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Post by dazb on Feb 27, 2005 5:27:59 GMT -5
“Hello Mrs Thompson speaking……….sorry Dicks’ not at home at the moment, who’s speaking please?”
“Oh yes I see, South Kirkby Control Room, well Dick has gone underground at Woolley on a shearer breakdown. He went about two hours ago at one-o-clock this morning”.
“Sorry I have no idea what time he will be back”.
“Well yes I can appreciate that, but Wolley had a face stood as well”.
“Yes their’s was an hydraulic problem as well, it wouldn’t haul at all”.
“Oh your machine is slow hauling, well at least you are getting some coal off”.
“Yes I gather this AB Sixteen haulage can be tricky, Dick has spent quite a lot of time telling me all about the various breakdowns”.
“Yes I know I can imagine what the manager is saying about it”.
“Have the fitters tried everything?”
“Well you know, the basics, oil levels, filter and looked for any leaking pipes”.
“And still found nothing eh? Tell you what, get them to look at the pilot valve and see if that's sticking, if it is then tell them to put the haulage on manual and by-pass it all together”.
“Yes it shouldn’t be a problem the main relief valve will still protect the pumps”.
“Ok, well if that doesn’t work give me a ring back”.
“Yes good luck with it and if Dick gets back I will tell him that you phoned, bye……”.
..
and allegedly the machine was put into manual, at least keeping them shearing at a reasonable rate. Dick was apparently nearly as good a Dental Receptionist as his wife was a fitter, nice to see a married couple that take an interest in each others work.
POTENTIAL TITLES CONSIDERED FOR THIS PIECE WERE:
TALK TO YOUR PARTNER AND SAVE A PIT.
PILLOW TALK AIDS PRODUCTION.
WIVES CAN BE TECHNICAL TOO.
LOOSE LIPS COULD SAVE A STRIP.
THE WAY TO TRAIN-HER, CHECK THE STRAINER.
BY-PASS THE RAGE, CHECK THE GAUGE.
CHECK YER OIL LEVEL AND CALL ME BACK.
CARING WIVES AND PILOT VALVES.
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Clive
Shotfirer.
Posts: 168
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Post by Clive on Feb 27, 2005 17:00:31 GMT -5
That was brilliant To be directly the opposit the survayor rang up during the week and the first wife never told me. So he trails up from Burton on trent to near Burnley and sits waiting all day for the deputy who never arrived.
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Post by erichall on Oct 28, 2010 12:28:33 GMT -5
Had an excellent workman who was invariably working Sat Sun. he was an excellent man who could be trusted to always turn up and put in a full shift. Also a superb machineman able to handle any machine put in front of him.
On a Sunday, he would come out of the pit, having done his shift, shower, and straight into the Pub. You could always rely on him, especially for the 'unwanted' shifts. I have frequently had to ring him at home if a job was running over schedule and I wanted it going for Mon. morning. Often, his wife would answer the phone. 'Jim in?' i'd ask. It had happened so frequently she knew my voice. 'No, but what time do you want him?' On being told, she'd say 'I'd better get his Yorkshires on (his puddings)then, he'll be there!' And he always was.
Some time after we'd both retired , the County Council were laying a public footpath some 500yards long. They had diggers, JCB's, lorries, temp.traffic lights on a major road, and were taking weeks. As they were driving past one day she looked in disgust, turned to her husband, and said 'Look at that. At High Moor, Hall'y (myself, his undermanager) would have given thee and thy mate a shovel apiece, told thee what he wanted and said that tha' could go when it were done.' 'not likely, said Jim, he wouldn't let us go that soon'
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Post by John on Oct 28, 2010 12:34:50 GMT -5
Had an excellent workman who was invariably working Sat Sun. he was an excellent man who could be trusted to always turn up and put in a full shift. Also a superb machineman able to handle any machine put in front of him. On a Sunday, he would come out of the pit, having done his shift, shower, and straight into the Pub. You could always rely on him, especially for the 'unwanted' shifts. I have frequently had to ring him at home if a job was running over schedule and I wanted it going for Mon. morning. Often, his wife would answer the phone. 'Jim in?' i'd ask. It had happened so frequently she knew my voice. 'No, but what time do you want him?' On being told, she'd say 'I'd better get his Yorkshires on (his puddings)then, he'll be there!' And he always was. Some time after we'd both retired , the County Council were laying a public footpath some 500yards long. They had diggers, JCB's, lorries, temp.traffic lights on a major road, and were taking weeks. As they were driving past one day she looked in disgust, turned to her husband, and said 'Look at that. At High Moor, Hall'y (myself, his undermanager) would have given thee and thy mate a shovel apiece, told thee what he wanted and said that tha' could go when it were done.' 'not likely, said Jim, he wouldn't let us go that soon' There were some quick thinkers underground, often burst out laughing at some of the quick remarks that came out, I'm sure many would have been successful as comedy acts. |
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Post by John on Oct 28, 2010 12:47:19 GMT -5
This one was one that happened in Australia, could well have happened in any pit in the UK though!!
