A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 16 -

Jul 1959

Wed 1 … U/g … 60s and 110s dial surveys and measuring … 3 men (MS, RB, DB)

Thurs 2 … Technical College

Fri 3 … Office … Check calculated 60s survey. Plotted 60s and 110s on 1/2500, 1/5000, 1/10560 and 6 inch roll plan. Progress plans. Copyhold tracing of 60s. Copied up monthly information.

Mon 6 … U/g … Grade line in 1in4 drift and head off 1s LH to thirl (using theodolite) … 3 men (RB*, DB, DH)

Tues 7 … U/g … 10s and 100s districts dial surveys and measuring … 2 men (JW, RB)

Wed 8 … U/g … 50s dial survey and measuring … 5 men (JW, RB, DB, TB, DH)   (460 + 22 u/g)

Thurs 9 … Technical College

Fri 10 … Office … Updated negatives. Dust Zones, General purpose, Ventilation, Composite.

Mon 13 …Office … Monthly book. Progress plans. Workings from Sutton, Silverhill and Pleasley on Composite plan.

Tues 14 … U/g … 60s DG, line for first conveyor belt … 3 men (RB*, DB, DH) 

Wed 15 … Surface, Silverhill base, standardising 3 steel bands … 3 men (MS, JW, RB)

Wed 15 … Office … Top Hard 6 inch contours.

Thurs 16 … Office … Deputy’s Districts. Area 6 inch new plan. Copying surveys to date.

Fri 17 … U/g … Points for doors in wall of pit bottom sub-station … 2 men (MS, RB).

Pit Holidays Mon 20 July to Tues 4 Aug

Sun 19 … U/g … Pleasley Correlation at No2 South shaft, Weisbach triangles with theodolite at Dunsil inset … 3 men (MS, RB, BB Barry Bladon) … and then continued same shift with theodolite traverse from Dunsil to Waterloo … 5 men … 2 shifts … (MS, Colin Burlinson, Jim Hanson, RB, Dougie Crofts linesman). This is where I had to walk across the Deep South Shaft on a wooden plank that the Blacksmiths had installed. There was a fairly taut hemp rope for me to cling to. I did have a shaftsman's harness on which was clipped to the rope, just as a precaution against me slipping. No problem going across the plank that bounced slightly. However after sitting in the blind inset for about 2 hours whilst my boss Mal Smith observed the 2 piano wires dangling down the shaft and doing a Weisbach triangle system or even been on a correlation previously. The pits in the old number 3 area used the coplane system which is a method sighting through the 2 wires in line, no calculation was needed at that time. He had never used the Weisbach System before and was finding great difficulty, firstly to set up the tripod in line before moving the theodolite slightly off line to create a very tiny angle, he was not really a practical man. It was pergatory me watching him as I could easily have done it several times in 1/2 hour where as he only did it once in 2 hours. It was important to complete the correlation as quickly and accurately as possible because the main fan was switched off and the manager was particularly anxious regarding possible build up of gases. These correlations were planned for every five years or so and had to be organised for all aspects, including the manager etc., 12 months before hand to allow the job to go ahead being as it was a closed pit on that day. Other observations were being taken by 2 other teams at the same time, one team at the surface and the other team at the Deep Hard pit bottom. I could see the lights from the pit bottom, about 200 yards below. Eventually the angling was finished and as Mal began packing up the tackle I set off back across the blank. I had been sat in the inset for couple of hours and my legs had set. The plank seemed to bounce now as I almost stumbled across the open shaft with a blacksmith standing by watching me. It was a very scary experience and fortunately, for me, it never happened again.

Mon 20 … U/g … Pleasley … theodolite traverse round PY34 Waterloo mine car and diesel loco circuit … 4 men (MS, JW, RB, DB) (afternoon shift)

Tues 21 … U/g … Pleasley measuring down 1in2 drift to Deep Hard Pit bottom … 5 men (C Skeavington, MS, JW, RB, Joe Holland)

Wed 22 … Surface winding line from No2 UC Shonkey shaft and line for new fan drift … 4 men (MS, JW, RB, DB)

Thurs 23 … U/g … Line on for cutting sloom in new 30s heading … (self RB*) … Surface … Levelling for new Washery site … 4 men (MS, JW, RB, DB)

Fri 24 … Office … Copying drawing of fan drift. Top Hard 1/5000 updated with Sherwood workings.

