When the main drivages at Riccall Mine were completed and the connection to Whitemoor Mine was made at the South Conveyor Roadway in December 1986, the job of creating a coal clearance system for both mines was started. One of the first jobs in early 1987 was to make a connection with Gascoigne Wood to allow men to travel to work at the furthest point of the Gascoigne Spine tunnels. Amco were given the job of sinking a 66.2m, 1.2m diameter inclined access borehole.
The incline shaft to Gascoigne Wood.
This was sunk at the far north of the mine between the ends of the North Return and North Conveyor Roadways. The initial shaft was bored from Riccall Mine to Gascoigne Wood. A larger bore was made by pulling the shaft borer back up the shaft from Gascoigne Wood to Riccall. A ladder access was then installed. This allowed access for the Amco contractors to work on the two staple shafts, called Bunker 7 and Bunker 8. The bunkers were 57m in depth and 7.5m in diameter and were designed to allow 2000 tonnes of storage of coal if there was a problem with the Gascoigne Wood coal clearance conveyors.
During the final 9 months of the Robbins TBM South Spine drivage, bad ground was encountered and the drivage slowed up considerably. A decision was made to drive an heading West from Riccall towards Stillingfleet and make a further connection until the Robbins TBM South Spine was completed. This was called The Stillingfleet Connection.
Riccall Mine bunker area.
The heading machine used to drive the Stillingfleet Connection was the ex North Return MK2B Roadheader with FSVs supplying the heading. This heading was driven but was never used for it’s original purpose of coal clearance. The conditions improved in the Robbins TBM heading and it was successfully completed.
The North Conveyor Roadway Bunker, Conveyor Drivehouse and Bunker area had to be created.
The North Conveyor MK2B Roadheader was tracked back from the furthest point north to a point 100m from the new planned drivehouse. The Roadheader then recut the roadway, widening in the drivehouse area, dinting the roadway and setting large, square section girders for 300m. The Roadheader was tracked back again to the start of the square work. A setting platform, on monorail was created. The Roadheader then dinted approximately 2m of roadway, replacing the girders legs as it moved forward, creating a huge roadway section through the Drive House and Roadway Bunker up to the site of the Bunker 8 Staple Shaft. The Drive House was dinted again with a Dosco Dintheader to allow for the dimensions of the Steel Cord Conveyor Drive to be built.
Dosco Dintheader.
The final size of the drivehouse was 8m high by 80m in length square section roadway.
The Riccall Steel Cord Conveyor, one of six installed in the Selby Complex, was a very powerful Conveyor capable of moving 2000 tonnes per hour. The installation was designed and commissioned by Huwood Mining. OMEC Mining were contracted to build the gear head and Conveyor with it’s associated structure. The structure was built from various points of the North and South Conveyor Road where loco access was available. The conveyor was installed in 300m lengths each weighing 14.5 tonnes and were 1.35m wide and 17.3mm thick. For the purpose of installation and maintenance, purpose designed lifting, handling and vulcanising facilities were installed and were situated in the No2 shaft pit bottom area. The return end was at the Whitemoor Bunker Connection.
The Riccall Conveyor Drivehead was a double drive operated by two modified 6.6kv NEI Peebles HF2VG in sequence. It had scoop trim fluid couplings with acceleration control operated by modified KLS lighting and signal transformer units called Scoop Trim Panels. The coupling scoops were controlled by electrohydraulic actuators. Each motor was rated at 750 kw (1000 Horsepower).
When the huge square section Bunker Roadway at the end of the Riccall Steel Cord Conveyor was finished the job of creating a coal storage and clearance system was started.
A twin inboard AFC was installed in the bunker roadway underneath the conveyor which ran the length of the bunker. A BJD Maximatic shearer with a large scrolling drum was mounted on the panzer. A suspended walkway was built in the top of the bunker with a remote control system to operate the Coal Reclaim Shearer. A traversing plough delivery was installed on the Conveyor to be used if a problem occurred at Gascoigne Wood. This ploughed the coal from the conveyor onto the bunker floor. When Gascoigne Wood Coal Clearance re started the coal was loaded back onto the panzer which loaded back onto the Conveyor to be loaded into Bunker 8.
At the Steel Cord delivery end a control point called The Wendy Box was created. This was staffed and all the production passed through this point. The production could be directed onto the Bunker Conveyor directly to the Staple Bunker 8 into Gascoigne Wood, ploughed into the bunker for reclaiming later or directed to the North Intake Conveyor via a Westerland Weigh Feeder Conveyor, a conveyor containing load cell modules to weigh the coal passing through the system to be sent to Staple Bunker 7 into Gascoigne Wood. All production was controlled via a control panel with information from Gascoigne Wood Control.
Introduction: The first two faces at Riccall Mine were HO2DRs known as D2s and HO1CRs known as C1s. They started production in January 1988. The ‘C’ coal faces were at the south side of the mine. The ‘D’ coal faces were at the north of the mine. The first eight coal faces were all developed from the north and south return roadways, retreating from east to west with the seam dipping to the east.
Face Team. Photograph courtesy of Dave Greenwell
The first south side face, HO1CRs
The first face at the south of the mine was C1s. This face was around 700m from the pit bottom and had a face length of 150m working at 800m from the surface with a gate length of 800m. The Main Gate roadway was developed using a Dosco Roadheader MK 2a Revised Hydraulics. The roadway was driven using supports I had seen at South Kirkby Colliery with a face side support leg called a Cruciform. Each setting had extra braces welded on to the part of the face side of the crown of the support. This enabled extra support steel to be bolted between each girder, rather like a heavy duty strut, but the same size as the support. This type of support allowed the face workers in the main gate to remove the leg of the support whilst keeping the extra support brace in place to maintain integrity when the shearer was cutting into the main gate.
The face supports on C1s were Dowty 4 X 700 tonne shield supports. The supports had a coal interface unit in each chock, with the ability for automated A.F.C. and support advancement and shearer initiation which was never used on this face.
During the first few weeks of production it was realised that the supports were difficult to keep level due to the front of the supports digging in when advancing due to soft floor. This was subsequently rectified by fitting base lifter rams on the front of the chock. This lifted the leading edge of the chock base by acting on the relay bar as the chock advanced.
The face was lit throughout using the Dowlite system of intrinsically safe, high frequency lights.
Dowlites.
