A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

No4 Sub-Area, No4 Area, East Midlands Division, NCB from 1st January 1947

Page - 14 -

Jul 1958

Tues 1 … U/g … 60s and 110s dial surveys and measuring, 5 gates … 3 men (MS, RB, RE) - (395 + 22 u/g)

Wed 2 … Technical College … Field Trip to Dale Abbey cancelled.

Thurs 3 … 60s and 110s levels plotted.  Scaling tracings for half year.

Fri 4 … Office … Typing levels etc. Progress folders.

Mon 7 … U/g … 80s dial survey and measurements … 3 men (RB*. RE, BH)  

Tues 8 … U/g … 100s dial survey, 3 gates … 4 men (MS, RB, GB, RW)

Wed 9 … Technical College … Film show … Tellurometer instrument.

Thurs 10 … Off

Fri 11 … Checked scalings … o.k. Plotted 80s and 100s panels and stippled same. 1/5000 plans. R & FF base plan made up to date. Progress folders.

Mon 14 … Office … Several sets of R & FF prints coloured.

Tues 15 … U/g … 1s W/loo dial survey, pins re-established in 1s LH (RB*, RE, BH) Crush conditions

Wed 16 … U/g … Checking bases in Pit bottom in readiness for Correlation … 5 men (C Skeavington, Mal Smith, Jim Hanson, Jack Brown, RB)

Thurs 17 … Office … Manager’s plans to date.
Surface … Standardising steel bands on Silverhill baths roof … 3 men (C Skeavington, MS, RB)

Fri 18 … Surface … Levelled to borehole in Teversal Village … 2 men (RB*, GB)

Sat 19 … Surface … Hanging piano wires down No1 DC shaft (Saturday) … 6 men (C Skeavington, JW, CB, RB,GB, RW)       

Pit Holidays Mon 21 July to Sat 2 Aug

In charge … Mal Smith holiday for 2 weeks (missed the Correlation but would use the results and method for his RICS exam)

Sun 20 … U/g … Weisbach correlation at Teversal No1 DC shaft (C Skeavington, Jack Brown, CB, RB, GB, RW) - (400 + 22 u/g)

Mon 21 … U/g … Weisbach correlation at No2 UC Shonkey shaft (Monday, pit holidays) … 6 men (C Skeavington, Jack Brown, Colin Hardy, RB, Peter Holmes, Denis Jackson) 

Tues 22 … Surface … Base tied on to circuit … 6 men (C Skeavington, JW, RB, GB, DB, RW) …
Office … in afternoon … Glapwell Top Hard workings reduced to 1/5000 and 6 inch to a mile

Wed 23 … Surface … Triangulation angles (Watts 1 second theodolite) from satellite station and headgear station, catenary measuring … 6 men (C Skeavington, JW, RB, DB, RW, GB)

Thurs 24 … Surface … Theodolite survey to tie bases on circuit … 6 men C Skeavington, JW, RB, GB, DB, RW)

Fri 25 … Surface … Measured base in pit yard and angling with theodolite (RB*)

Mon 28 … U/g … 80s RH theodolite survey … 3 men (RB*, GB, RW)

Tues 29 … U/g … 100s LH and 100s DG theodolite survey … 3 men (RB*, GB, RW) (400 + 24 u/g)

Wed 30 …U/g … Dial survey from 1s DG to 1s LH for 2s thirling point, 2s heading survey … 3 men (RB*, GB, RW) … Surface … Sighting pole on No1 winding house roof re-fixed … (RB*)

Thurs 31 … Office … Ventilation negatives to date and prints, amended for 100s ventilation change. Calculated 80s and 2s surveys. Cleaned Watts 20 second theodolite.

Aug 1958  Jim Davies Undermanager retired (65) … Willis Bacon promoted from Afternoons to Undermanager

Fri 1 … Office … Finished Ventilation plans. Prints off all Manager’s plans for new set. Dust Zone plan etc.  Plan showing Transfer points for Cost department.

