LOOKING FOR OLD HATES

[daz]

LOOKING FOR OLD HATES,
Such as……………….
Locker neighbours who never took their pit socks home
Early day shifts in winter
Afternoon shifts in summer
Canteens that run out of;
Bacca,
Cigs,
Bacon buttys
and pies.
Time clerks called Uriah Heap
Undermanagers called Jack Boots
and bath attendants nicknamed Psycho
One in one drifts, both up and down
Seams less than thirty six inch high
Seams over twelve feet high
BJD’s and AFC’s
Parkgate clod and Threequarter flamper
Fish paste breath
Monday morning longwall flatulence
Missing the last paddy
Knee pads
Redundancy.

[Clive]

Inspectors visits

[John]

ayle said:

Inspectors visits

Ayup Clive t'owd mate, hows things going??





Yeh Inspectors visit!!

Stone dust the gates.
Get that pull wire up to ripping lip.
Mek sure cables are well protected under lip.
Check all lockouts are working on face chain.
Get all those snap bags off GEB's!
Make sure all earth bonds are in place!
Last but not least, when he's on his way up main gate, I start through the face and down the tail gate and come back up the main gate, then I'll bloody miss his wrath!

[Clive]

Going ok finaly got intenet and computters sorted out.
At Grimebridge we used to ride in on trams, small 4 wheeled bogies you knelt on with one knee and pushed along with the other. Inspectors could never keep up. 'Why are you goping to fast? What dont you want me to see?'

Only bit of revenge after variour rollockings was seeing inspector go headlong into a pool of cold water when his tram wheel hit a sneck in the rails... But better not let him catch you laughing! ;D

Lots of other experiences but darnt post. On one visit a new inspector asked the owner for the toilet...Billy pointed to the field next to the cabin.... Within 10 mins he had stopped us running the haulage and brought the men out due to bad air which we subsequently proved was ok just that the drawer had put the oil lamp out. The said inspector had to leave his tram inbye and climbe over 24 full tubs then walk the rest of the way out of the pit...400 yards in 3'6". We had the haulage running next day but I bet his back wasnt up to much

[John]

3ft 6in was about the lowest face I worked on Clive! I know they had one lower at Bestwood Colliery a couple of miles to the north of us and our area HQ. Theirs was 2ft 6ins! God! I was glad we had 12 and 14 foot faces in NSW! Certainly beat the low Notts coal seams!

Funny enough, Brit inspectors didn't give us much flack in hard rock private mines Clive.

I relate one incident with the electrical inspector when he was down Boulby potash mine in North Yorks.
It was a safety lamp mine due to large outbursts of gas!
I was doing some breakdown maintenance on a Huwood Mk1A belt control unit, all this in the returns, it was a quarter mile to the transformer that powered it so I lazily just undid the two bolts on the small FLP plug and pulled it out and dropped it at the back.
I worked inside the bus chamber, corrected the fault, when who should walk round the corner??? You got it, the Electrical Inspector with my Electrical Engineer!
Thats the closest I've been to being sacked and or prosecuted. They never spotted my short cut!

[Clive]

The 3'6" was the height of the main road , that inspector was after making a name for himself. The next pit I was at he visited whilst I was working as a collier. We had 15' stalls with 2 men in each with about 5' of coal with a dirtbang about 18" down from the top. We used to get the bottom coal out for about an advance of about a yard, then drop the stone (Bing), pack it then get the tops and timber up with railway sleepers for bars and 7"x3" floor joists out of demplotion for props, the timbers still had nails in so no expence was spared!.

The inspector went into the next bord, we had got the bottoms out and got the bing out of the way, I thought we would leave it like that untill his nibs had been in, but my mate had other idead and set about his side of the face with his windy pick. By the time yon mon landed in he had a nice pile of coal down but was now about a good foot further from the last bar to the face than the support rules alowed. 'Well Well Well' he said looking at me, And do you want to keep your tickets Mr Seal? (Depts). So I got the blame and a black mark for what wasn't my fault. Therre was another pit where I'd chucked the depts job after the inspecors last visit as I thought it the wisest thing to do for reasons I'll not go into. The inspect told the owner he would be back but next time unannounced. And back he came when no one expected it. The deputy was in Gretna with a load of coal, no fan on and a million other offences. The inspect thought it was christmass and his birthday all rolled into one, he gallebntly lead us out of the pit before reporting his findings to the chief inspect and serving a million notices on us...So I think I did the right thing in chucking the depts job.

[limey]

You boys better be glad you never came to America - the entire mine is at seam height! At least you typically get to ride most of the way in and out. The strangest thing is to see them welding underground!