The armoured face conveyor was a twin inboard 28mm chain, powered by two, 2 speed motors of 150/300 kw. The panzer was a side discharge onto the Stageloader, the first I had ever seen.
Original photographs on the Dowty Archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub.
The shearer was an Anderson Strathclyde AM500 Double Ended Ranging Drum Shearer power loader for cutting the coal.
C1s AM500 DERD Shearer. Okker Armitage and Gary Pollitt were the drivers.
The stage loader was 150 horsepower with an 150 horsepower, inline sizer/crusher. The face hydraulic system was supplied from 2x 150 horsepower powerpack pumps and a tank mounted on the pantech. The coalface equipment cables and hydraulic hoses were installed in a system called a Back to Back Bretby cable handler. This comprised of 4 sections of bretby approximately 50m in length, mounted on monorail, bolted together mounted top and bottom and side by side.
This allowed the cables and hoses to compact when the face retreated and extend when the Pantech was pulled out during production.
Between the Stageloader drive head and the Pantech was a Hausherr Dinting Machine. This gave the roadway in front of the Stageloader delivery sufficient height to move whilst retreating
The Main Gate coal clearance system was designed to be able to produce 1500 tonnes per hour. The slit onto the main steel cord conveyor had a powerful overband magnet to remove any steel fragments coming from the face conveyors. The electrical and hydraulic equipment supplying the coal face, known as the Pantech, was mounted on steel frames, hung on a monorail system from the roadway support girders. The Wallacetown A74 GEBs and all the electrical equipment was powered by two, 1 MVA transformer supplied at 6,600v to 1,100v for the face equipment. They were supplied by a Wallacetown M82 face isolator through a 6.6kv type 631 pliable wired armour cable, mounted on monorail pivoting brackets, enabling the pantech transformers to be moved as the face retreated during production.
The Tail Gate of C1s was driven using a Joy Continuous Miner CM12 with two shuttle cars loading onto a conveyor. The shuttle cars were the first and last time they were used at Riccall Mine. Having 2 Shuttle Cars gave extra coal storage during cutting.
The second South side face, H02CRs
C1s face progressed well and production was as expected. The face headings for C2s were driven using a new Lee Norse Miner LN800 2TT in the tailgate and the ex C1s tailgate Joy CM 12 in the maingate. The headings were supplied with a new fleet of diesel free steered vehicles. The headings were driven using arch supports.
LN800 2TT Continuous Miner
The face roadways on C2s were 1400m and once the face line was completed the heading machines were driven out of the Tailgate and around to the new face headings, now designated as H443s.
When C1s face was nearing the finish point in June 1988 the face was prepared for salvage. Rolls of plastic mesh with straps and roof bolts were installed in the front of the face after each strip of coal. The supports were advanced and the meshed roof passed over the supports and eventually into the gob at the back of the face when enough cuts of coal were taken. When the gob at the back of the supports, the roof above the supports and the face front were fully bolted, meshed and strapped the face supports were ready to be withdrawn along with the AFC. The face finished on 14th June 1988.
Face meshed and bolted for salvage.
The AFC was split into sections of 3 pans and withdrawn along with the supports. They were transferred using a Gullick Dobson MP150 free steered vehicle to C2s faceline to be reinstalled. As the chocks were withdrawn, the face had secondary concrete block support chocks installed.
F.S.V. hauling coal face support
Once the face salvage bolting cuts were completed and all coal cutting had ceased the stage loader, crusher / sizer and cable troughs were transferred and built up in the new C2s maingate.
The face hydraulic pumps, tanks, electrical gear, cables and transformers were brand new so were transported from the surface, already built on the Pantechnicon sections. C2s face trialled a new set of electrical gate end boxes to supply the face machinery called S.I.M.O.S., manufactured by Wallacetown Engineering. The panels were a new, microprocessor operated, vacuum contactor. The Pantech set up was identical to C1s, so everything was monorail mounted. C2s face started on 13 July 1988
Due to design upgrades, the S.I.M.O.S. switchgear were all replaced with updated versions at a later date. This job involved two very long weekend shifts to get it done before starting cutting again on monday dayshift.
The plan below shows the four faces at the south side of the mine showing the depth of the Barnsley seam with start and finish dates. The green line at the top left shows the shaft pillar, an area around the shaft where coal cannot be mined to protect the shaft from subsidence.
C2s coal face progressed well but the soft top of the coal seam was a cause for concern on both C2s and D2s faces. C2s face finished on 7th April 1989 and all the face equipment was transferred to the new face, now called H443s, with the addition of extra face supports due to the face length being 200m. The only changes to the electrical equipment, pumps, tanks and transformers supplying the face was the Wallacetown S.I.M.O.S. gate end boxes supplying the face electrical equipment were replaced with a new switchgear called Baldwin and Francis B.F.S. The face started production on 8th June 1989.
During the development of H443s main and tailgates, a partial washout was encountered at 900m mark in the roadway. The headings progressed to 1600m and the face was installed at that point. The AM500 DERDS shearer used on C1s and C2S was replaced with two single ended AM500 Selectronic M.I.D.A.S. shearers.
The M.I.D.A.S.( Machine Information Display and Automation System) had been trialled at Wath Main and Silverwood Collieries on single ended shearers and was designed for automatic steering of the shearer. When installed, the shearer transmitted data to the surface control room via the mine transmission system via a new type of trailing cable called a type 7S with transmission cores, to relay the data to the main gate and then to the surface.
Using the onboard system called a Machine Automation Digital Display(M.A.D.D.) , the shearer had parameters set, including seam section, face length and amount of coal top to be left. During cutting, the machine had a roof follower arm mounted on top of the shearer ranging arm touching the top of the seam. As the shearer progressed through the face, the follower arm gathered data on the coal seam undulations from a unit mounted at the base of the follower arm, transmitting it to the M.A.D.D. unit. At the end of the cut, an end of face detector sent a signal to the M.A.D.D. unit to save the last cut information, along with data gathered from inclinometers on the shearer called Face Advance Tilt(F.A.T) which measuring face advance angle of the seam. On the return cut the shearer, using the last cut data, automatically steered the ranging arm, using solenoid operation of the machine to control the operation. The shearer also had servo operated control of the shearer speed with a push button and electronic speed controller called a PB8 End Station.
