1978 - Page 6
Warsop
The Deep Soft seam was developed at Warsop (North Derbyshire) after 4 years work, completed in October, an underground storage bunker and manrider was included. 1,300 men were now producing 750,000 tonnes a year from 6 faces in 3 seams. 60% of the production was to CEGB.
A Warbret pump packing system was installed at Deep Soft U1s Supply gate end, comprising coal, water, bentonite and cement in various % ages plus an accelerator.
Rapid Loading Bunker Was Commissioned At Thoresby
A rapid loading bunker was commissioned at Thoresby (North Nottinghamshire). A surface stockpile scheme was operational at Welbeck.
Loco Haulage
In 1950s North Nottinghamshire Area had 5 major installations of locos for pit bottom coal haulage. Now only one loco system existed. Up to 1975 no new locos were purchased but now new locos were required for manriding and shunting.
Branch Line
In 1968 the Upper Portland - Pye Bridge ex Midland railway line in Kirkby Quarries to Bentinck colliery Branch line north end was taken out of use and coal trains from Bentinck now had to travel south via Pinxton to take coal to the Trent-side power stations at Ratcliffe and Willington.
Seam Developments
The Deep Hard seam was developed at Renishaw Park (North Derbyshire) and the Yard seam at Sherwood (North Nottinghamshire).
New Coal Preparation Plant
A Coal Preparation plant costing £10m and the development of the 2nd Waterloo seam was completed at Markham in North Derbyshire.
Restoration of Tips
Bentinck
 A team within the Estates department for the restoration of tips was set up in 1978. At Bentinck 70 acres (28.3 hectares) of restored land on the working dirt tip were returned to the local farmer who cultivated barley on some 7 acres in 1977 and 20 acres in 1978. The Nottinghamshire farmer John Lee, and the South Nottinghamshire Director F Donald Davies received a joint Business and Industry Award for the environment. From a saleable output of 1.3m tons, 600,000 tons of dirt was produced. The dirt was conveyed and spread by Euclid TS14 scrapers and bulldozer.
All three steam-winding engines at Bentinck (South Nottinghamshire) were converted to electric by 1978. Underground, various bunkers were constructed, including 2 vertical ones of 800 and 1,000 tonnes capacity.
Also at Bentinck, (South Nottinghamshire) wire mesh 24” (0.61m) wide unrolled from a roller behind the shearer was fixed to the roof by a chock beam. Each wire mesh strip overlapped the previous and formed a good roof as the beams were advanced under. The same idea was tried at Moorgreen (South Nottinghamshire) and similar devices at Bilsthorpe, Blidworth and Harworth (North Nottinghamshire).
 New Pit Bottom At Bevercotes
A new pit bottom at the Waterloo horizon from shaft insets was constructed at Bevercotes and a 1,000 tonnes capacity vertical bunker was sunk.
Bilsthorpe No2 Winder
The No2 winding engine at Bilsthorpe (North Nottinghamshire) was electrified with a 4,000hp motor and a new engine house built. The steam engine was reported to have been third hand, firstly being from a steam ship when purchased by Stanton Ironworks Co in 1926 as a sinking engine for the deepening at Pleasley (Derbyshire) before being transferred to Bilsthorpe as a sinking engine for No2 shaft. It was never replaced. The old engine house was constructed with corrugated tin sheets! It looked and was an utter disgrace at a modern mine. The No1 winder was converted previously in 1978. A new boiler house for pithead baths and new surface buildings built. A further £6.3m scheme for a computer controlled coal preparation plant with a capacity of 350 t.p.h with auto blending, sampling and monitoring. The entire output of 800,000 tons produced by 1,200 men was transported to the CEGB Trent-side power stations.
Surface Seismic Survey
A surface seismic survey was carried out around Bilsthorpe. A single line East to West was supplemented by 5 other lines at right angles in order to assist in the laying out of future panels. The seismic operation was to determine faults with throws of say 30 feet (10m) which could seriously affect the working of the mine.
Underground Fire At Rossington (South Yorkshire)
On 4th September 1978 there was an underground fire at Rossington colliery (South Yorkshire), neighbouring Harworth colliery (North Nottinghamshire). Thick smoke was found to be issuing in a return airway in the Barnsley seam. David Clibbery (9849) took up his position as Manager on that day, so it was a momentous occasion. He had been promoted from Deputy Manager at Harworth (North Nottinghamshire) so he was experienced in such happenings which were quite frequent at Harworth and he had been promoted to there from Ollerton (North Nottinghamshire), another pit that had heatings frequently. Alan Ingham (6343) Chief Mining Engineer in charge of the situation was previously Manager at Mansfield (North Nottinghamshire) in the past.
Gedling Tonnage Fell
The tonnage at Gedling (South Nottinghamshire) reduced to 590,165 tonnes produced by 1,630 men.
NCB Chairman Visit Bevercotes
Sir Derek Ezra MBE Chairman of the NCB visited Bevercotes colliery (North Nottinghamshire) on 17th November 1978.
Archive Centre
During 1978 the NCB Archive Centre was set up at Mansfield under the jurisdiction of John Barlow the Chief Records Officer. A vast collection of 12,000 mining industry photographs were deposited. Under the Public Records Act 1958 some of the information had to remain confidential for 30 years.
Opencast Sites
- Copenhagen (nr Morton) Deep Soft Rider 2/1974-14/10/1978
- Furnace Silkstone, 20/5/1978
- Golden Valley Silkstone, Yard, 24/2/1977-22/7/1978 and 14/6/1978-11/8/1978
- Meadow Lane Alfreton, 2nd Waterloo 2/9/1978, incidental coal
- Newgate II Cockleshell, Tupton and Threequarter seams (Oct 1975-Oct 1978)
- Shipley South and North West 1st Waterloo Lower, Waterloo Marker, 2nd Waterloo Upper, 2nd Waterloo Lower, 3rd Waterloo, Dunsil 22/9/1978
- Swanwick Colliery site, (Derbyshire County Council), High Hazles, Brinsley Thin, Low Bright, Main Bright 11/3/1977-18/5/1978
|
