1994 - Page 5

Ollerton Was Closed 1994, After 69 Years

- Continued -

Ollerton 1951 - Shane Phillips Collection

Ollerton was the first pit to have its own Coal services in 1947, where coal was bagged at a bunker in the pit yard, whereas previously as at all collieries, concessionary coal was tipped on the street and then had to be re-loaded and barrowed and then shovelled into the coal house.

Emergency drinking water tanks were installed near Draper’s Paddy road for ARP precautions.

Pioneering Experiments

Many other successful pioneering experiments were carried out at Ollerton such as

• Methane drainage extraction via migratory pipes in the waste in 1959 on 50s then one of the first with boreholes drilled over the goaf (at 103s airway) in Aug 1963 for methane drainage
• A Man hauler some 2,400 yards (2,195m) long to convey men to work in 1946 on 2s Main; a further Manrider (100s) to North side in 1947
• 622s East paddy with several roller turns
• A start was made on the Loco circuit for the pit bottom coal haulage in 1949 and it would be completed and operational in 1952
• Draper’s 3-rail paddy with passbye to North districts in 1955
• One of first to install Meco-Moore cutter loaders for cyclic mining in June 1948 on 10s North side panel
• The first in the country to carry out Full round firing with delay detonators in pit bottom drivages in rock in 1949 for six 100hp Hudswell Clarke Diesel loco haulage and 3 ton mine cars to replace the old system of inbye loading points and tubs and was completed in 1952 at a cost of £759,000
• The use of a Slusher in 1950 for dirt removal
• In 1953 there were now 4 separate districts to the pit and resources were being stretched
• Homo-tropal ventilation (with the flow of the coal) of some workings changed to Anti-tropal (against the flow of the coal) to lower temperature at working places
• By 1955 there were 3 manriders to transport men to and from the working areas
• On the surface a railway Branch line was being built for the new Bevercotes colliery
• First pit in the No3 Area to install an Anderton Shearer in 1957-1958, on 5sB double unit ex Meco face, the centre gate being abandoned

Planned Maintenance Began 1956

Two storey Pit-head baths for 1,261 u/g (600 coal face men) and 294 s/f, with Medical centre completed in 1954 and Canteen to seat 162, divided into 2 sections, clean and dirty sides opened in 1957 (the old canteen was in a Nissen hut up the pit yard)

Washery and screening plant costing £542,000

Pit bottom Double deck cages containing one mine car loaded by means of drop cages, electric rams and hydraulically operated Lofco creepers (Qualter, Hall and Co Ltd) and surface Tipplers

A new 11kv electricity supply also in 1957

Workings on the South side were limited in 1958 by the incrop of the seam to the water-bearing strata

Compulsory retirement at 65 was introduced at Summer holiday 1960 which then required men as at all pits to be trained as engine drivers etc as many of the elderly men did that type of job

There was 16,100 yards (14,722m) of coal haulage road in use in 1960

In 1961 Air breaker shots exceeded powder shots by 1,291 to 1,216

First Trepan/shearer 1961 and Trepanner 1961-1970

The installation of a 100 tons inbye bunker on 20s Centre gate to regulate flow of coal onto conveyors Aug 1962

Now 4 trepanners, 4 Mecos (Meco-Moore cutter-loading machines), 3 hand-filled faces

Introduction of further manriding facilities to all 3 major districts of the mine

A Deployment Centre adjacent to the Pithead baths was commissioned in 1962, instead of men being deployed underground in the pit bottom

There was 1 mile of sidings. The ex LNER and LMSR/LNER joint branch from Farnsfield, traffic ceased 19/1/1959 and siding agreement finished 1/7/1959

Dirt was tipped to the east of the colliery till 1960s

Installation of 2 identical Aerex main Surface fans at 139” (3.53m) dia for ventilation with 15” (0.38m) water gauge to replace the original fans from 1927

Inbye Booster fans installed to North side workings at 34s

Installation of Wild 3 leg walking chocks on South side 101s panel Jan 1963

Wild 3 leg powered supports removed from 101s and transported and installed on 105s face in a record 25 hours, 15th June 1964

EDP system 1964, last Hand-filled face (South side)

Last Meco-Moore cutter loader 100s, all other panels were equipped with Trepanners

1965 started methane drainage

No1 shaft incident

Introduced Shearers again at 42s 1965-1966

More powered supports installed on panels in 1966

Trepanners and Shearers 41s and 55s

NCB reorganisation, New Areas formed, now part of North Nottinghamshire Area from April 1967, Colliery Code numbers issued, Ollerton No9

Remote control of conveyors July 1967

Bishop packs at gate ends to divert the air and stop leakage into the goaf, operational Sep 1967

125hp Trepanner 41s and Bi-di shearer introduced 55s

Dynagex explosive used throughout the pit Nov 1967

Began Firing off the solid in stable holes Feb 1968

Fire-proof spraying of roadway at A2 conveyor road, Feb 1968, by Caledonian Mining Co...caused a temporary strike due to employing outside contractors

Planing machine installed at 25s with Double Ended Conveyor Mounted Trepanner (DECMT) in 1968 and M&C Ripping machine in 1969

Bi-di shearer at 42s Mar 1968

First Double-ended Ranging-drum shearer at 114s

One Face Deputy and 2 Gate end Deputies system started at 42s in Aug 1968

2 x 120hp motors to AFC at 55s

More white helmets issued

Self rescuers introduced June 1969

PABX telephone dialling system July 1969 and new Remote control of conveyors

Safety Quiz teams

100 tons capacity Bunkers installed underground on trunk belts

George Wimpey test Boreholes on the tip to reveal any water or weakness

A new Dirt disposal scheme with TS14 motorised scrapers in 1969

Surface Stockpiling scheme with ROM put to ground 1969

Overspill and centrifuges for washed smalls at the surface Mar 1970, up to CEGB requirements

Sump drift and shaft deepening and installation of 9 ton skips at No1 shaft DC in Aug 1970 to replace mine cars at a cost of £326,930 (the first load from the skip pocket by the way dropping down the shaft due to a technicality in the procedure!)

Trunk conveyors installed

More Methane drainage

Methane drainage pump installed at the bottom of Drapers Paddy road

5 of the now defunct 100hp Diesel locos sent to Welbeck for manriding duties

600 tons capacity Sutcliffe static bunker in pit bottom, receiving coal from all sides of the pit to regulate coal to Skip pockets

Record output in 1970 from Top Hard South side 114s advancing face, 57 strips giving 16,956 tons for the week being a European, National, and Area record (not broken for 8 years, until May 1978, with 17,003 tonnes by a face at Sherwood), Shearer then replaced with DERDS in Apr)

Remote control of underground conveyors 1970

DECMT with M&C Ripper and Ram packer at 109s

Sumping drum shearer installed at 58s airway and Jan 1971 and wet sumping-drum in May

Single-Ended Ranging Drum Shearer (SERDS) at 116s

Gyro-theodolite exemption from HMI for use underground by self as Surveyor, May 1971

The final one of the 6 Diesel locos sent to Welbeck

Compressed air operated gates in pit bottom

Installation of a Waffler on 20s and crank pans at 10s Loader gate stage loader Aug 1972.