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View Full Version : Archived Report - Midlands Drift Colliery


dweeb
September 21st, 2008, 13:56
Visit with Morrisey and his mates, top bunch of blokes and a pleasure to meet you. Also with Raddog and Turk.

We have decided to not name the collieries we visit as the Coal authority are going around sealing open ones, but I'm sure many will know this site anyway.

It began it's life as a railway tunnel. The tnnel was unsafe due to bad ground so the railway was re-routed. In the 1980's a small mining company sank a number of adits off the tunnel to reach the Staffs coal seam. Mining ceased in the 1990's.

The tunnel is a dead end nowadays due to an enormous collapse, and the brickwork at that end is terrible. Iron ribs erected to stabalise the tunnel are buckling under the extreme pressure:eek:

The adits are in good condition, but do not go far before meeting water. One tunnel reaches up to the surface, and would have at one time carried coal and spoil to the top. The dnokey engine that powered this is still in situ. All in all a very well preserved colliery.

The trip was also Scargill's new pal, 'Mcgregger' first time undergrond.

The spoil from the adits was dumped further up the tunnel. The 'scoop' is still in situ.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0003-4.jpg

Iron ribs, note the buckling:eek:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0006.jpg

The collapse
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0007-5.jpg

And from the other side.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0009-3.jpg

Note the brickwork... this was once an arch:eek:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0011-1.jpg

Donkey engine and cart facing up the upwards drift.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0017.jpg

The tunnel was quite crumbley, with wood props and iron hanging by threads.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0019-4.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0021-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0026-3.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0030-3.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0032-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0038-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0040-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0043-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0048-2.jpg

Water at the bottom of the adit. Once pumping stops this is what happens to almost all collieries.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0059-3.jpg

Adit
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0060.jpg

Mcgregger...:thumb
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z130/dweeb_03/DSC_0062-2.jpg

Raddog
September 21st, 2008, 19:06
As posted on the other thread:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/Raddogextreme/DSC_1784-1.jpg