Face conveyor drive from 1948. Virtually no difference to the ones at Shilbottle/Whittle in 1978?
Below a drive in situ. Different set up to Shilbottle/Whittle with the drive under the mothergate canch. I assume the mothergate coal is cut and filled with the rest of the face, with the canch dropped down as the face advances. Not as easy to get on the face with this method I would imagine, compared with our way - with the drive out in the gate.