ON THE AIR

Series

Series Name
Mining Review 5th Year

Issue

Issue No.
11
Date Released
Jul 1952
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1TURN ROUND
  2. 2HOLYROOD GATHERING
  3. 3HOME RUN
  4. 4ON THE AIR

Story

Story No. within this Issue
4 / 4
Summary
BFI synopsis: aerial ropeway maintenance at Ashington colliery, with walkie-talkie apparatus.
NCB Commentary - Ashington, in Northumberland, is a big pit. And where you’ve got a big output of coal, you have a lot of pit refuse to dispose of as well. Every day 1,500 tons of stone is shifted out onto the tops by aerial ropeway. A ton in every bucket, it’s a mile’s journey out to the knock-off point, and a mile back. If the ropeway were to break down, the pit’s output would stop.
So maintenance on the ropeway is top priority. Tommy Brayson and Jim Sweeny are off on one of their rountine inspection trips. Today Ashington calls in shortwave radio to help them in their job. The walkie-talkie only weighs 15 pounds and doesn’t hamper Tommy as he gets into a bucket. Bert Cook, engineman, sends them off on their way. 150 feet in the air, theirs is a coal and dirty job.
"We’re approaching the knock-off, Bert - steady".
"Stand by - halt".
Once in position, the job doesn’t take long. Before they had radio, Tommy and Jim had to use hand signals to tell Bert where to stop them. Now they can safely travel in rain or even fog, when the engineman wouldn’t be able to see where they were.
"Job completed, Bert - start her up and we’ll examine the rest of it".
So off they go, sending in reports on their way. They’ll find any faults before they get serious - and more important still, they’ll be safer while they work.
Researcher Comments
BFI sources suggest that this story was filmed from the 24th to the 26th April 1952 on a budget of £154 2s. Commentary recorded 10 June 1952.
Keywords
Communications; Mining; Engineering
Locations
England; Northumberland
Written sources
British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.6 No.74 December 1952, p651.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956
Credits:
Director
Basil Somner
Production Co.
Documentary Technicians Alliance
Camera
John Gunn
Sponsor
National Coal Board
Camera
Ronald Bicker

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