Sat 25 … Surface … Pleasley correlation at North shaft, afternoon, book and measuring and winches … 5 men (C Skeavington, Jim Hanson, Colin Burlinson, Peter Holmes, RB)

Mon 27 … Office … Manager’s plans. Ventilation. Copied monthly info up to date

Tues 28 … Office … R & FF negs. Manager’s Composite plan. Deputy’s Districts … bored 36 feet in 30s head.

Wed 29 … Office … Progress negatives. Electrical plan.

Thurs 30 … Office … 3 mining reports. Checking figures with Jack Brown. Finished Electrical plan folder.

Fri 31 … Office … 3 Mining Reports.  Dispatched Watts level to be repaired / adjusted.

Aug 1959
Don Burton (DB) left back to British Rail. Billy Anderson Afternoon Undermanager.   
Jack Barker retired and Cyril Ward started as Ventilation Officer

Mon 3 … Bank Holiday

Tues 4 … U/g … Established lines in new 20s and new 60s DG with dial … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH)
Tues 4 … Surface same day … Checking properties for subsidence (RB*)

Wed 5 … Office … 1 Mining report. Fourth time enquiry about Barker Avenue Skegby to SUDC. Looking up information re same.

Thurs 6 … U/g … Levelling up 30s DG for section … 2 men (RB, DH) … washout in face head?  - (465 + 25 u/g)

Fri 7 … Surface … Locating damaged water main Barker Avenue, Skegby  … Office … and mining report for same (RB*). Location of property. Waterloo and Dunsil 1/5000 negs. Plotted 30s boreholes and various sections across and along face heading … re washout. Progress. Copying levels.

Sun 9 … U/g … Underground visit to 110s Dunsil panel with my Uncle Jack Osborne and his Dutch friend Gerrit Groeneveldt.

Mon 10 …U/g … 2s Waterloo heading check with dial … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH)  

Tues 11 … Office … Deputy’s District plan for Waterloo, 6 inch. Gradients etc. on R & FF plans.

Wed 12 … Office … Top Hard 6 inch to 1 mile neg.

Thurs 13 … Office … Completed plan. 1 Mining report.

Fri 14 … Office … Monthly book. Progress.  Altering ventilation on R & FF plans for North side.

Annual Leave 1 Week Mon 16 – Sat 22        London

Barry Bladon (BB) Apprentice transferred to Teversal from Pleasley

Mon 24 … U/g … Checked lines in 1in4 head and other side thirl head with theodolite … 2 men (RB*, Barry Bladon BB)

Wed 26 … U/g … 1s DG and 2s heading dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (JW, RB, TB, BB)

Thurs 27 … U/g … 1s LH theodolite angling and measuring … 3 men (JW, RB, BB) - (470 +25 u/g)

Fri 28 … Office … Monthly information. Calculations for Waterloo surveys and also 10s Dunsil survey.

Mon 31 … U/g … Lines in new 20s heading and face line on 1s Waterloo … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH)

Sep 1959

Tues 1 … Office … Calculated Waterloo survey and plotted. Copying Correlation results into folder. Calculated 30s and 110s surveys.

Wed 2 … Office … Re-calculated 100s and 1s surveys to connect Main Road traverse. Also copied up into Area folder.

Thurs 3 … U/g … 10s and 110s levelling and taping … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH)

Fri 4 … Office … Plan for Bill Anderson. Re-calculating and copying surveys into Area folder. Typing levels.

Mon 7 … Office … Progress. Copying surveys.

Tues 8 … Office … Copying theodolite surveys. Referencing all calculations to note books.

Wed 9 … U/g … 100s district levelling and taping … 4 men (RB*, BB, TB, DH)

Thurs 10 … U/g … Levelling and taping across old 80s DG from South side to North side … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Fri 11 … Office … Levels on plans. Coal stock calculations.

Mon 14 … Office … Progress. Overlays. Contours. Section on plan for Wm Anderson. Info for new progress Quarter ending sheets for LH Watson Area Chief Surveyor.

Tues 15 … Office … Starting bearings and co-ords written in theodolite book. R & FF plan amends. Cutting down Astrolon sheets for Overlay tracings.