Mon 4 … Bank Holiday and Tues 5 … Holiday

Wed 6 … U/g … Theodolite survey down South Plane Road into Fox’s Scouring, checking bases … 2 men (RB*, GB) - (405 + 22 u/g)

Thurs 7 … U/g … Re-established line in Fox’s Scouring with theodolite, checked measurement in 2s … 2 men (RB*, GB) 

Fri 8 … Office … Calculating triangulation bearings for ‘trial point’.

Mon 11 … Office … Calculating triangulation, cutting points and triangles. Plotted for West and South.

Tues 12 … Office … Continued with correlation calculations.

Wed 13 … Office … Calculations of all distances to RHD (Reduced horizontal distance)

Thurs 14 … Mining report. Completed distances calculations. Updated overlay tracings and plotted 100s on Dunsil second copy plan. Coal sections for Price List.

Annual Leave Mon 18 – Sat 30     Bridlington

Sep 1958                 

Approx 7,500 tons per week

Mon 1 … U/g … 1s W/loo LH theodolite angling and measuring to mark thirling point … 3 men (RB*, GB, DB)

Tues 2 … U/g … 2s DG theodolite angling and measuring from South Plane Road … 3 men (RB*, GB, DB)

Photo:-  Rear: Don Burton (British Railways), Robert Wain new Apprentice, Brian Hayes, new Linesman, Robert Elliott, Linesman, John Wilmot, Qualified Assistant on Group Staff.  Front:  Robert Bradley, self, Senior Apprentice, Geoff Beastall, Linesman.

Wed 3 … Office … 6 inch Dunsil plans. Pleasley workings to date.

Thurs 4 … U/g … Theodolite survey angling down Dunsil North Main Road … 5 men (MS, RB*, GB, DB, RW)

Fri 5 … Office … Top Hard 6 inch plans. Stippled Glapwell workings.

Mon 8 … Office … Top Hard 6 inch plans stippled. Reduced Sherwood workings from 1/2500.

Tues 9 … Office … Calculations for correlation.

Wed 10 … Office … Calculations for correlation.

Thurs 11 … Office … Calculations.

Surface … Measurements at Skegby Old Manor House … Ancient monument … 2 men (MS, RB)

Fri 12 … Office … Group Manager Mr J Frith’s Wall plans to date. Composite tracing … Sutton and Pleasley workings.  Calculation of coal fillers required.

Mon 15 … Office … Calculating number of hours worked.  1/5000 plan updated.

Tues 16 … U/g … 1s LH and 1s DG and turned 80s RH, dial surveys … 2 men (RB*, DB) - (410 + 22 u/g)

Wed 17 … Office … Calculated and plotted 1s Waterloo on 1/2500, 1/5000 and 6 inch scales. Also Composite negative. Progress plans. Ventilation Officer, Jack Barker’s book to date.

Thurs 18 … Technical College

Fri 19 … Office … Updated Dunsil and Waterloo 6 inch roll plans. Title stencilled on Dunsil 6 inch flat sheet. Monthly book. Weekly progress folders and sheets.

Mon 22 … U/g … Catenary measuring across 40s DG to North Main Road … 4 men (MS, RB*, GB, DB)

Tues 23 … U/g … Catenary measuring down North Main Road … 4 men (MS, RB*, DB, RW)

Wed 24 … Office … 2 mining reports. Subsidence plans to date. Sherwood Top Hard on 6 inch plan.

Thurs 25 … Technical College

Fri 26 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers required on all faces. Monthly info. Conveyor belt figures, sections etc.