When the face retreated to the partial washout on 11th October 1989, the face was salvaged and very quickly re-installed. The main gate electrical equipment was pulled out on the monorail system to the new face start position and face was cutting again on 7th November 1989.
On the 7th December, a visit by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip was planned. The face was prepared for the visit with cover plates fitted over the pan side cable and hose brackets to ensure no accidents happened during the visit. A roof bolting demonstration and a demonstration of the shearer cutting coal was planned. During the visit only a skeleton staff were allowed underground. I remember that three electricians, from our team, were at strategic points to ensure electrical problems were quickly dealt with, one being in the pit bottom substation, one at the main gate end substation and myself on the face. When it came to the visit day Queen Elizabeth was ill so the visit went ahead with Prince Phillip attending. I was waiting in the tailgate when I got a call to say that the face A.F.C. would not start. A very concerned undermanager appeared in the tailgate to ask me to go and see what was wrong. I quickly went to the maingate to see what the problem was. A power supply fuse had blown In the BFS switchgear supplying the panzer and it would not start. I replaced the fuse quickly and thankfully the A.F.C. started. The visit went ahead as planned with no further problems.
Checks given to the men at Riccall Mine after the Royal visit.
H443s completed production slightly earlier than planned on 23 May 1990 due to a small washout fault in the tailgate and the equipment was transferred to H444s, the last face at the South side off the South Return roadway. This unit was a 250m long face with 800m face gates. and started production on 3rd July 1990. The single ended shearers were replace with an AM500 Selectronic M.I.D.A.S. D.E.R.D. shearer. All the other face equipment was transferred. All the electrical equipment was replaced with overhauled equipment, including transformers. The face was completed in 6 months, finishing production in Dec 1990. The face equipment was returned to the surface for overhaul by Meco International, to be re used on the faces at the east of the mine.
When the pit bottom area of Wistow Mine was established in August 1981 the main lateral headings to the production units started. North Return South West, South West Loco Road and South West Conveyor Road were driven to the West of the pit bottom. The headings were also driven to the East of the pit. These headings were called North Return North East, North East Loco Road, North East Conveyor Road and South Return North East. The headings were started with the intention of starting coal production in July 1983. The first group of faces were to be worked off the North Return South West. The first face to be developed was H01AWs, known as A1s. This unit was a 150 yard retreat face and started production on 4th July 1983. The face retreated 122 yards when water broke in on 23rd July. Pumping arrangements were quickly started to contain the massive water flows of over 90,000 litres/pm. This water was coming from the Basal Sands, with a fault on the face compounding the problem. It was quickly realised that due to the shallow depth of the workings in the Barnsley seam on A1s, at 330m, water bearing strata at 80m depth, and geological issues, the mine had to be re-planned.
A1s face was abandoned in March 1984 after 460m of retreat. The longwall face of HO2AWs, known as A2s, commenced production in 1984 but had similar problems to A1s and was abandoned after 230m of retreat. It was replaced with a single entry face H21AWs which was developed quickly to enable production to continue. The next four single entry faces working to the west were H31AWs, H32AWs, H41AWs and H42AWs. All the faces were 45m in length. These faces were developed side by side inside the width of the planned longwalls, with a coal panel left for support and were producing coal in 1985. A further single entry face, H02BWs was developed off the Main South Intake and South West Conveyor, also producing coal in 1985. Water was still an issue on the first 4 single entry faces although not on the scale of A1s and A2s. The next 14 single entry faces on A block were reduced in length to 38m and a reduction in seam section being cut. With a coal pillar of 55m left between faces they proved a success with the last face on A block H19AW starting production in 1988.
As shown on the plan below, B Trunk Road was developed as an extension of the North Return Roadway and was driven parallel to A Block Intake for a group of single entry faces. The first face on this block was H106s which started in 1988. H107s, H108s, H109s were worked between 1988 to 1989. A pillar of coal was left before the next group of coal faces started with H115s in 1990. This area of the mine was very shallow, at less than 285m depth, so a system of micro faces were used to control the strata and water from the Basal Sands above these units. Nine faces were worked starting with H115s to H123s which finished production in 1992.
Single entry coal faces on A Block and B Trunk Road.
Single entry coal faces on A Block and B Trunk Road showing shafts.
Single entry coal faces were a way of producing coal at Wistow Mine to minimise disruption to the overlying strata and by default the overlying water bearing strata. This system was used, with great success at Wistow Mine and produced millions of tonnes of coal.
I was lucky to have seen the single entry system of mining at South Kirkby Colliery in the early 1980s in the Newhill, known as the Castleford Four Foot Seam in North Yorkshire. The system was developed by working five, 35m long faces over a four year period. As the system developed improvements to production were achieved as new equipment was installed. They were discontinued in 1985.
The single entry faces were developed, as the name suggests, using one roadway. At the inbye end of the heading a short roadway is opened to either left or right. This is, in effect a short face creating an L shaped heading. Once the stub heading was created the coal face equipment was installed in this stub heading. The chocks and A.F.C were installed like a standard faceline, but were butted up to the fast end of heading. The ventilation system was installed as part of the pan sides and the air was forced out at the fast end of the face thereby ventilating the face and the supply gate. Once the chocks and A.F.C were installed the drive motor was installed at the supply gate end of the face. The shearer was a shortened version of a standard single ended machine. The face was ventilated by fan like a standard heading but worked under exemption from the Mines Inspectorate, due to the ventilation of the fast end of the face. Methane levels were closely monitored with detection monitors installed at various points on the face to ensure air flow was maintained. The face had a flexible system of hoses and cables supplying the face which included a ventilation system to allow the face to retreat as required with constant air flow being maintained.
As seen from the plan shown above, the South Return and South Intake roadways were developed to access the south of the mine. The North Return North East, North East Loco, North East Conveyor and South Return North East were developed to access the east and north of the Mine. When these headings reached 1500m two roadways were driven south called the ‘C’ Trunk Loco and ‘C’ Conveyor Road. The The North East Conveyor and North East Return Roadway continued east for a further 1800m. H03CWs, a single entry face, H04CWs, HO5CWs were shortwall H06CWs, H37s and H38s were longwall faces and were worked between 1986 and 1989 at around 500m depth. This was at the boundary of Wistow and Riccall Mine.
A roadway was driven north west from the ‘C’ Trunk Conveyor called C2s Trunk Road and three shortwall faces were worked between 1989 and 1990. These faces were H25s, H26s and H27s.
