WET HEADING

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 9th Year

Issue

Issue No.

12

Date Released

Aug 1956

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1RUSSIAN VISIT
2. 2WET HEADING
3. 3SAMMY ROAN
4. 4TEN YEARS ON: WINDING

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: a Joy Continuous miner in wet conditions at Trewlewis colliery
NCB Commentary - In Glamorgans Bargoed valley, in the shadow of Taff Merthyr Colliery, stands the new Trelewis Drift Mine.
Underground a team of oilskinned miners is fighting, in conditions as wet as you’ll find anywhere, with a big continuous miner.
On the front of the machine the cutting job bites forward into a face which gushes water at 60-lbs to the inch pressure.
Water cascades along the conveyor with the coal, and just being down here is like working in a day-long shower bath.
Trelewis is a mine still developing. The continuous miner is driving roadways into new coal as she bites her way forward through the wet.
Even under appalling conditions the men of Trelewis are winning coal at high speed. With things as they are they can’t move forward as fast ass they’d like, but every foot advanced brings them nearer to the prospect of better conditions where they will have a chance really to give the continuous miner her head.
Meanwhile from the heading at Trelewis, along the Shaker Conveyor, and on to the main Plate Conveyor loading out of the drift, the output is being won.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 27th June 1956.

Keywords

Mining; Fuels; Energy resources

Locations

Wales

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.11 No.123 January 1957, p30.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board