Mon 29 … Office … Completed calculations for estimate of coal fillers. These calculations were done all the time on Dunsil panels since I started work but generally done by the boss. It was imperative to measure on all faces where coal top was left up to form a good roof. It was plotted on the working plan. The lower the extraction height, the longer the stint. However a quick calculation … say 3ft 3in of coal, undercut 5ft 6in x 24 ft (8 yards stint) and then x 1.25 specific gravity of coal then divided by 27 (cu ft in a cubic yard)  = 3.25 x 5.5 x 24 x 1.25 divided by 27 = 20 tons per man per shift. Length of face 250 yards some 8 yard stints where top coal of about 6 or 7 inches left up and some 7 yard stints where no top coal left up plus three x 4 yard stints. Chargeman had only 4 yards, doing organising etc and fast end man with cutter 4 yards, and gate end man 4 yards to allow for spillage in his stint. So say for example 120 yards of top coal left so divide 120 by 8 yards = 15 men. 150 yards at 7 yards (minus 3 men at 4 yards = 12 yards), so 250 minus 150 yards and 12 yards = 118 yards divided by 7 = 17, so total number on that face of 250 yards long is 15 + 3 + 17 = 35 men plus say 3 shotfirers (1 per 10 men) and 1 Deputy (who also could fire shots). Output from that face would be app 620 tons per day. A 5 day week would give 3,100 tons but there were losses. Coal thrown into gobbing or used for packers, or gate spillage say 1½ % = 45 tons so a realistic figure could be 3,050 tons per week from that panel.
Also completed Top Hard and Dunsil 6 inch (1/10560) flat sheets.

Tues 30 … U/g … 100s theodolite angling and measuring … 3 men (MS, RB*, RW) - (410 + 24 u/g) 

Oct 1958

Wed 1 … U/g … 60s and 110s dial surveys, 5 gates … 4 men (RB*, RE, DB, RW).

Office … Calculated same.

Thurs 2 … Technical College.

Fri 3 … Office … Plotting 60s and 110s on plans. Scaling tracings for check on coal tonnages.

Mon 6 … Office … Scaling tracings. Calculated 100s district theodolite surveys.

Tues 7 … U/g … 80s and 100s dial surveys, 5 gates … 4 men (MS, RB*, RE. DB)

Wed 8 … U/g … 50s dial surveys, 2 gates … 4 men (RB*, DB, RE, Alan B (AB) new linesman.)

Thurs 9 … Technical College

Fri 10 … Levels copied and plotted on plans. Also contoured all plans to date. Plotted 80s district.

Mon 13 … Updated 1/5000 and 6 inch flat sheets. R & FF tracings. Sutton and Teversal progress. Deputy’s Districts, Egress, General Purpose, Electrical and Ventilation negatives. Manager’s tracings to date.

Tues 14 … Office … Continued Manager’s tracings and others.

Wed 15 … Office … John Morris, Electrician’s plans to date. Manager’s Deputy’s Districts.
In afternoon … Bi-annual Meeting of Surveyors at Bentinck Welfare … Subtense bar ….Derek Degg

Thurs 16 … Technical College

Fri 17 … Office … Plotting levels and contours and Overlay tracings to date. Progress folders.

Mon 20 … Office … Sutton and Teversal progress. Copied co-ordinates into survey books. Print off General purpose and coloured for Manager’s 1/5000 base plan.

Tues 21 … Office … Rating and coal calculation figures with C Skeavington. Further correlation calculations.

Wed 22 … U/g … New 10s face line established with dial, 100s monthly measurements and sections every 20 yards on 110s … (RB* and Brian Hayes)

Thurs 23 … Technical College … Traverse using a Watts 5’ dial. 

Fri 24 … Office … Monthly info etc.  Catenary measuring calculations for Main Road traverses. Tuition to GB.

Mon 27 … Office … Monthly information. 6 Mining reports.

Tues 28 … U/g … 10s face line checked, also Fox’s and sections every 10 yards on 110s 2 men (MS, RB) - (415 + 22 u/g)

Wed 29 … Office … Checking gradients of conveyors. Composite 1/5000 neg. Electrical plans. Copying monthly info. Checking S 300 level.

Thurs 30 … Technical College

Fri 31 … Holiday to Tues Nov 4

Nov 1958               

Barry Bladon (BB) Apprentice started at Teversal, transferred from Pleasley (He would become my brother in law marrying my Wife’s youngest sister, but would divorce later).

Wed 5 … U/g … 1s dial survey, 2 gates … 4 men (RB*, GB, RE, BB)

Thurs 6 … Technical College

Fri 7 … Office … Plotted 1s Waterloo on 1/2500, 1/5000 and 6 inch scales.