Angus Place Colliery was in the NSW western coalfield, development was by Heliminers and shuttlecars in board and pillar method.
Longwall development was done as a chain pillar arrangement, so the left hand heading was the M/G for the next longwall panel, and the right heading the T/G for the longwall after that. The pillars were left to prevent excessive convergence.
The mine ran three production shifts a day, seven hour shifts change at the face, nightshift was a maintenance shift.
Two electricians were sent down to do some planned maintenance on the longwall conveyor, switchgear, transformer and cables.
They finished not too much before the end of the shift, powered up and rode out the pit.
Day shift longwall crew arrived and started cutting coal, nobody noticed the belt was running in reverse!!!! At least not until a few tons of coal stalled it at the boot end!!! ;D
Next nightshift, the two culprits were instructed to go to the Engineers Office at the end of their shift!!!
These two were comedians who hadn't a care in the world!!!
Next shift we all wanted to know what transpired, well we are nosey!!
"We walked into Kerry's office, and before he could open his mouth, we said we were sorry and it won't happen again" Kerry sat there with the wind taken out of his sails!! "Then we started blaming each other for what had happened until Kerry shouted, get the eff out of my office and don't do it again"
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by shaunmg on Dec 10, 2010 11:23:00 GMT -5
Another true story I witnessed myself
I recall at Cronton colliery few miles from Liverpool. A voice came over the Dac .
. Who’s got these F***ing belts stopped, (It was the colliery
manager on one of his rare visits underground)
. No answer.
. Repeated: who the F**k has got the belts stopped.
. After a further rant from the boss came the scouse voice across the Dac; Shut the F**K up I’m trying to get some sleep.
. Do you know who you’re talking too? Said the manager
. No! said scouser
. I’m the manager
. Do you know who you’re talking too, said scouser
. No! said the manger, who is it
. Then shut the f**k up said scouser I’m trying to sleep
I can tell you, working at a pit were half the workforce are scousers is an experience of its own
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Post by John on Dec 10, 2010 14:48:06 GMT -5
Another true story I witnessed myself I recall at Cronton colliery few miles from Liverpool. A voice came over the Dac . . Who’s got these F***ing belts stopped, (It was the colliery manager on one of his rare visits underground) . No answer. . Repeated: who the F**k has got the belts stopped. . After a further rant from the boss came the scouse voice across the Dac; Shut the F**K up I’m trying to get some sleep. . Do you know who you’re talking too? Said the manager . No! said scouser . I’m the manager . Do you know who you’re talking too, said scouser . No! said the manger, who is it . Then shut the f**k up said scouser I’m trying to sleep I can tell you, working at a pit were half the workforce are scousers is an experience of its own That story minus the sleep bit and main belts I actually witnessed. We were on the Mech/Elec scheme, me an apprentice working with Barry  Can't for the life of me recall his name now. But the shearer was broken down and we were waiting for parts from the surface, this face was on the old PLA, so the miners were being found contracts to keep their money for the shift. Phone rang, Barry lifted the handset and held it away from his ear, was the Manager screaming at the other end, "How much longer's the face going to be stood"!! Barry promptly said shut the ef up and eff off...."Do you know who this is screamed the Manager" "Yes said Barry, do you know who this is"?? "No said the Manager" "Good said Barry, now eff off"... I couldn't stop laughing for days over that one. Like I say this actually happened in front of me. |
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Post by spartacus on Apr 12, 2011 21:45:51 GMT -5
Another one I witnessed at Maltby Main.
A new undermanager came on 30's, and found the button man asleep. He was just a young lad, a lot of them had problems staying awake and normally someone "kept conk" for them... It was snap time, but this guy wanted to prove something so he brought his yardstick down on the kids legs a bit smartish. Button man jumps up and lays him out. Well that's always been a sacking offence...But when the manager gets up this kid has sat down again, taking no notice of him.