When the ‘C’ Trunk roads reached 2000m, two roadways were driven east towards the Riccall boundary called the North East Intake and Return. H42s, H44s, H45s and H46s longwall faces were worked between 1990 and 1993.
At 200m in the Main South Return, a roadway was driven north east called C1s Trunk Road and five single entry faces, H33s, H34s, H35s, H36s and H36As were worked between 1990 and 1991 at a depth of 380m.
When the South headings reached 1500m and heading called Black Fen No1 Lateral was driven East to join up with the ‘C’ Trunk Conveyor Road. Three shortwall faces, H50s, H52s and H53s along with a double single entry face , H51a and H51b were worked between 1991 and 1992.
One further face worked from the North Trunk Road was H720s. This was a single entry face worked in 1999.
This is a little bit of my history and memories working as a Part time Mines Rescue Brigadesman at the Selby Coalfield.
I was a miner from 1979 when I started as an apprentice electrician at South Kirkby Colliery and I worked at 4 pits during my time as a miner. I have worked on the coal face and in headings (tunnelling) since 1980 aged 17. I always knew about what a Rescue Man did after talking with my Grandad Sep, who was a Rescue Man at Monckton Colliery at Royston and worked for the Rescue Corp retrieving casualties from collapsed buildings in the WW2. I also remember the Lofthouse Colliery Disaster and the Houghton Main Disaster as a young lad. One specific incident in 1983 where a good friend of mine was killed at my first pit, South Kirkby, made me want to join the rescue team. I was unable to become a Rescue Man at my first pit due to availability of spaces but was put on the list for training by my Colliery Overman, when a space came up. Due to the miners’ strike and subsequent colliery closures, this never happened. When I transferred to Riccall Mine, in the Selby Coalfield, I finally became a Part Time Rescue Man after being put forward by the Colliery Safety Officer, who was also one of the Rescue Team Captains. I did my initial 14 days training in early 1994 at Selby Rescue Station and became a member of the Riccall Mine Rescue Team.
How did you become a Rescue Man and what do you think a Mines Rescue Man did?
After acceptance of application and before initial training you had to pass a very thorough medical including eyesight, hearing, lung function, x-rays for lung dust damage, mobility and fitness test using a treadmill and heart monitoring. This medical happened every year whilst you were a Rescue Man. This was required due to regulations for wearing breathing apparatus. An interesting fact, from before my time as a rescue man, was you had to have teeth in good condition due to having to bite on a mouthpiece rather than using a facemask.
You had to pass a Mining First Aid Training course including administering Pethidine (Morphine) pain relief injections. You had to pass a Flame Safety Lamp gas testing course. You must learn how to feed canaries (only joking)
Initial Training. Initial training consisted of a rigorous 14-day course. During the course you had to prove competence wearing Breathing Apparatus in all types of mining, confined space and rescue scenarios.
S.E.F.A (image courtesy of Anthony Appleyard, at English Wikipedia)
The breathing apparatus used was called a S.E.F.A. which was an oxygen closed circuit (rebreather) type, designed to last 2 hours (+20%) in good conditions. In tougher conditions the Breathing Apparatus could be set to give higher Oxygen flow but only lasted 1 hour. It basically looks like a stainless-steel box with 2 vacuum cleaner pipes and a face mask. You had to learn how to use, charge, strip, clean and rebuild the set. You learned how to examine, test and maintain the set but mainly trust it with your life. This was done twice a day, every day, during your training. Wearing this equipment gave you terrible headaches for a few days before your body became accustomed to breathing 100% Oxygen. Included in the course was a wearing inside a hot and humid chamber where the trainees were tested to the limits of the breathing apparatus in extreme heat and humidity whilst carrying water barrels, cycling, shovelling hardcore, lifting weights and other high intensity exercises. The team captain monitored every team member with environmental conditions and oxygen gauges being checked and recorded. The heat and humidity were monitored using a piece of kit called a Whirling Hygrometer, which consisted of 2 thermometers on a frame. One had a wet sleeve over the thermometer bulb with the other one being dry. This equipment gave temperature and humidity recordings to decide the duration of working time. The time inside the chamber lasted 19 minutes, the maximum in these conditions. This was carried out as part of another training session, so we never had a steady day.
Casella Whirling Hygrometer. Photograph courtesy of the Science Museum
Let me tell you what a Rescue TeamCaptain did! Rescue Team Captain’s needed to be logical, quick thinking problem solvers. They were expected to have a good local knowledge, be highly trained and experienced. Being pragmatic, practical and courageous was also a great quality. One of the captain’s jobs before going down the pit was to check the lamproom barometer and log the reading. Low surface atmospheric pressure causes methane to migrate from the coal and the workings underground. This can elevate methane levels which is very dangerous. His job was to ensure the safety of his team so theoretically he would not carry out any practical work. He had to ensure the team had all the equipment needed before they went underground and that it had all been checked and ready to go. He had to check his team’s B.A.s before leaving the fresh air base and monitor the teams oxygen use by doing gauge checks every 15 minutes. He had to keep an eye on the team members to ensure they weren’t suffering ill effects. He had to log the teams progress into the mine, using his mine plan, marking the way in and out so that they could get back out without running out of oxygen. He made a written a log of everything they did and marked anything relevant on the mine plan. He was the one who lead the team so he gave the signals, by whistle, to control the team movements. He ensured environmental readings were taken to ensure safety of his team and this information was passed on to the next team at the fresh air base. He listened to his teams brief at the fresh air base very carefully and annotated it in his logbook with the task they needed to do. I once had a difference of opinion with a member of the management who was in the surface control room who was asking us to work in an atmosphere without breathing apparatus. The reason he asked me to do this was he had gas monitoring readings via the mine environmental monitoring system called The Tube Bundle System. The problem was the carbon monoxide readings were far lower than the actual reading in the risk area where we had to work. The carbon monoxide levels were rising so the decision was made to wear breathing aparatus.
