SHEARER LOADER

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 8th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1955

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1LAND OF HIS FATHERS
2. 2SHEARER LOADER
3. 3SANDS OF DEE
4. 4DEEP WATERS

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: Anderton shearer loader at Cronton colliery
NCB Commentary - On a bleak winter’s morning footprints in the snow point the way to Lancashire’s Cronton Colliery.
In the Colliery Workshops a new machine, the Anderton Shearer Loader, is being assembled for underground duty. Onto an armoured conveyor goes the undercarriage of the machine, followed by a ploughshare and a cable carrier for the power and water cables.
A standard coal-cutter without its jib swings down into place. On goes a new gear-box with a horizontal shaft carrying two 40" drums. So far so good.
The machine hauls itself along the conveyor. Now for the business end.
On the 40" drums three dozen carbide tipped picks are mounted to claw their way into the coal.
Among the team, who developed A. G. M. Anderton’s concept, are Harry Fearnley, Engineer, John Thwaites, draughtsman, and Tom Lester, in charge of Area Mechanisation, standing here with Engineer William Thompson.
Down in the Crombouke seam a team of Cronton men set the shearer loader attacking a 150 yard face. At 7 ft. a minute the 36 razor edged picks hurl coal down onto the conveyor. At the end of the cut as the loader flits back the plough cleans up all that’s been left. The 150 yard face is cut, loaded and cleared up in under two hours.
Already 25 shearer loaders are working, with more building.
jack Halliday starts the loader for a new cut. This development of an existing machine has the approval of the men who use it.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 7 February 1955.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Inventions and discoveries

Locations

England; Lancashire

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board