YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

The pictures below are of the steam winding engines at yorkshire main, They were installed around 1908 and were housed in long buildings called long sheds, they where not replaced until 1979. They wound the cages up and down the No1 and the No2 shaft to a depth of 905 yards for around 68 years. The pictures were taken in 1979 just before being replaced by the new electric winders and new towers that dominated the landscape for miles around.

 

The first picture taken with a fast shutter speed shows the No1 winder in motion, the dial shows the cage to be about halfway up the shaft, No1 was the main man riding shaft.

 

 

This picture shows the cage has now reached the shaft top, T/ top- B/bottom. This may sound a bit confusing to have a cage reach the top because there were two cages, when one goes down the other goes up, for the purpose of the winder the left cage was used to determine top and bottom .

 

 

 

 

This picture shows No2 winder in motion, this was the main coal winding engine.

The following are old pictures of the winding engines taken around 1911.

 

 

Many thanks to Trevor for sending me the following photograps of items he has in is possession from the winding engines at yorkshire main. The first is the brass makers plate from one of the steam engines, and the second is of the dial / pointer which told the engine driver were the cage was in the shaft. 

 

number 2 winding engine in 1930.

Thanks to Robert for sending in the following two pictures relating to the Yorkshire Main winding engines.

This photo  shows a steam engine driving a boring bar which is being used to rebore the right hand cyllinder of No. 2 Winding engine at Yorkshire Main in the 70s,   The contractors doing the job were Markham & Co.who made the engines originally