He thunders the immortal words "Do you know who I am?" at this youngster, who promptly snaps to the tannoy and keys the trigger. "Ere Yorkie! There's some tw@t in the loader gate doesn't know who he is!".
He got away with it.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 15:14:20 GMT -5
I remember one night being settled in on the cable trolley(spare cable for face advance) in the tail gate, me on one end and the sparky on the other end, deputy comes in the road and belts Jock the sparky across the soles of his boots with his stick, Jock looks up as the Deputy asks "Comfy?" Jock replies Kelty9his home town), grabs his stick out of his hands and breaks it across the girder and then roars"Now f**k off" said deputy was so taken aback, he did, and kept away from Jock after that.
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Post by John on Dec 4, 2011 22:29:37 GMT -5
I remember one night being settled in on the cable trolley(spare cable for face advance) in the tail gate, me on one end and the sparky on the other end, deputy comes in the road and belts Jock the sparky across the soles of his boots with his stick, Jock looks up as the Deputy asks "Comfy?" Jock replies Kelty9his home town), grabs his stick out of his hands and breaks it across the girder and then roars"Now f**k off" said deputy was so taken aback, he did, and kept away from Jock after that. I related a story somewhere on this site, I was about 19 or 20, and was sent to look after a development one night, I know I should have said no, as I was still an apprentice electrician, but it was a small pit and some things just went by the board. I was trusted by my charge hand. Anyway the jist of the story was the Deputy was fairly new and had come from another pit, he introduced himself when I reported to his district and led me to a pile of cables, here's your bed, I'll wake you at snap time..... Wow!!! He did just that with hot coffee from his flask and home baked cake!! I was in heaven! I later asked him how come he was this way. His story was of when he'd just got his Deputy's ticket, he was covering a development that was urgent, his electrician was my boss at the time just an electrician at the pit he was at at the time. Being a newly appointed Deputy, he let power go to his brain. My boss was sat around reading a newspaper, "c'mon, on yer feet and get some work done or else" Of course, my boss was like most tradesman, a little upstart Deputy isn't going to get the best of me!! He got up, knocked power off and started working on a machine...This went on for the rest of the shift ending up with no development work being carried out. End of the shift, this young Deputy had to front up to the Manager and explain why etc and got the B*%%$#@g of his life! After that, for a quiet life he started working with his fitters and electricians. Not very often one comes across those who make a mistake and learn by it. TBH, most of the Deputy's I worked with in the UK were pretty good and had my utmost respect. We had one at Angus Place, Australia, he wasn't that bad, but he could be a pain in the rear end at times. He upset the fitter one shift, a 6 foot 250 lb amateur rugby league player. One of the pushover rams had broken loose at the chock end near the main gate. It was now holding production up, the fitter was struggling with his arm between the ram and chock working blind by feel. The Deputy who had the nickname of Whizzer, kept asking him how long he was going to be. Al was starting to get rattled, what with struggling with the ram and Whizzer pestering him every few minutes. Eventually Al couldn't contain himself any longer, he got to his feet, looked Whizzer square in the eyes and said...."Eff off Whizzer before I toss you into the goaf" Needless to say Al was left alone to repair the pushover ram. He was a pretty good fitter too and didn't need hassles. My attitude stemmed from my NCB days. "how long you going to be"? "About ten minutes" After about an hour on a major breakdown, they soon gave up and learned not to bother me until the job was running again.. I was on dayshift, I must have been about 18 or 19, I was with Tommy Shaw, a great bloke to work with. Tommy was outbye electrician at that time at Clifton Colliery and we had been called to the outbye bunker a Sutcliffe Plate belt type bunker that fed a Crawley Stageloader which fed the main Cablebelt to pit bottom. There was an ancient "tombstone" GEB that fed the Crawley that had developed a fault. Tom had the lid off and was checking it our when the Under Manager arrived on site. "How long you going to be Tommy"? "A lot longer if you hang around Mr Ward" said Tommy. Nuff said, Under Manager went on his merry way and left Tommy and myself alone. |
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Can't for the life of me recall his name now. But the shearer was broken down and we were waiting for parts from the surface, this face was on the old PLA, so the miners were being found contracts to keep their money for the shift.