Due to the Lofthouse Colliery Inrush Disaster in 1973, new training was needed involving using breathing apparatus in mine slurry and water. This involved working as a team in a swimming pool carrying weights to ensure you weren’t buoyant, whilst having a black out bag over your head and facemask. We had to walk around the pool in loops to feel what it was like trying to breath in your B.A. sets in the 10-foot-deep end of the pool. This was quite a difficult test due to the water pressure and It felt like trying to breathe with a wide, tight belt around your chest. Another training exercise involved using your Breathing Apparatus in a scenario where you were entrapped. We visited Kellingley Colliery for this training using some of the old mine workings to do it. The team captain, using a mine plan, had to find a specific point in the mine. Then we were told the roadway had collapsed behind us and the team was trapped. Your aim was to minimise your oxygen use to ensure it lasted as long as physically possible. This is achieved by turning the valve on and off and feeling for the carbon dioxide building up then restoring the oxygen flow. The team captain monitored everyone, with only one lamp being used, to ensure no one got into difficulty. Quite a responsibility you could say. We all survived thankfully. During the training we worked together as teams of 5, one of us carrying out the duties of Captain for that day. We used most of the equipment available for use in rescue work during the two weeks until it became second nature. First Aid was a major part of our training. It involved uses of 3 different types of stretchers and carrying sheets, including drag stretchers, full body splints for back and femur injuries, Entonox and Morphine pain relief drugs , oxygen resuscitator / revivers, bandaging and burn relief. This was carried out either underground or in one of the four simulated underground galleries at the Rescue Station. This was the reason rescue men tie multiple broad fold triangle bandages around the neck for quick deployment. Casualty handling was a big part of rescue and learning how to get large, often injured men, through small spaces and around tight corners without breaking them was quite important. Carrying heavy stretchers long distances was practiced. The trick is to change position regularly but always move 2 positions, clockwise at each change to opposite corners of the stretcher. When reading mine plans the trick was to always orientate the plan to the direction of travel. Always mark each change of direction and every roadway junction with a chalk arrow on metalwork, props or girders to ensure you could retrace your steps and in the case of further rescue teams having to find or rescue you they would follow your steps inbye to your last point. On your way back out you always marked the arrow with a second point to show where you had been. Marking of position of injured men or bodies had to be annotated on the mine plan and in your log also. Monitoring of gases during time underground was very important to ensure safety and for record keeping. The Rescue Team Captain ensured testing was carried out and all results noted on the mine plan and in his logbook. An electronic multi gas tester was carried called a Status Mentor continuously checking for carbon monoxide, methane, hydrogen sulphide and oxygen levels. Carbon Monoxide 200ppm highly dangerous, Hydrogen Sulphide 100ppm fatal. Methane 5 to 15 % explosive and oxygen less than 17% A piece of equipment called a Drager Tube Sampler was also available for extremely accurate measurement of mine gases including hydrogen cyanide. On the last day of training when all practical exercises and written examinations were passed a certificate of training is presented which I still have. This was the day you become a Rescue Man and the Mines Rescue green holdall with your rescue helmet and equipment is allowed to be used in anger. A very proud day. Once you are trained you were entered onto the register of men available for deployment to incidents. You carried out 6 training session per year, usually with your pit team, of which you are a member. If you miss one you must catch it up, often with a team from another pit. You attended a medical and fitness test every year which must be passed, or you are withdrawn from the list of available men. Every three years you attended a methane gas testing course and first aid course to maintain competency. The aim of practices was to familiarise yourself with all the mines in your area. This predated sat navs and mobiles, therefore knowing where each pit was situated is essential. Once visited they are logged in your mind, especially the more difficult ones to access such as Hayroyds Colliery which was on a small lane off road in Clayton West and Hatfield Main Colliery which was not in Hatfield but at Stainforth in the Doncaster area. Keeping a record of availability of all the Selby Rescue Men was very important so all shift patterns, holidays, injuries or sickness, changes of address and telephone numbers were always reported to the main rescue station at Selby immediately. Every Saturday morning an alerter/pager test was carried out. If the alerter didn’t work at 0900 you had to call the station to report it. You always carried your alerter with you when not underground.
My green rescue holdall contained all the things needed to attend an incident as Rescue Team Captain. Green rescue helmet with head straps and ear protection fitted. Overalls and shorts, Multiple undies, t-shirts and pairs of socks, Boots, Shin guards, Gloves, Finger tape, Kneepads, Belt with a spanner and knife, Swipe card and leather case. These were issued at each pit when attending incidents and practices for recording entry and exit from the mine. A sort of modern pit check system. Barrier cream for skin protection in acid/alkali conditions, 6 ironed and folded triangle bandages, A pack of chalk for marking up underground, A box of short pencils (so they don’t break in your pocket), Captains Record Book with Breathing Apparatus duration tables, Rescue Training / Incident Logbook with pens, Two mechanical wind-up watches, one for wearing and the other kept in your pocket as a spare (No battery watches allowed). These were used to time all checks and logs whilst underground so having a spare was important. Watches were always set and checked with the Rescue Officer at the Fresh Air Base before entering an unsafe area. A packet of BIC razors for having a dry shave to ensure a facemask seal. This was a must have when you have been working and you get a call without having had a shave for a week. Lucky charm and photo of wife and kids (joking) Doing well in Rescue competitions gave the Riccall Mine manager a great sense of pride. It was usually very closely fought between the Selby Coalfield Mines, Prince of Wales and Hatfield Main.
Riccall No1 Team Selby Group Rescue Competition 1995
Riccall No1 team came a very good third place in the very last National Rescue Competition at Doncaster in 1996.
Riccall Mine No1 Rescue Team.
