WIGAN SKIPS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 8th Year

Issue

Issue No.

8

Date Released

Apr 1955

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1WIGAN SKIPS
2. 2WHUPPITY SCOORIE
3. 3CHASE FOR PRODUCTION
4. 4JO HAre

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: skip winding at Bold colliery.
NCB Commentary - In Wigan, Area General Manager Brass has long held a faith in skipwinding, the quick way of raising his tonnages to the surface. Colliery engineer Jim Brich shares his faith, reinforced by the knowledge that skips today can be more efficient and safer to operate than they were in the past.
They recall the days a few years ago when the Giant;s Hall pit in the area was becoming a problem. Stoppages were far too regular because of small tubs in the cages and old fashioned winding equipment. They carried out an on-the-spot investigation to get to the root of the delays. The winding of cage after cage of coal was watched, noted and timed.
Skipwinding seemed to be the answer all right. Birch took over the job of planning the new installation at Giant’s Hall. With improvements on any system always in the forefront of his mind, the idea hit him of re-designing the way ordinary skip doors are operated. On paper his new idea was feasible. So Birch, amateur model maker, professional colliery engineer, got busy in the workshops. HIs model showed the essentials of the system. On the new skips the doors could only be opened after the full skip had arrived at its final position at the pit top. A big safety advance this, with no more risk of any mishap in the shaft.
Wigan area has its own central workshops, equipped and staffer to fabricate the big skips and the gear that goes with them.
These area made skips, handling from one to six tons of coal with the built-in safety door, have already been installed at half a dozen collieries. The seventh installation will be ready for Mains Colliery this summer. Fast and safe coal-winding will boost efficiency: costs will come down and manpower will be more usefully employed.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 7 March 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