TUNNELLING-TODAY

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 17th Year

Issue

Issue No.

11

Date Released

Jul 1964

Length of issue (in feet)

973

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1ISLAND OF COAL
2. 2MINI-MINES
3. 3TUNNELLING-YESTERDAY
4. 4TUNNELLING-TODAY

Story

Story No. within this Issue

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: The link up of two pits on opposite sides of the Firth of Forth by a tunnel, in order to increase production.
NCB Commentary - It’s morning on Scotland’s Firth of Forth.
On the south side, Kinneil Pit has a modern coal preparation plant. Across the water, Valleyfield, an older pit, has a less up to date washery.
To bring more coal to the newer pit, they started to drive a tunnel out from each side to link-up under the Firth of Forth.
So the hardr Scots tunnellers burrowed on. Surveyors kept an eye on the bearings. Drills bit their way from either bank into the rocky river-bed.
To see the final link-up, pressmen came in force.
Their pit clothes were waiting for them.
Before going underground the visitors chatted with Area officials and Union leaders.
The explosives for the final breakthrough - and the last, expectant moments before the two teams of tunnellers meet.
So the two tunnells were joined, - an unbroken three mile link to speed high-quality coal to the surface - a third bridge across Scotland’s Firth of Forth.

Keywords

Buildings and structures; Transport; Mining

Locations

Scotland; Firth of Forth

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit