Post by John on Apr 26, 2010 11:01:25 GMT -5
How far technologically would we be now if the industry hadn't been nationalised in 1947???
I don't think we'd be as far along as what we are now with modern longwall machinery, face and conveyor signalling/communications.
Would the "Bretby" cable handler have been around in some sort of configuration?? Doubt it.
Lets go back and look at the "achievements" under private ownership.
Meco-Moore Slicer loader, pinnacle of longwall mechanisation up to 1947. Taken many years to reach that stage, still further improvements were carried out under the NCB.
Most faces were still undercut by AB15's, best props?? steel friction props at the bigger better collieries, others still used the wood prop.
Still many pits pre 1947 had few to no conveyors other than a face belt. Haulage was usually main and tail rope haulage with tubs to transport coal outbye.
Switchgear, was limited to the huge gate end boxes pre NCB spec type. I doubt the owners would have invested heavily in R&D to improve upon what they had.
The worlds coal industry owes a lot to the UK's NCB/BC, R&D departments, Bretby and UK pits for field testing trepanners, shearers and modern powered roof supports.
The 1960's was an exciting time during the NCB's coalface mechanisation period, with many refinements in electrical equipment, introduction of electronics in safety and production. New ideas, sure they ploughed millions into pits, but safety and productivity rose to levels never before dreamed about.
Today we have 5M tonnes per annum faces!! We were lucky to be in the million ton club with five faces during the mid 60's! Let alone one million from one face.
I wonder what the next advancement will be. Gassification of coal seams??
I don't think we'd be as far along as what we are now with modern longwall machinery, face and conveyor signalling/communications.
Would the "Bretby" cable handler have been around in some sort of configuration?? Doubt it.
Lets go back and look at the "achievements" under private ownership.
Meco-Moore Slicer loader, pinnacle of longwall mechanisation up to 1947. Taken many years to reach that stage, still further improvements were carried out under the NCB.
Most faces were still undercut by AB15's, best props?? steel friction props at the bigger better collieries, others still used the wood prop.
Still many pits pre 1947 had few to no conveyors other than a face belt. Haulage was usually main and tail rope haulage with tubs to transport coal outbye.
Switchgear, was limited to the huge gate end boxes pre NCB spec type. I doubt the owners would have invested heavily in R&D to improve upon what they had.
The worlds coal industry owes a lot to the UK's NCB/BC, R&D departments, Bretby and UK pits for field testing trepanners, shearers and modern powered roof supports.
The 1960's was an exciting time during the NCB's coalface mechanisation period, with many refinements in electrical equipment, introduction of electronics in safety and production. New ideas, sure they ploughed millions into pits, but safety and productivity rose to levels never before dreamed about.
Today we have 5M tonnes per annum faces!! We were lucky to be in the million ton club with five faces during the mid 60's! Let alone one million from one face.
I wonder what the next advancement will be. Gassification of coal seams??