YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

The picture below was taken in 1957 and as can be seen the outdoor swimming baths provided by the colliery are still there,[Bottom of photo], To the left of the photo is the water supply ponds next to the cooling towers, The dark pond was an excellent fishing pond.

The next picture is of the railway sideings at yorkshire main in 1970, The pit tip can be seen in the background at the bottom of the welfare

This picture is of the stock yard taken in 1975 showing the oil compound, note the large mine car.

Again the stock yard in 1975 showing 4 rows of roof supports ready to go underground, The roof of the plastics factory can be seen in the forground.

Unknown coal face at yorkshire main with Gullick chocks and A.F.C.[Armoured flexible conveyer].

Yorkshire main weigh bridge, may 1975, taken before the new head gear was erected, note the NCB van in the centre of picture, often seen in the village collecting miners or bringing home sick men.

New winder tower being built in 1979, also the weigh bridge.

D20s , This is a picture of D20s return gate in the Dunsil seam, The bucket in the picture was used to fill the metal conveyer with dirt after making the roadway which followed the coal face.

X02s return gate in the swallow wood seam. Note the rope in the centre of the track and returning in the roof, This was known as the endless rope system in which mine cars were attached to the rope, the bell wires are on the right of the picture, these were used to stop and start the rope, by joining the 2 wires together a bell would ring telling the rope driver what to do, ie, 2 rings in, 3 rings out, 4 rings in bye steady, and 5 rings out bye steady.

Swallow wood road way, the track leading off to the left went to X02s district, Note how the weight from above has caused the metal rings to bend and bow, also the tin sheets have started to brake open. This road way ran throw the centre of Edlington .

 

The swallow wood man rideing conveyer. This was the entrance to the swallow wood district of the mine, The picture shows the bottom of the drift [hill] .Men would ride down the drift on the top of the conveyer belt and ride back up on the bottom of the conveyer.

Swallow wood booster fans, Because the swallow wood district ran so far underground, the air had to be pulled along by large underground fans,  I had the job of lowering myself down the steep drift leading to the fans to take gas samples. This large underground cavity was underneath broomhouse lane.