YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

The following is a report made by the N.C.B in 1960 relating to the former Frickley colliery in West Yorkshire.

Modern view of the colliery.

INTRODUCTION

Frickley Colliery is situated seven miles northwest of Doncaster in the rural district of Hemsworth, within easy reach of the Boroughs of Doncaster, Barnsley, Wakefield and Pontefract. It is served by both the North-Eastern and Midlands regions of British railways which deal with its total output. See sketch plan of colliery location.

HISTORICAL

Sinking was commenced by the Carlton Main Colliery company limited in 1903 and the Barnsley seam was reached in 1905 at a depth of 663 yards. The shafts are 23 feet in diameter. The Barnsley seam was worked until 1934 by hand-got tub stalls when mechanical conveying was inroduced at the coal face. During the next three years the installation of face conveyors was completed almost throughout the whole pit.

Picture shows the first truck of coal taken from the colliery.

 

The total output was obtained from the Barnsley seam untill 1942 when the the Dunsil seam was entered in a small area to the south of the shaft piller. Since 1942 further access to the Dunsil has been obtained by means of drifts from the Barnsley level and two further areas to the West and East have been entered to work the Dunsil seam. Coal winding remains at the original Barnsley level.

Two Pictures of West Dunsil haulage road.

GEOLOGICAL

The general rate of dip has been proved to be that prevaling over the coalfield as a whole (1 in 20).The general pattern of faulting encountered in the Barnsley seam follows the pattern of the main faulting in the Yorkshire coal field.

SHAFTS.

Nos 1 and 2 shafts are 23 feet in diameter and are brick lined throughout and are equipped with rope guides. No1 shaft is the coal winding shaft and also serves as the downcast. The colliery is at the moment in the process of changing from the original small Barnsley tub to the larger type.

No 2 shaft serves as the upcast shaft and is used mainly for the winding of men, materials and dirt.

WINDING ENGINES

The winding engines for both shafts are manufactured by Markhams and the ropes are 6 and 7 inch in circumference.

POWER SUPPLY

The colliery power station produces the compressed air for both Frickley and South Elmsall collieries, it also supplies power to other collieries in the area as well as to the local village and the national grid.

Picture of Power Plant and Compressor House at Frickley Collieriey.

UNDERGROUND

At the present time there are three main areas of operation in the Barnsley seam, namely the north east, east, and the Hooton areas, in addition workings in the Dunsil seam are situated in the south, east and west areas of the take.

In the Barnsley seam , apart from one face which is equipped with a compressed air driven panzer conveyor and is working on a prop free front system, the general system of working is by orthodox longwall coal cutters and either face belt conveyors or face scraper chain conveyors.

After being cut the coal is hand loaded onto the conveyors and for roof control purposes, conventional type strip packs are constructed in the wastes.  The Dunsil seam originally was opened out on conventional systems as in the Barnsley seam except that the Dunsil coal was prepared with explosives.

In 1951 the first prop free, front face with an armoured conveyor installation started up on 101's unit in the East Dunsil area.

Picture of Dunsil main gate, 101s unit.

  This moved intially on a single strip of 2 to 3 feet per day but the rate of advance was intensified by working on first two strips and then three strips of 3 foot per day and at one time the face averaged fourteen 3 foot strips per week.

Two pictures of 101s face.

At present a change in the seam and roof conditions and the limitations of distance have reduced the rate of advance to between 11 and 12 strips per week.  

In February 1955 it becamse necessary to start off a face in the East Dunsil on the end cleat of coal and it was considered that such conditions would lend themselves to the use of an Anderton Disc Shearer machine working in conjunction with an amoured conveyor, friction type props and link bar supports.

The face has also given extremely good results and has moved continually at approximately 6.5 strips on two working shifts.

The haulage system at the present time involves 5 haulages planes, 3 of which are normal endless over-rope haulages, the 4th is completely locomotive transport and the 5th is a combination of locomotives and enless rope haulage.

Picture of Hudswell Clark loco in pit bottom area.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Within the next few years it is intended to concentrate operations so that the number of haulage planes is reduced to 3, 2 of which are relatively short planes, and to do this it is proposed to concentrate East Dunsil and Hooton Barnsley coal onto a trunk conveying system on a closed triangular loop at the pit bottom.  On the west side a locomotive haulage will service a trunk loading point for all the South and West Dunsil coal.  Coupled with these concentrations of  lay-out is the re-organisation scheme for the existing pit bottom and for the surface coal preparation plant, work is already well in hand.

FRICKLEY COLLIERY PIT CHECK.

FRICKLEY COLLIERY IN 1924