Thing I hated the most - showers that wouldn't adjust properly. Of course, after a while you knew which ones they were, but it was a bastard when all the good ones were taken - and you wanted to get home!

[John]

limey said:

You boys better be glad you never came to America - the entire mine is at seam height! At least you typically get to ride most of the way in and out. The strangest thing is to see them welding underground!

Thing I hated the most - showers that wouldn't adjust properly. Of course, after a while you knew which ones they were, but it was a bastard when all the good ones were taken - and you wanted to get home!

I am in the states mate, but have never worked in the industry over here.
Welding? We used to do that in New South Wales until the new Coal Mine Regulations came into effect during the 1980's, then it was banned outright.

Remember you could get dispensation to weld in the UK underground from the District Inspector, but he laid down such tight rules, it just wasn't worth it.

Anyway, welcome to our little growing group!

[limey]

admin said:

limey said:

You boys better be glad you never came to America - the entire mine is at seam height! At least you typically get to ride most of the way in and out. The strangest thing is to see them welding underground!

Thing I hated the most - showers that wouldn't adjust properly. Of course, after a while you knew which ones they were, but it was a bastard when all the good ones were taken - and you wanted to get home!

I am in the states mate, but have never worked in the industry over here.
Welding? We used to do that in New South Wales until the new Coal Mine Regulations came into effect during the 1980's, then it was banned outright.

Remember you could get dispensation to weld in the UK underground from the District Inspector, but he laid down such tight rules, it just wasn't worth it.

Anyway, welcome to our little growing group!

I did a fair bit of R&D work in US mines - mostly on dust production on longwall faces - I have the dubious honor of desiging and installing the first system to measure dust in real time on a longwall face!

They have some strange rules here that causes them to use multiple headings (2 or 3) on each side of a longwall panel/ But since they use longwall retreating, drive the roads at seam height and use roof bolts, it makes panel development very fast!

Haven't been into a mine in over 20 years - and don't miss it one bit!

[John]

My last pit, Angus Place in Oz, used twin drivages for longwall development. The second road was for ventilation during driving, then became the T/G of the next face. We ran retreat and all roads were bolted. The strata lent itself to extensive bolting, ie sandstone.
I left there at the end of 1988, so it's 19 years since I've been underground. I do miss it a little, but prefer the sunshine and mowing my fields from the tractor seat!

[abdaz]

AT LAST >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REUNITED >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What 'tosspottin' things these Proboards are if you are one of the desperate idiots that rely on the world's leading 'Tosspotters, AO flip floppin HELL' as an internet server. This has to be about the 4th time I have had to re-register because of incompatibility with AOL, each time I have to initiate a new Hotmail address to get in here then the place goes dead for a while, my Hotmail address isn't used and I get kicked off, to re-register is a nightmare because this sodding ProBoards recognises my AOL address but wont send me an authorisation code, it has taken me an hour to get back here, I'm madder than a mad under manager with a bad temper whose wife has just left him for the milkman, who is trying to get a broken main drift cable belt repaired at the end of a night shift on Monday...............................
and all I wanted to do was to assure Limey that some of us have in fact had a "pennarth of coal mining in the good old US of A," and found it delightful.
Special Heyup to Clive and J by the way.

[John]

Yep, Proboards hates AOL with a vengeance Daz, and ayup me owd mate, belated happy 60th Daz, I'll be there too in July.

[limey]

Uh Oh! I hate AOL too - the software has to be the most invasive ever devised!

Glad to thear someone else has had the delight of working in the US mines - they are very different, but the "blokes" are the same! I enjoyed working in a mine in Utah - they were longwalling in a 9ft seam! We told them it was cheating!

Looks like I am the youngster here - only 55!

[John]

Daz was a pit fitter, then worked for Anderson Strathclyde.

I worked in 12 and 14 foot faces in Oz, they are a dream!
I used to work in with the team and part of my duties as face electrician was to train miners on how to operate the equipment.
I've done my spell at driving a, AM500 shearer, got pretty good at it too!

[limey]

So, where are you now? I live just outside Detroit - and it is BL**DY cold right now!

When I first came to the States I was involved in coal exploration and did some work in Wyoming - they are strip mining a seam that is 120ft thick, and only 30ft of overburden! Makes you realize why all that underground stuff is hard to mine profitably!

[John]

I'm south of you, in Missouri just a few miles north of the Arkansas State line. The nearest town to me is a little one of Alton, around 800 population. I'm way out in the sticks! Great life on the land.

