Kent Coalfield

[Sam from Kent]

Dover District Council set up the CHIK project with details of the Kent Coalvield at:




www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/intro.asp

[John]

OK I see you "cracked it" ;D

[Sam from Kent]

Tilmanstone worked two seams at 1560' the Beresford Seam and latterly at 3033' the Millyard seam. When the pit closed, an industrial estate was built on the site and, as Chairman of the Parish Council, I was asked to recommend a name for one of the roads, so I suggested Millyard Way, which was accepted. Some years later an extension was built o the site and the occupiers asked us to recommend a name, so, obviously, I suggested Beresford, but the company rejected this name as this was the name of their rivals!!!!

[Sam from Kent]

I worked regular nights with one fitter, Cliffy Smissen, who looked like, and had the mannerisms of Tommy Cooper.

Every night he had a packet of POLO's in his pocket, I don't know if you are aware, but there are an even number of POLO's in a packet and Cliify would offer them around, but insisted that you take two as otherwise it would "mess up" his packet.

We had a new undermanager, Dr. Mick Richards fresh from University, who when offered a POLO, and told the "rules" declined and only took one. We all looked on in horror With that Cliffy had him pinned up against a ring shouting "If I tell you to take two, you take two, otherwise you mess up my packet" Dr. Richards had come down from the South Midlands where to say BOO to an undermanager resulted in the sack, so he was shocked and did not know what to do. Fortunately, we soon trained him in the etiquette of working in Kent!

[John]

What was the predominant make of electrical equipment underground??
I started at a pit with "tombstone's" Both Met Vicks and other makes, with AEI/MET Vick geb's on the faces. We were modernising with the B&F SM2/2X's boxes.
Then after closure and transfer to Cotgrave, all B&F and Whecols.
Cotgrave had all FLP air cooled Brush transformers.

[Sam from Kent]

There were a few M & C
,s and some ancient SAiemens but it was predominately Wecol

[John]

Dec 30, 2010 15:02:42 GMT -5 Sam from Kent said:

There were a few M & C
,s and some ancient SAiemens but it was predominately Wecol

The only M&C's I worked on was an A600 GEB, that was at a gypsum mine, we had a lot of older ex NCB purchased equipment, even had an old Joy GEB!!!
Last UK gear I worked on was in Australia, Wecol A67 GEB's, I'd worked on those at Boulby, so knew them inside out. All solid state modules, sensitive E/L etc.

[John]

As a lot of that gear is now long out of production, I'll scan the manuals, schematics etc and include them on my website.
Some of the stuff was restricted years back, but with time on my side, I doubt B&F or Wallacetown will go after me.. ;D

[Sam from Kent]

Talking about the SEL on Wecols, I remember at Canterbury Technical College, that I innocently remarked that I had heard that the SELwas so sensitive you could touch a live conductor and it would trip the SEL without harming you. I was a naive apprentice. The Lecturer, Colin Steele, a former Unit Engineer at Tilmanstone spent the rest of the lesson, aimed directly at me, trying to ensure that none of us left with the understanding that this myth was true!!!

[John]

Jan 1, 2011 12:40:16 GMT -5 Sam from Kent said:

Talking about the SEL on Wecols, I remember at Canterbury Technical College, that I innocently remarked that I had heard that the SELwas so sensitive you could touch a live conductor and it would trip the SEL without harming you. I was a naive apprentice. The Lecturer, Colin Steele, a former Unit Engineer at Tilmanstone spent the rest of the lesson, aimed directly at me, trying to ensure that none of us left with the understanding that this myth was true!!!

Not quite that sensitive...LOL

I do recall when we had the newer B&F's, the model that followed on from the thyratron controlled SEL circuits to full solid state, they were way too sensitive, they'd trip out and a megger wouldn't register anything but a couple of hundred megohms, on testing the affected circuit.
B&F sent out a modification, with redesigned "suitcases" end of problem, that was for solid earthed star point and restricted neutral transformer circuits. I don't think, but will stand corrected on this one, they had any problems with "free neutral" ie multi point earthing systems.

[Sam from Kent]

We had a beltman at Tilmanstone who was always singing "Oh what a beatiful morning" whilst we were underground. Sadly he was one of the civilian casualties in the IRA's Deal Barracks bombing. He survived but lost limbs and was very badly injured.

[garryo]

Snowdon Colliery

Here is a photo of the Ground Mounted friction winder (Koepe sheave) at Snowdon Colliery. The winder was made by English Electric and installed in 1954. Nearby Tilmanstone had a similar winder installed in 1957. Bradford colliery in Manchester just pipped Snowdon as the first "new" koepe installed in the UK by the NCB. Not known by many people but there was at least two earlier ones installed in pre NCB days, these being at Plennmeller and Bestwood (John should Know about that one). A further two small tower mounts were installed at Ashington in the 1930s.
However the best known untill it was blown up was the single rope kepe installed in a brick tower at Murton colliery in Durham. This was installed in late 1920s and survived untill Murton (Hawthorn Combine ) closed in the 1990s.
A heritage group got a presevation order to save the building after Murton closed. But one day some enterprising developer got it blown up as as so often happens ended up as a commercial/retail park. Need plenty of those in the UK for all the unemployed ex miners to spend thier welfare checks in.

Attachments:

[John]

I wasn't aware Bestwood had a Koepe winder Garry, I knew they had the vertical steam winder, which has been preserved and is in full working order, albeit driven now by compressed air.

Anyone who destroys preserved buildings should be made to rebuild them to the original plans out of their own pocket on the original site and be fined double the amount of the rebuild costs. That would deter them.

[Sam from Kent]

I agree with you John:


Anyone who destroys preserved buildings should be made to rebuild them to the original plans out of their own pocket on the original site and be fined double the amount of the rebuild costs. That would deter them

Amost all of the buildings in the Kent Coalfield have been destroyed except for those at Snowdown which have been left in a bad state of repair.

There was a railway line from Shepherdswell Station to Tilmanstone Colliery which was taken over by a preservation society. It was unique in that it had a tunnel, level crossings and a bridge over a road, which apparently is rare in a preserved line. The District Council then removed the bridge overnight under the pretence that it was dangerous.

[bulwellbrian]

I think the land on which the kent pits was leased and when the pits closed was returned to th land owners.

There are a number of preserved railways with level crossings, tunnels and both under and over bridges. The Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales has all of them.

[Clive]

The plenmellor keope was installed around the time of the first war, i have some photos somewhere, though bad copies. If I recall right,the plenmeller (Haltwhistle northumberland) was also the first reinforced concrete lined shaft in the country. There was a bit of argi bargie at the time as a German team froze the area around the shaft for sinking.

Bold colliery also had a keope winder.

I visited Tilmanston in 87, the pit was shut by then but the first wifes Uncle lived in the village, name of David Dann.

[trainman119]

Does anyone know how many Austerity 0-6-0STs worked the Kent Coalfields?? If so what were their numbers?