Wed 16 … U/g … Theodolite survey into 30s DG for bearing check and 100s LH … 4 men (JW, RB, TB, DH) -
(475 + 25 u/g)

Thurs 17 … U/g … 50s district final measurements and levelling … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH)

Fri 18 … Technical College HNC

Annual Leave 1 Week

Mon 28 … Office … R & FF plans. Scaling tracings.

Tues 29 … U/g … Theodolite survey across old 80s DG for thirling … 5 men (JW, RB, BB, TB, DH)

Wed 30 … Office / Surface … Adjusted Watts theodolite for collimation in azimuth.
Malcolm Smith (MS) left to Inland Revenue Mineral Valuers

Oct 1959 - In charge for 2 weeks

Thurs 1 … U/g … Continued with survey across old 80s DG, 4 men (RB*, BB, TB, DH)

Fri 2 … Technical College … Resection practice.

Mon 5 … U/g … 60s and 110s and new 120s dial surveys and measurements … 3 men (RB*,TB, DH)

Tues 6 … U/g … 2s, 10s and 100s and new 20s dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (RB*, BB, TB, DH)
(480 + 25 u/g)

Wed 7 … U/g … 30s benk heading, adjusted line in 10s LH and drift off 1s LH dial surveys and measuring … 3 men (RB*, BB, DH).

Mr Horace Gubbins on one of his rare trips underground had been to see 30s face heading due to the washout. I had been in 30s face heading then gone inbye to 10s and 1s before he came down the pit and was balance riding the haulage rope outbye after finishing the jobs, leaving the other 2 to finish off measuring and I was partway across a swilley in the Main Road where the rope lifted quite high off the rollers when Gubbins came out of 30s gate and caught me. I thought he would give me a right telling off, but no, he advised me to ride on the clip of the next run of 4 full tubs on the incline of 1in8 travelling at 2 mph and he stood on the back tub on the buffers. We made our way to the shaft bottom to ride the shaft … he did not know the way out to the pit bottom as he rarely went down the pit, so probably that’s why he didn’t get on to me. He was a right wily old bird, most people were frightened of him because of his coarse nature … I had to go to his Office to collect his Progress plans every Friday and return them when completed. He would always question me on some obscure thing to do with the pit and watch me squirm for an answer. I eventually got used to it and answered him with what seemed to be the right answer at the time and he never queried it then, and I got away with it, whether the answer was right or wrong I had given him an answer straight away without dithering. He accepted that.

Thurs 8 … Office … Plotting all plans to date.

Fri 9 … Technical College … Subtense bar and determination of telescopes and properties.

Mon 12 … U/g … 1s LH line adjusted with dial, 5 feet off line … panzer creep … 3 men (RB*, TB, DH).  I informed Willis Bacon U/m but he seemed a bit perplexed with the situation not wanting to stop the panel and take a pan out.

We had no idea at that stage how to control panzer creep, generally it was downhill with the dip. Half pans and another full pan were kept in the gates, so if the gate was a pan out i.e. 5 feet, the panzer was broken twice, once at the dip end and a pan taken out and at the top end at the tension end was pulled back and a pan put in. Of course this took a long time and of course the chain had to be pulled back and tensioned. Much later we found that by pushing the gate where the creep was going to eventually in effect make the panzer move uphill. So, a seesaw movement kept the gates straight and there was no need to break the panzer or put pans in or take pans out. It worked well but took some time to put into practice. Also gates could be pulled in towards the face by light cutting out of the stable hole and cutting deep up the benk. That required fly cuts to be taken to keep the panzer line straight. Gates could also pull in due to swilleys, the deeper the swilley was, the worse it became.

Mon 12 …Office … Inking in plans. Also Pleasley workings. Informed Mr H Gubbins Manager about 10s panel only 20 yards to go before finish.

Tues 13 … Office … Mining report. Making up plans and stippling.

Wed 14 … Office … Continued with plans. Rating data.

Thurs 15 … Office … R & FF plans … instruction etc. on colouring T Baines, D Hurt and B Bladon.

Fri 16 … Office … Technical College … Subtense bar practice.

Mon 19 … Office … Progress. Copying survey notes. Composite and development plans.

Tues 20 … U/g … 1s district dial surveys and measuring. Grade line in 1in4 thirling heading … 2 men (RB*, DH)

Wed 21 … Office … Plotting survey and 60s levels. Plan for Bill Anderson (He would become Undermanager at Sutton, before returning to Teversal later as Assistant Manager for development).