[abdaz]

"Glad to thear someone else has had the delight of working in the US mines - they are very different, but the "blokes" are the same! I enjoyed working in a mine in Utah - they were longwalling in a 9ft seam! We told them it was cheating!"
Hya Limey, I worked for a short while in Utah, at a mine that I can't really remember the name of (Alzheimers again), but I believe it was an off shoot of Sunnyside and seem to recall it being called 'Brastah' or something similar.
I also worked at Mid Continent Mines in Carbondale, Colorado and York Canyon in New Mexico, not really impressed by any of them, sorry to say.
At the Mid Continent mine I installed the first Longwall shearer PFF cutting drum system on an almost unique AM 500 Mechanical Haulage shearer.
I wouldn't push Clive about thin seam working if I were you, that lad has worked in seams so thin that if you were lucky enough to have ham sandwiches for yer snap, you couldn't have two slices of bread on it, you would never have got it through the face.
Great to see new life on this board by the way, welcome Limey.

[limey]

Yep - Sunnyside was the one I did work in. Before that I lived in Grand Junction, Colorado - it is a small world!

I'm no stranger to thin seams either - although the thinnest I worked in was 30". Being over 6' tall made working in thin seams somewhat unpleasant, but I managed although I don't think my knees have ever recovered!

Thanks for the welcome - "pit talk" brings back many happy memories, but I must say I don't miss going down that hole and sucking down coal dust!

[abdaz]

I had to call at Sunnyside whilst working for Anderson Strathclyde in order to verify that a shearer supplied by us was in fact in the surface compound, I can't recall the exact details but apparently Sunnyside refused to pay for the machine on some 'technical tangle', but Anderson suspected that they had installed it and were already cutting coal ............... Industrial Espionage and International Intrigue, we saw it all working for Anderson.
Living and working around that part of the world you might well have known some of the Anderson Mavor lads over the years.

[agumby]

Feb 5, 2007 22:02:16 GMT -5 John said:

limey said:

You boys better be glad you never came to America - the entire mine is at seam height! At least you typically get to ride most of the way in and out. The strangest thing is to see them welding underground!

Welding? We used to do that in New South Wales until the new Coal Mine Regulations came into effect during the 1980's, then it was banned outright.

Remember you could get dispensation to weld in the UK underground from the District Inspector, but he laid down such tight rules, it just wasn't worth it.

Anyway, welcome to our little growing group!

The rules got changed again in NSW John, fair few hoops to jump through but last relocation every chock had to stop off in an underground welding bay for modifications. had a team of contract welders on the job 24hrs a day for 11 days .

[agumby]

Feb 7, 2007 9:14:50 GMT -5 John said:

Daz was a pit fitter, then worked for Anderson Strathclyde.

I worked in 12 and 14 foot faces in Oz, they are a dream!
I used to work in with the team and part of my duties as face electrician was to train miners on how to operate the equipment.
I've done my spell at driving a, AM500 shearer, got pretty good at it too!

wonder if Daz knew or knows old wally, Walter I think his name was, short round pommy fitter guy who came over every Longwall move in the early 80's to assist us with the shearer rebuilds in the workshop. Loved his grog and went out nearly every night with dave peacock the fitter and the pair off them would come in every morning stinking of stale grog and garlic. Last i ever saw of smelly wally was that mining expo in the mid 80's at Lithgow showground.

[John]

Feb 25, 2011 22:26:18 GMT -5 agumby said:

Feb 7, 2007 9:14:50 GMT -5 John said:

Daz was a pit fitter, then worked for Anderson Strathclyde.

I worked in 12 and 14 foot faces in Oz, they are a dream!
I used to work in with the team and part of my duties as face electrician was to train miners on how to operate the equipment.
I've done my spell at driving a, AM500 shearer, got pretty good at it too!

wonder if Daz knew or knows old wally, Walter I think his name was, short round pommy fitter guy who came over every Longwall move in the early 80's to assist us with the shearer rebuilds in the workshop. Loved his grog and went out nearly every night with dave peacock the fitter and the pair off them would come in every morning stinking of stale grog and garlic. Last i ever saw of smelly wally was that mining expo in the mid 80's at Lithgow showground.

Alex Downey was the Anderson Strathclyde engineer I ever came across when I was at AP, don't recall the fellow you mentioned. Spent many an hour with Alex, a gentleman!!!

[John]

Feb 25, 2011 22:21:21 GMT -5 agumby said:

Feb 5, 2007 22:02:16 GMT -5 John said:

Welding? We used to do that in New South Wales until the new Coal Mine Regulations came into effect during the 1980's, then it was banned outright.

