More photos uploaded. The album is getting a wee bit large now. Of course the album shows the latest pictures first, so looking at them in reverse order might be better!:lol:

I'll make a separate album for the overwinders to avoid any more clutter.

Grahami

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Some very nice images of a fine engine, thanks.:)

I notice what appear to be micro switches in this image, do they activate forward reverse lamps or some other purpose?

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/Photo/Undercroft-2_100561/ 

There were various micro-switches on the WM controller as well - I would imagine that they would have activated a large number of illuminated displays to show the current situation - I did not notice any display boards such as those at Sutton Manor during my visit, and my photos don't show any, but there must have been some for shaft signalling etc.

I've also uploaded an explanation of the Worsley Mesnes controller, for those who like these things. I have a lot of information on the various overwinders and brake engines, which are not relevant to this specific engine, but I'll upload them eventually.

Grahami

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Your photos & upload of the overwind controller brought back some happy memories.
I visited Whitfield with my Grandad in the early 80's. He'd previously been the foreman blacksmith at the nearby Sneyd colliery & heavily involved in the shaft work there.
His eyes lit up on seeing that controller & he spent the next 1/2hr explaining how it worked & how to set one up! I can't say I fully understood it but it made fascinating listening.
I also recall him once spending an hour or so, explaining to me the best way to re-bucket a slack elevator - magic!

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Interesting - Arnold Ray of Sneyd Collieries Ltd was involved with G.E.C (Ex-Fraser & Chalmers) in patenting improvements to the original F&C / F.L.Whitmore overwinder controller in the 1930s.

Grahami

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Now added a scan of an original metrovick-Lilly descriptive leaflet for the "Protective System" as they called it to the Chatterly Whitfield page. Seemed appropriate as they had a couple on display.

Grahami

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Your photos & upload of the overwind controller brought back some happy memories.
I visited Whitfield with my Grandad in the early 80's. He'd previously been the foreman blacksmith at the nearby Sneyd colliery & heavily involved in the shaft work there.
His eyes lit up on seeing that controller & he spent the next 1/2hr explaining how it worked & how to set one up! I can't say I fully understood it but it made fascinating listening.
I also recall him once spending an hour or so, explaining to me the best way to re-bucket a slack elevator - magic!

great example of how mining was a bit different to other industries! can you imagine a village blacksmith being switched on regarding mechanical controls like that, for all that they were clever chaps! the modern equivalent, the welder fabricator doesnt tend to get training in those fields either unless its on the way to becoming an engineer proper, rare enough now. there would probably be a chap with a degree in that role already!

Interesting - Arnold Ray of Sneyd Collieries Ltd was involved with G.E.C (Ex-Fraser & Chalmers) in patenting improvements to the original F&C / F.L.Whitmore overwinder controller in the 1930s.

Grahami

I remember my granddad mentioning Arnold Ray, so I asked my mum tonight if she could recall him.
Unfortunately, all she could remember was that he was one of the management team & a share holder.
I doesn't surprise me that Sneyd was involved something like this. They saw themselves as very much "cutting edge" from an engineering point of view.
Amongst some their innovations was a hydraulic cage decking and loading system, which unloaded/loaded tubs from 3 decks simultaneously. All powered from the backpressure of the rising main going up the pit.
They also were one of the first adopters of "powder fuel boilers" using IIRC both Babcock boilers & modified Lancashire boilers.
I have some of the Sneyd technical documents, which my grandfather saved from the hearths. The owners having sent most of the company documents to the blacksmiths shop for burning, rather than give them to the NCB when the pits were nationalised.
If anyone's interested I'll see if they will photograph & post them when I have a minute. Unfortunately they are rather faded Xerox (?) type duplicates, some over 100 yrs. old, so may not photo or scan very legibly.

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I, for one, would be very interested. Please make the effort if you can!:flowers::flowers::flowers:

I have a number of documents on colliery matters (makes a change from slate...) which I really must scan and upload here.

Grahami

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I, for one, would be very interested. Please make the effort if you can!:flowers::flowers::flowers:

I have a number of documents on colliery matters (makes a change from slate...) which I really must scan and upload here.

Grahami

I shall root them out at the weekend & have a go.

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