for a few weeks training the NCB people.
Many years later I visited some friends we know who lived in Great Houghton and Barry (the friend) and I went to see the washery which was still going but by the look of it had seen better days.
Regards
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Post by tygwyn on Jan 30, 2014 8:59:19 GMT -5
Slightly off topic,but,
Garryo,
Mentioning you worked for Mathew Hall,did you ever go to the Glen Colliery,Rhiwfawr,Swansea Valley,
A Smallmine Mathew Hall purchased at around that period?
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Post by Wheldale on Jan 30, 2014 13:44:03 GMT -5
Hi all I was fortunate to be at Houghton Main in about 1978-79, I was at that time working for Mathew Hall Ortech who where installing a new washery. At that time there was great optomism in the coal industry. In Barnsley area they were pressing ahead with three main concentration schemes viz Westside, Southside and East side . The first based on Wooley, the second on Grimethorpe and the third on South Kirby. Houghton lower level coal was going to washed in a new washery at Grimethorpe (all the lower coal was already being wound at Grimethorpe). The washery I was involved with was to treat Dearne Valley and Houghton Main Dunsil seam. Coal from Dearne Valley came via a conveyor from the drift about 1 mile from the washery which was in Houghton Main yard. Dunsil seam coal was wound up the old downcast shaft which was fitted with a new (secondhand) 950hp winder from the Morrison Busty colliery in County Durham, The other 950hp winder from the Morrison Busty also ended up in Barnsley area at the refurbished Barnsley Main colliery which was being redeveloped as part of the Westside project. After commisioning the washery we stayed around for a few weeks training the NCB people. Many years later I visited some friends we know who lived in Great Houghton and Barry (the friend) and I went to see the washery which was still going but by the look of it had seen better days. Regards Ive got a pit plate somewhere about the Barnsley area reconstruction of 79/84. A lot of money was spent on linking lots of mines, new wash plants, drifts etc. There must have been a lot of coal to mine. Shame its all closed now. |
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Post by cortonwood on Jan 30, 2014 14:03:53 GMT -5
That investment money was loaded onto the individual pits and used to show heavy losses to make the case for closures.
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Post by andyexplorer on Jan 31, 2014 7:28:08 GMT -5
On the topic of collieries closing with huge stocks left
An ex miner friend of mine sent me this in a message a while back
" One of my mates was a deputie at shirebrook and on the last day of work at shirebrook he was on this new coalface every thing new shearer chocks the lot fitters puttin the picks in the shearer heads elect powering every thing up ready to coal then they were told dont bother its closeing all that money waisted must have cost millions i was told the chokes cot 1 million each it was a 12ft face never mind the shearer stageloader ect doscos in both gates what a loss "
I was also told Mossley common closed with massive reserves , Agecroft had just developed a 20 million ton face under Radcliffe when they were closed
and not forgetting the huge reserves of the Selby complex
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Post by John on Jan 31, 2014 8:32:00 GMT -5
On the topic of collieries closing with huge stocks left An ex miner friend of mine sent me this in a message a while back " One of my mates was a deputie at shirebrook and on the last day of work at shirebrook he was on this new coalface every thing new shearer chocks the lot fitters puttin the picks in the shearer heads elect powering every thing up ready to coal then they were told dont bother its closeing all that money waisted must have cost millions i was told the chokes cot 1 million each it was a 12ft face never mind the shearer stageloader ect doscos in both gates what a loss " I was also told Mossley common closed with massive reserves , Agecroft had just developed a 20 million ton face under Radcliffe when they were closed and not forgetting the huge reserves of the Selby complex |
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