Ferneybeds Colliery

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by jumpy shore

Think back to Whittle Y58 tail gate (the supply road), this Hauler was at the top with an endless rope and lowered the set down on 2 West Winnings and hauled the empties out. Overman Jack Barnfather was in charge on the 0800 day shift (1978- 1983 ish). the brakes were hand operated and if the set came of the way you had to run to the nearest DAC (an electronic voice communication system to the non miners) then inform the operator to stop it by which time it was often a scene of devastation!

The Gloster Coal Getter looks to an engineers nightmare! 5 cutting jibs means 5 jammed chains, it looks like a pre curser to a shearer.

The slusher bucket system didn't prove very popular with the 'bumpers' it often caught in the floor and jammed on the roof knocking out planks and wooden chocks which brought the goaf down in an uncontrolled manner. I think they preferred the 'tripping hammer' method. It couldn't cope with 'rammal' it pushed the stone to the coal side under the belt and it had to be shovelled out. The wire ropes were prone to kinks which made it jump and slew as it went which was very unnerving on a 3ft face with no where to go!

'Rammal' (my spelling is a best guess at a word I have never seen written down) as I understand it was the term used for smaller stone that broke away from the roof, it looked like large gravel, brick sized stones and blue slates, it was very unpredictable and could 'hap you up' with out warning, particularly prevelent Whittle Y23 on the top side.

Splendid recall. I just need a memory jog and it comes back. Were these replaced with 'Blower Stowers' on the shearers? Or was the slusher a tailgate machine and the Blower in the mothergate?