We had a good drink afterwards to rehydrate of course. During my time I visited all the pits in my area and was Rescue Team Captain at Riccall Mine at an incident involving an underground spontaneous combustion fire, working to seal off H439s coalface and was on standby for Prince of Wales Colliery Explosion. I was a rescue man at three pits, Riccall Mine, Hayroyds Colliery and Hatfield Main Colliery before leaving to be a Wholetime Firefighter at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
‘Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland’ CC-BY (NLS)
Mining engineers knew about the richness of the coal seams to the south and south west of Selby. The North Yorkshire area around Pontefract and Castleford had been heavily mined. This area was not developed for the Barnsley seam but for a series of seams ranging from the Stanley Main seam to the Beeston Seam. Test borings were started in 1954 and seven seams were found to be workable. The two most important seams were the Silkstone and the Beeston seams with the Winter, Warren House (closely allied to the South Yorkshire Barnsley seam), Haighmoor with the Stanley Main and Dunsil seams all workable. With this information a new colliery was planned, Kellingley Colliery, the first since 1927. As mentioned in The Doncaster Connection the Doncaster Coalfield, South of Selby, was sunk between 1905 to the 1920s to work the Barnsley seam so a natural progression of this seam would be north towards Selby. A drilling programme was started in 1964, running for 4 years at Barlow, Camblesforth, Hemingbrough, Whitemoor and Kelfield Ridge to prove the coal reserves and found that the Warren House and Low Barnsley seam, which splits north of Doncaster, merged to form the Barnsley seam, a continuous, high quality seam. The N.C.B. re-started drilling in 1972 to confirm the extent of the Barnsley seam around Selby. Coal deposits were found at Cawood at 405 yards depth and were 10ft 3inch in section. With this information the N.C.B. started a combined systematic exploration of the area comprising 50 boreholes at 3 to 4 km apart and seismic surveys, a system of small underground explosion to ascertain coal seams and fault formations using shockwaves, to complete the research program. They found 2000 million tonnes of workable seams. The Barnsley seam comprised of a 600 million tonne area of high quality, low ash, low sulphur coal. The seam section was over 3 metres at 300 metres depth at the west to over 2 metres at 1100 metres at the East. The seam continued to the southern edge of York and to the River Derwent to the East. These findings, along with the Plan for Coal 1974, started the process of the application for planning permission to North Yorkshire County Council on 7th August 1974 to mine the Barnsley seam in the Selby Coalfield. Bibliography Arnold, P. and Cole, I., 1981. The Development Of The Selby Coalfield. [Heslington, Yorkshire]: [Selby Research Project, Dept. of Social Administration and Social Work, University of York].
The 14 Permanent Rescue Brigadesmen worked a 14 week “rota” system where 5 men were available along with an officer between 1600 hrs and 0800 hrs. The 6 men, who were on call at weekends, undertook work and telephone duties due to the Nightwatchman working only Monday to Friday.
Two Rescue Brigadesmen were allocated to service breathing apparatus on weeks 4 and 12 of the rota.
Weeks 7 and 14 of rota did not have any after hours duties so the rescue brigadesmen could use these weeks to book holidays.
Initially – Mondays were Permanent Corps training days, where a team went to a local mine with the Assistant Superintendent or Third Officer and undertook a rescue training wearing breathing apparatus
Wednesdays were station training days where a team of Rescue Brigadesmen undertook a rescue training wearing breathing apparatus in the rescue station “galleries” which had 2 x 36 metre mock of both a coal face (low and high seam) and headings (low and high seam)
Rescue Brigadesmen also undertook a number of daily duties i.e. ground maintenance, cleaning, painting etc.
The station had a hot and humid chamber where rescue workers could do work under extreme conditions (hot and humid working reduced working time wearing breathing apparatus from 2 hours to as little as 19 minutes)
The site also had a large lecture room that could accommodate 50 people and its own gym (treadmill and weights)
The station staff spend a lot of days training part time rescue workers including;
New rescue workers who had to complete a 15 day initial course in rescue with 3 to 4 courses completed each year with around 8 to 12 trainees per course.
Existing rescue workers had to undertake 6 rescue practices per annum.
Rescue Brigades men had to undertake minimum of 12 practices per annum.
At its peak there were 23 part time rescue teams from mines covered by Selby Rescue Station so it is not difficult to see that quite a lot of time was spent training people and servicing equipment.
When station opened the Siebe Gorman Proto apparatus was still in service as was the Aerolox liquid oxygen breathing apparatus. Proto had been in service in various forms since 1908. These sets were replace by the Sabre SEFA breathing apparatus around 1989 (this was eventually replace by the Drager BG4)
To give staff experience and improve competency Rescue Brigadesmen also worked in mines carrying out the following tasks;
Building prepared stopping sites
Building stoppings
Building air doors
Sealing air doors with shotcrete
Involved in installing / dismantling ventilation fans
These were useful skills to develop as an emergency underground was more likely to require rescue teams to undertake activities to save the mine, rather than save life, as monitoring systems, ventilation and general health and safety had improved dramatically in the mining industry.
The hot and humid chamber was also utilised on occasions and staff volunteered to wear a variety of types of new breathing apparatus that were being trialled prior to being manufactured.
Many thanks and kind regards to Ronnie Munro, a Mines Rescue Officer at Selby Mines Rescue Station, now at MRSL (Mines Rescue Services Limited), who trained me on many occasions and who provided me with the information in this post.
During its life the Rescue Station teams attended many underground incidents including;
Gascoigne Wood Drift Mine – fall of ground due to heading collapse and rescuing trapped miners.
Stillingfleet Mine – fall of ground; Assisted in clearing a fall of ground thus allowing some trapped miners to be safely extracted from the area.
Kellingley Colliery – Ignition that resulted in a number of small “explosions” at the coal face; Nitrogen was injected into this area to reduce oxygen content to allow retreat mining to continue; this in turn left the affected area behind where oxygen content would be insufficient to allow an explosion to occur.
Prince of Wales Colliery – an explosion occurred and affected area needed to be sealed off.
Grimethorpe, Hatfield, Kellingley, Riccall/ Whitemoor, Askern and Barnburgh – assisted in sealing areas off due to spontaneous combustion.
Further incidents;
Stockline Plastic Factory, Glasgow – some staff assisted in search and rescue / recovery of bodies from this disaster.
Assisted in rescuing a person who was trapped by a trench collapse near Leeds.
Castlebridge Colliery, Longannet Mine Complex, Fife, Scotland – assisted in sealing area of mine due to spontaneous combustion.
Some rescue workers also had cameo roles in the movie “When Saturday Comes”
I served as a part time rescue brigadesman during my time at Riccall Mine, Hayroyds Colliery and as a member of Hatfield Main Colliery Teams. The training and support given to the teams in the Selby Complex and beyond was outstanding and it was an honour to be part of Selby Mines Rescue.
Many thanks and kind regards to Ronnie Munro, a Mines Rescue Officer at Selby Mines Rescue Station, now at MRSL ( Mines Rescue Services Limited ), who trained me on many occasions and who provided me with the information in this post.
When the Selby Coalfield was developed all the parts of the process were meticulously planned and checked to ensure success. The Selby Superpit was a huge part of the Plan For Coal set out in 1974 with huge investments being made both in infrastructure and staffing.
