🔗114035[linkphoto]114035[/linkphoto][/link]

Thanks to pbripley for a fine set of photographs bringing back memories of the joys of advancing longwall faces in the late 60s early 70s.

This picture has got me guessing though. It seems to show some form of face end ripping/packing machine -but I've no idea what it is.

Anybody know?

🔗114035[linkphoto]114035[/linkphoto][/link]

Thanks to pbripley for a fine set of photographs bringing back memories of the joys of advancing longwall faces in the late 60s early 70s.

This picture has got me guessing though. It seems to show some form of face end ripping/packing machine -but I've no idea what it is.

Anybody know?

Got me puzzled too!
Just finished looking, what a fantastic set of photos.
I'd never heard of a buttock miner before (well not in this context!) either, until I saw the one in this set.
Was just going to send a link to a mate that worked on a trepanner face at Linby, bet he's never seen one either.

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Looks a bit like a Dosco Roadheader?

Looks a bit like a Dosco Roadheader?

I thing it's some sort of header/ripper perhaps but it just doesn't look right for a Dosco - not one that I've seen anyway.

Although it's got a similar rear frame shape to the one being built up in the workshop photo. Early one perhaps?

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It doesn't look like any Dosco that I have ever seen.
Not sure what the 'ell it is?

It doesn't look like any Dosco that I have ever seen.
Not sure what the 'ell it is?

Oh, good I was beginning to thing I was missing something!
What about the "buttock miner" though, ever seen one of them?

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Seems to be mounted on RSJs and well chocked in position, whatever it is.

Oh, good I was beginning to thing I was missing something!
What about the "buttock miner" though, ever seen one of them?

Joy long wall buttock miner brings up a few hits and images.

judging by the sliding props mounted all round tunnel lining, perhaps a road cutter ?

The item in the foreground appears to be a slusher winch. I think that what we are looking at is a large crusher mounted over the stage loader fed from a ripping table. The slusher would be used to move crushed stone from the rip into the pack area on the left.
There's a prominent signal bell in the picture and I think this would be needed because the slusher operator couldn't see what was going on in the pack area so would need a mate stationed a little way onto the face to govern the movement of the slusher bucket.

Id go with a crusher too, though in my 40 years mining I've never seen the thing in the photo before..... :blink:

If you expand the picture to supersize, you can (I think) make out circular cutting marks on the ripping lip face at 11 o'clock.
If the machine didn't do the cutting, it would be very close in for boring and firing?

As for the Buttock Miner, I have worked with things called that but they were really just a shearer working a buttock end.
That thing looks like an experiment. It seems to have a small trepanner cutter and then a chain profile cutter.
Never seen or heard of such a thing.
I did work at Moorgreen briefly but only for a week's course and sadly can't remember much except the bloke I worked with had the smelliest feet I have ever met!

I think Les is right about cutter marks on the face and I'm going off the idea of a crusher. I do remember hearing about a Peake Ripper although I never saw one. Could this be it?

Not sure if this may be relevant in identifying the machine type.

"Ripping Machine Addition

A ripping machine with mechanical arch setting and advanced head with stower introduced in Clowne seam at Bramley Vale drift (Glapwell) colliery (Derbyshire)."

Hanstead Colliery, Great Barr, West Mid's, which was just up the road from me, was according to people who worked there closed due to an experimental cutting machine, which cost several million pounds, which didn't work, perhaps this is an experiment too, looking at 'Heath Robinson' bracketry on left side of cutter seems to bear this out.

Interesting reply from aforementioned mate Mark from Linby:

"Moorgreen was the training centre for the South Notts area. I attended the training centre for a month in 1977. Training involved lots of classroom based film watching and days spent underground in training galleries. I also recall a lot of time spent in the canteen drinking milk and eating pit pasties while trying to catch the eye of the girls from the offices.
So to the mystery machine, i have to confess i have never seen one of these but i think that the guys on Aditnow are getting close.
Looking at the size of the Rings and lack of Stage loader i would say that it is some type of Ripper packer in a Supply / Tail gate working on a advancing face. It appears to have jacks to the underside i guess to alter the pitch and roll of the machine, and also a jack system mounted to the top of the machine i guess for positioning the Crown during the ripping cycle.These jacks could also be used to stablelise the whole machine when ripping and packing the dirt to the pack areas. Various machines were developed for this job, Cam Packers, Stower Blowers,and of course the old favourite a bunch of rippers with big shovels.
A brill set of pictures thanks for bringing them to my attention.
Hope i have helped.
Mark."

Another nice snippet of social history too.
As for the "buttock miner" I think Staffordshirechina's probably right with it being experimental - or at best one of those things that never caught on!

Nigel

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Just occurred to me, that I have an old early 60's training manual on mechanisation, that belonged to my Uncle Roy.
It includes some very archaic bits of kit, so thought it just might have reference to our "buttock miner".
It doesn't, but it does have a ripper photo of a Joy Ripper. Seems a rather similar device to the one that started this thread.
Fearsome looking beast!

🔗114085[linkphoto]114085[/linkphoto][/link]

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No doubt at all that's it :thumbup:

1960s does seem to be the right era. I remember the Peake Ripper being talked about at Lea Hall when I was doing my initial training on 210 Benches seam - which would have been about 1970. They had had one in that seam but gone by the time I got there.

I remember them saying that it made a lot of dust!

It has the arch setting rams and beam and a big fat motor at the back. It would account for the radial cut marks.
Best bet so far Mr C!