Sat 8 … U/g … Pit bottom offset survey … 3 men (MS, RB, RW) (Saturday morning)

Mon 10 … Office … Progress plan for 1s. Electrical info to date with Vic Penford Charge Electrician. Printing machine adjustments etc.

Tues 11 … U/g … 1s levelling, 2 gates … 3 men (RB*, DB, RW)

Wed 12 … Office … Electrical plans to date. Waterloo levels copied. Pleasley Dunsil adjacent workings updated on all scales.  Plans and Composite also.  

Thurs 13 … Technical College

Fri 14 … Office … Electrical plans. Checking boreholes … some had wrong co-ordinates! Plotted some on Waterloo Overlays.

Sat 15 … U/g … No1 Pit bottom offset survey around shaft (Sat aft) … 3 men (MS, RB, GB)

Mon 17 … Office … Plotting boreholes and checking co-ordinates etc …
Meeting at Area HQ re Apprentice Surveyor’s Club.

Tues 18 … Checking tackle etc and maintenance.

Wed 19 … Exam

Thurs 20 … Technical College

Mon 24 … Office … Stencilling borehole information. Monthly information etc. Section sheets.

Tues 25 … Office … Electrical plans. Finished borehole information.

Wed 26 … Electrical plans, 2 sets finished and dispatched.  Sections of steel arches for Mr Gubbins, Manager.

Thurs 27 … Office … Technical College

Fri 28 … U/g … 40s catenary measuring … 5 men (JW, RB, GB, RE, RW) … Office … Progress etc - (420 + 22 u/g)

Dec 1958               

Tony Baines (TB) started as a Linesman Dec 14

Mon 1 … Office … Cleaning standard mine plans using cheese rubber and breadcrumbs. Progress folders. Contours plotted on plans.

Tues 2 … Office … Both Surveyors from Glapwell and Bramley Vale drift came to get Teversal workings and discuss. R & FF info for 80s put on tracing. Title on pit bottom tracing.

Wed 3 … Office … Gridded Waterloo sheet 43/ 4663 second copy. Traced surface for same. Reduced Skegby Lane from new 1/1250 plans to 1/2500. Sketch for 50s on 1/1250 for subsidence.

Thurs 4 … Technical College

Fri 5 … Office … Surface features on 1/5000 Dunsil finished also surface on Waterloo 43/4663 Second copy. Progress plans.

Mon 8 … Office … Progress folders. R & FF info to date. Plan for installation of Airdox firing at 50s and 100s.

Tues 9 … Office … Calculated and plotted gradient of new drift from North manrider to 1s Waterloo LH … 1in4.  Calculations for catenary measuring.

Wed 10 … U/g … 1in4 grade line established at bottom of manrider … 2 men (RB*, RE)

Thurs 11 … Technical College

Fri 12 … Office … R & FF info. Gridded a new 1/2500 sheet for Second copy 1st Waterloo 43/4664. Progress folders.

Mon 15 … Office … Progress. Calculating catenary measurements.  R & FF information

Tues 16 … U/g … 80s LH and 80s RH gates dial surveys … 4 men (RB*, RE, B Tinsley, and Tony Baines (TB) new linesman).

Wed 17 … Surface …to Silverhill office for info … (RB*) … Section of drift from Deep Hard to Piper for HMI   … why me?  Silverhill team too busy!

Thurs 18 … Technical College

Fri 19 …U/g … 1s LH theodolite angling and measuring … 4 men (MS, RB, GB, RW) 

Mon 22 … U/g … Checking theodolite angles on South Main Road … 4 men (RB*, GB, DB, RW) … Office … Calculating 1s district surveys.

Tues 23 … U/g … 60s RH theodolite survey and measuring … 4 men (RB*, DB, GB, RW) - (425 + 22 u/g)

Wed 24 … Office … Calculated 60s RH survey … Party at Welfare.

Christmas Holiday … Thurs 25, Fri 26 … Annual Leave Mon 29 and Tues 30

Wed 31 … U/g … 60s and 110s dial surveys, 5 gates … 4 men (RB*, GB, DB, RW) 
Manpower 756 u/g, 147 s/f