Thurs 22 … Office … Calculations with Bill Anderson.  Manager’s plans. Electrical plans.

Fri 23 … Technical College
Bernard Bailey (BTB) started as Teversal Surveyor, transferred from Cotes Park

Mon 26 … Office … Progress. Estimate of number of fillers book. Showing Bernard Bailey plans etc. and office routine. Discuss general and staff.

Tues 27 … Office … Manager’s plans.

Wed 28 … Office … Plan with Bill Anderson for his exam.

Thurs 29 … Office … Plan with Bill Anderson U/m.  Estimate of fillers required on faces.

Fri 30 … Technical College

Nov 1959              

Mon 2 … Office … Progress. Coal fillers, sections and sheets etc.

Tues 3 …U/g … Re-levelling 1s LH to thirling heading CTS S400 … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Wed 4 … Office … Electrical plans.   Levels.  

Thurs 5 … Office … Electrical plans.

Fri 6 … Technical College

Mon 9 … Office … Progress to date. Progress negatives. Development plans. Plan report sheets.

Tues 10 … Office … Progress plans. Copied 1s LH levels. Copied monthly measurements to date.

Wed 11 … Office … Second copy Waterloo sheet 43/4664.

Thurs 12 … Office … Composite 1/5000. Overlay tracings completed.

Fri 13 … Technical College

Mon 16 … Holiday

Tues 17 … Office … Overlays etc.

Wed 18 … Surveyor’s Home Office written, 2 paper examination at Doncaster … Passed

Thurs 19 … Office … Sorting out surveys to send to No4 Area HQ at Huthwaite for saving.

Fri 20 … Technical College

Mon 23 … Office … Progress. Started Installation of Electricity plan … Surface … Setting out gradient for proposed installation of Lofcos in pit bottom … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Tues 24 … Surface … Lofco gradient check. Setting out pegs for fencing in pit yard … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Wed 25 … Office … Installation of Electricity plans.  Subsidence plan up to date.

Thurs 26 … Office … Accident plan for l Lammin, Cutter on 110s … Surface … Setting out fencing and lofcos.

Fri 27 … Technical College

Mon 30 …U/g … Direction line on face head for boring machine for 30s washout … 3 men including Maurice Lamb bore master (BTB, RB + 1) - (485 + 25 u/g)

Dec 1959            
Jimmy Gilbert (JG) started as a linesman - Manpower 746 u/g, 146 s/f

Tues 1 … Office … Sections and sheets. Estimate of coal fillers on faces.

Wed 2 … Office … 6 inch R & FF Key plan and prints.

Thurs 3 … Office … Electrical plan for new 120s.  1/5000 plan showing 60s approaching Sherwood Top Hard workings.

Fri 4 … Surface … Visit to Dobson Chock / props factory at Nottingham (RB*) Measures.

Mon 7 … Holiday

Tues 8 … U/g … Grade line check with theodolite on 1in4 drift. (Day shift) … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Tues 8 … Office … Estimate of fillers required on faces

Tues 8 … U/g … Grade lines for Lofcos in Pit bottom with level (night shift) … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Wed 9 … Holiday

Thurs 10 … Office … Finished off Top Hard 6 inch (1/10560) negative.

Fri 11 … Technical College

Mon 14 … Office … Prints. Panel numbers on Top Hard 6 inch tracing. Progress etc. Top Hard workings on 110s progress plan.

Tues 15 … U/g … 1s LH and 1s DG and headings dial survey and measuring … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, JG)

Wed 16 … Office … Calculated surveys and plotted same. Made up 6 inch and 1/5000 and stippled. Worked out Warning lines for Railways for new 20s and 110s panels approach.

Thurs 17 … Office … Copying surveys. Progress plans etc.

Fri 18 … Technical College

Mon 21 … U/g … Grade lines for Lofcos in pit bottom using level … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB) night shift.

Tues 22 … Holiday

Wed 23 … Office … Conveyor figures etc.

Christmas Holiday

Mon 28 … Holiday

Tues 29 … Office … Waterloo plans for Deputy’s Districts, Dust Zones, General purpose and Composite negatives.

Wed 30 … U/g … 110s and 120s development dial surveys and measuring … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)
(490 + 25 u/g)

Thurs 31 … Office … Calculation of men required. Calculated tonnage from Waterloo. Sterilised areas plan.

Manpower 746 u/g, 146 s/f