When the six Selby Mines were planned a provision for rescue from the mines had to be staffed and a rescue station built to provide this cover. The original plan was to going to be a “B” type station which does not provide a team of Permanent Brigadesmen but is staffed by Part Time Rescue Brigadesmen employed at the surrounding mines. The original site was to have the following staff to manage, train and support the part time brigadesmen;
A Superintendent who takes overall charge of the station.
Two Assistant Superintendents.
A Third Officer.
Two Permanent Brigadesmen for training part time men, assist with equipment, breathing apparatus servicing and supporting rescue operations.
Two Nightwatchmen to provide telephone cover during non office hours of 1600 to 0800 hrs.
The site of the Rescue Station was located at Osgodby opposite at what is now Selby Garden Centre on a plot of land consisting of 4 acres.
There were 6 houses built on site to accommodate the Superintendent and other staff listed above. It was a statutory requirement at the time that the full time rescue personnel lived within a half mile radius of the rescue station (The Coal and other Mines (Fire and Rescue) Order 1956). A further decision was made to increase cover and the rescue station was made an “A” station. The increase in manpower required 2 further houses to be built on the site and properties to be purchased in Osgodby and Barlby, with properties being rented in Riccall and Barlby.
The new station was staffed with trained Permanent Brigadesmen who transferred from closing rescue stations in areas where stations were no longer needed due to colliery closures.
Wakefield Rescue Station- 8 men transferred.
Ilkeston Rescue Station- 2 men transferred.
Rotherham Rescue Station- 2 men transferred.
Two further staff were recruited from mines to complete the 14 permanent corp of men.
Many thanks and kind regards to Ronnie Munro, a Mines Rescue Officer at Selby Mines Rescue Station, now at MRSL (Mines Rescue Services Limited), who trained me on many occasions and who provided me with the information in this post.
I remember my transfer to Riccall Mine like it was yesterday. I was working as a heading / coalface electrician at South Kirkby Colliery from 1979 to 1986. The pit seemed to be doing quite well with two new seams, the Fenton and the Highfield or Top Newhill having successful faces running. Suddenly the pit was planned to merge with Ferrymoor/Riddings Drift Mine. The writing was on the wall, as we all knew in the coal industry, merge a pit with another and then close two for the price of one. I knew I had to make my own way to the Selby Coalfield if I had a chance of staying in the industry as transfer options were still very difficult due to planned staffing at Selby taking place from closing collieries in the old North Yorkshire Area mentioned in previous posts. After a few phone calls and an interview with Bill Hagan at North Yorkshire Area manpower to explain the transferring, travelling and moving house allowances I transferred to Riccall Mine. It proved to be the best move I made. I signed on at Riccall Mine in September 1986 with a lot of lads from Kingsley Drift Mine, signing on the same day due to closure of their pit. It was on a thursday so my last day was to be Friday at South Kirkby Colliery. I said my good byes on the Friday dayshift and had the weekend off before starting Monday, on the day shift at Riccall Mine. The first day consisted of getting my new two piece overalls, something I had never seen before, tools, pit head bath keys, electrical locks and PPE for the new pit and introductions to some of my new shift. Quite a few of the people who signed on the same day as me ended up on the same shift including one of my new Shift Charge Engineer who I worked with until my last day at Riccall Mine. As I walked around the surface buildings I was very impressed by the brand new pit and how clean, tidy, modern and well designed it was. When I went into the pit yard for a look around the surface the first thing I noticed was the mine car handling plant at the No1 shaft.
Qualter Hall were the contractors for the Mine Car Handling Plants in the Selby Coalfield. Coal is unloaded from the cages in mine cars through a tippler, which emptied the coal, and returning back onto the cage to go underground using a LOFCO chain driven system. The coal was then sent by road for processing elsewhere. This system was used at all the Selby Mines, for the heading drivages, before the mines were connected to Gascoigne Wood Drift in December 1987. This was not the equipment I expected to see at Selby but it served it’s purpose well.
Riccall No 1 Pit Bottom with mine car coal clearance in 1987
The mine car handling plant was later removed when the Gascoigne Wood coal clearance was fully operational. During the time the mine car handling plant was used for coal clearance, the underground supply system was a double bogie GMT (Gyro Mining Transport ) mine car system using the No2 shaft, something I had never seen before. The surface was 64 acres, very small compared with my old pit, and was built on a disused WW2 airfield, virtually invisible from the road. It has a huge soil banking which was landscaped around the visible edges of the mine surface using trees to hide the mine from view as agreed in the public enquiry in 1975. The plan, after closure of the mine, was to restore the mine surface back to farm land using the soil in the banking as infill but this was never used as the mine is used as a business park nowadays.
Riccall Mine Surface Buildings
No1 Shaft was a downcast with a ground mounted double parallel winder with two eight tonnes or 72 manriding capacity cages . No2 Shaft was an upcast with a tower mounted multi rope friction winder with a single cage and counterweight. The cage capacity was 16 tonnes or 149 manriding capacity on 2 decks. It also had a system of a tilting deck cage so larger or longer pieces of equipment could be lowered underground inside the cage without using slinging under the cage. The tilting deck cage was used for the huge amount of compound girders used in development drivages and bunker / drivehouse roadways at the North of the mine where the coal was loaded into Gascoigne Wood. The shift I was put on had two Shift Charge Engineers, one from Royston Drift Mine and one from Kinsley Drift Mine who started on the same day as me. The lads on the shift were mainly from Newmarket Colliery with a couple of Woolley lads, one Fryston and myself from South Kirkby Colliery. The chargehand was from Woolley Colliery who I knew from my apprenticeship times at Monk Bretton Training Centre. My first day underground was to give me an idea how the pit was set up and how things worked. I rode underground in the No2 shaft and was suprised how large the cage was. It would carry 149 men on two decks. When I got off the cage the temperature was quite warm and I realised why we were given 2 piece overalls. The mine was set up to use No2 shaft as the mine supply shaft. The pit bottom was very modern with a Qualter Hall hinged platform and chain ram system used to push full articulated G.M.T. Mine cars off the cage using the empty G.M.T.’s. The full cars were kept in the pit bottom passbye system for later transportation to districts. Headings were supplied with arch packs, a pre packed system with all the materials needed for setting a pre determined amount of girders. If the girders were 16 x 12 ft they were packed in 5 settings with 19 x 13ft being packed in 4 settings. The materials were transported by flameproof Clayton BoBo or Clayton Pony rubber tyred battery Locomotives.