Remember you could get dispensation to weld in the UK underground from the District Inspector, but he laid down such tight rules, it just wasn't worth it.

Anyway, welcome to our little growing group!

The rules got changed again in NSW John, fair few hoops to jump through but last relocation every chock had to stop off in an underground welding bay for modifications. had a team of contract welders on the job 24hrs a day for 11 days .

Ironic it was banned underground in the new Act in the mid 80's and now they allow it once more.
I recall some chocks on LW5 having to have some major welding repairs done on them in situ. Everything had to be stone dusted, fire hoses run out on the face line, and everything hosed down after the welding was complete. Then a Deputy had to examine the are every 30 minutes and a fire team stand by for 24 hours!!

[tonys]

Feb 6, 2007 15:24:56 GMT -5 abdaz said:

AT LAST >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REUNITED >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What 'tosspottin' things these Proboards are if you are one of the desperate idiots that rely on the world's leading 'Tosspotters, AO flip floppin HELL' as an internet server. This has to be about the 4th time I have had to re-register because of incompatibility with AOL, each time I have to initiate a new Hotmail address to get in here then the place goes dead for a while, my Hotmail address isn't used and I get kicked off, to re-register is a nightmare because this sodding ProBoards recognises my AOL address but wont send me an authorisation code, it has taken me an hour to get back here, I'm madder than a mad under manager with a bad temper whose wife has just left him for the milkman, who is trying to get a broken main drift cable belt repaired at the end of a night shift on Monday...............................
and all I wanted to do was to assure Limey that some of us have in fact had a "pennarth of coal mining in the good old US of A," and found it delightful.
Special Heyup to Clive and J by the way.

Have you finished? I’m an ex quarryman. The guys on this board have been great to me. I hope friendship will follow. With your attitude……..

[dazbt]

Feb 28, 2011 20:15:20 GMT -5 tonys said:

Feb 6, 2007 15:24:56 GMT -5 abdaz said:

AT LAST >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REUNITED >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What 'tosspottin' things these Proboards are if you are one of the desperate idiots that rely on the world's leading 'Tosspotters, AO flip floppin HELL' as an internet server. This has to be about the 4th time I have had to re-register because of incompatibility with AOL, each time I have to initiate a new Hotmail address to get in here then the place goes dead for a while, my Hotmail address isn't used and I get kicked off, to re-register is a nightmare because this sodding ProBoards recognises my AOL address but wont send me an authorisation code, it has taken me an hour to get back here, I'm madder than a mad under manager with a bad temper whose wife has just left him for the milkman, who is trying to get a broken main drift cable belt repaired at the end of a night shift on Monday...............................
and all I wanted to do was to assure Limey that some of us have in fact had a "pennarth of coal mining in the good old US of A," and found it delightful.
Special Heyup to Clive and J by the way.

Have you finished? I’m an ex quarryman. The guys on this board have been great to me. I hope friendship will follow. With your attitude……..

Gulp !!!
I apologise to you personally if you or anyone else who is/ was/were or likely to be offended by my attitude, but maybe, just maybe if you read the 'rant' again it might just possibly be that you misunderstood the essence of it. I love quarrymen by the way, I could watch the Flinstones all day.
regards from an extremely friendly Daz

[John]

It's a problem with AOL we discovered at the beginning, I think Daz was getting a bit frustrated. ;D

When Proboards sends validation, AOL email see's it as spam, and so if anyone registers who is an AOL client, they don't get the validation email. A very large "PITA" to put it bluntly.

[erichall]

Oranges eaten early in the shift, especially in the Intake. The smell used to travel through the pit.

[ken]

I'm not sure how this started here, but there was one miner at Easington who kept his orange until the end of the shift and made sure he got into one of the front tubs on the man riding set. The shouts and moans did not put him off the custom. In fact he took great pleasure in it

[Sam from Kent]

We had a puffler (chargehand elected by the men) who was allergic to oranges and would vomit at the smell of one being peeled. A very tough guy who ruled with his fists. Being the cantankerous sort that I was, I bought a bag of oranges to work and taunted him with them. As I pushed them into his face and he vomited I said, not so tough now are you? Unfortunately, I liked oranges and soon ran out of ammunition, didn't I pay for that!

[John]

Cotgrave was smack in the middle of farming country, and Oh!!! the glorious smell of hay making in summer in No1 pit bottom at the end of a day shift!!

Clifton on the other hand was at side of the River Trent just south of the city, and we certainly knew when there was a "pea souper smog" outside!!