No2 Shaft or the North Shaft was sunk down to the blackshale seam at a Depth of 641 yards. The High Main seam was opened out in 1942 from No3 shaft and the Pit Bottom Insert was completed after driving back to the no2 shaft. Longwall faces were opened out in 1942,1944,1946 and 1953 but in each instants this method of working proved unsuccesful. Water bearing permian strata lies unconformly over the carboniferous measures within the Colliery take, the interval between the base of the permain and the high Main being only 40 yards in the Vicinity of the shafts. Induced breaks in the strata from Longwall faces allowed water to percolate into the workings and Longwall mining was abandoned in favour of the Room and Pillar system of Mining with a 50% extraction, An extensive area to the east of the shafts was succesfully worked by this method between September 1943 and June 1956. The winding of High Main Coal at no2 Shaft ceased in 1956, Coal then being conveyed to the surface via a cross measure drift, surface to High Main, dipping at 1 in 4, completed in December 1955. Another Drift dipping at 1 in 4 from the surface to the threequater seam intersected the high Main in July 1965 and a Connection was made to 30's left hand gate for Ventilation purposes. By 1955 the workings were 1 mile to the east of the shafts and the interval between the base of the permain and the High Main Seam had increased such that the Longwall method of working was possible. A further extensive area to the east of the shafts was worked by this method, until 5th April 1968, when the seam was last worked. Three connections were made with Newstead Colliery High Main workings in 1962 and 1967. The High Main was worked continuously from 1942 to 1968 when the seam reached "Economic Exhaustion".
This photograph is by am500 and was uploaded October 5th 2008. © am500 please do not copy or distribute without prior express permission.
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