Clayton BoBo rubber tyred battery locomotive.
Clayton Pony rubber tyred locomotivehauling a powered face support.
The charging and maintenance station for the loco’s was in the pit bottom with dedicated fitters and electricians looking after the loco’s. No1 shaft was used as the coal clearance shaft loading 2 tonne mine cars from the strata bunker in the north conveyor road onto the pit bottom coal handling system and then loading onto the double deck cage for disposal on the surface. The system was another Qualter Hall Engineering design and worked well. When I first saw the system I was very surprised at a brand new mine. The mine was developed with three lateral roadways, two intakes and one return. The North Intake and North Conveyor were the intakes from the No1 shaft with the North Return to the No2 upcast shaft. The North Return had a central rackatrack installed on the sleepers from the pit bottom to 700m mark. This was intended for Rackatrack locos but they were never used as rubber tyred Clayton BoBos and Pony locos were a preferred option.
The North Intake and North Conveyor roadways were the connections to Gascoigne Wood for coal clearance. The North Conveyor and North Return were driven by Mk 2B roadheaders and were both completed when I started in September 1986. The North Intake was still under development using a Dosco Mk 2a revised hydraulic Roadheader with a trial MEDC intrinsically safe pilot circuit unit. The only one I have ever seen. The South Headings were the South Intake and South Conveyor from the No 1 shaft with the South Return heading to the No 2 upcast shaft. I was to be the electrician in the South Return heading. All the headings were developed with cross slits for the coalface main and tailgates which also kept the temperatures in the lateral headings slightly cooler. The South Conveyor heading was driven with Dosco Mk2B roadheader and was nearly completed to the Whitemoor Mine connection when I started. The South Intake and South Return headings were being driven using Mk2 A revised hydraulic roadheaders. I started the next day in my new job with the heading team. The team was a mixture of men from different pits consisting of two young back up lads from Newmarket Colliery, the Deputy was from Fryston Colliery with the heading team from Rothwell, Peckfield and Newmarket Collieries, the fitter from Park Hill Colliery. The South side coalface headings were HO1CR’s (C1’s) main and tailgate. The tailgate was developed using a Joy Continuous Miner (JCM12) with two shuttle cars for coal clearance to the gate conveyor. The maingate was driven by a Mk 2 A revised hydraulic roadheader. The North side face headings were HO2DR’s (D2’s) Main and Tailgate. The tailgate was developed using a Lee Norse Continuous Miner (LN800 1TT). This machine was an American specification and could cut out for a setting in 7 minutes. This was the first heading at Riccall Mine to use bolts as a support system. The maingate was driven by a Dosco Mk 2A revised hydraulic roadheader. I settled in to working at Riccall Mine within days and quickly realised I had made a good move. The mine was developing very quickly and new installations were happening on a weekly basis. The availability of overtime was limitless and the development production bonus was very good due to good mining conditions cutting a 2.6 metre seam and very powerful, high speed continuous miners being used in the face developments.
I worked in the South Return heading, which progressed well, until just before the heading made the connection with Whitemoor Mine, when I became chargehand on my shift. In April 1987 the heading hit a partial washout. In this area of the heading, water started dripping from the roof and sides. The water was incredibly acidic and left awful red marks all over any bare skin, so anyone entering the heading had to cover their skin with a special slimy barrier protection cream. The roadheader turned from a machine white to a very rusty orange within 2 days. This acid water continued for about 150m before it disappeared. The heading thirled in May 1987 as shown on the plan below. The roadheader was so badly damaged by the water that it was left when the heading was completed.
Mine plan showing South Return and South Conveyor roadwaysat demarcation mark.
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s the reliance on cheap oil was accepted as one of the prime sources of energy for the U.K. The National Coal Board were vocal in criticising this rationale as the OPEC countries had made it quite obvious they were pressing on with a program of maximising revenue from the oil by increasing prices dramatically in the future. The N.C.B. were also questioning the long term viability of the Nuclear Industry due to excessive cost and uncertain technologies. The suggestions and plans were made by the N.C.B. for a long term strategy for the coal industry. The plan involved increasing coal production and replacing older working collieries with new, highly efficient mines. This plan was conceived due to the increase in efficiency and concentration on productivity from modern coal face design and increased mechanisation at existing collieries.
Over a three year period from June 1970 ‘the price of Saudi Arabian light crude oil rose 1.80 dollars a barrel to 11.65 dollars, representing an increase of 547 per cent’. (Arnold and Cole, 1981, p. 14). These prices were dramatic and were a direct side effect of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. This war created serious problems for the UK by quadrupling oil prices, an increase of £2bn to the oil import costs. The government had already started on a massive North Sea oil exploration investment but a plan for the coal industry had to be formulated to create a flexible energy policy. This was called The Plan For Coal 1974 and the Selby Project was to be a substantial part of the plan.
The Plan for Coal was designed to sustain the output from British mines in the 1970s and to increase production during the 1980s. The target set by the N.C.B. in the 1970s was to produce 135 million tonnes of coal by 1985. The deep mines were to produce 120 million tonnes, with opencast mines to top up production by 15 million tonnes. This target had a built in replacement of old capacity and a creation of new capacity of 42 million tonnes. This was to be achieved by sinking new mines, reconstruction of long life collieries and extending short life collieries by finding new reserves. ‘The cost of this new future for coal was estimated at £1,510 million (at September 1973 prices) and a major share would be devoted to the proposed Selby Project’ (Arnold and Cole, 1981, p.15)
After the Plan for Coal 1974 became government policy it became obvious 10 million tonnes of the 20 million tonnes of new capacity was to be the Selby Project and the planning permission was to be submitted as soon as possible.
When the N.C.B.’s planning permission to the North Yorkshire County Council was submitted on 7th August 1974 the new mine had already been discussed by the local community. The scale and breadth of the planning permission surprised the local communities, councils, local committees and planning authorities and a public enquiry was the obvious outcome. Bibliography
Arnold, P. and Cole, I., 1981. The Development Of The Selby Coalfield. [Heslington, Yorkshire]: [Selby Research Project, Dept. of Social Administration and Social Work, University of York].
Selby Superpit 