Re Selby
Using my older computer I managed to get into the CD with
Mining Magazine text 1981 to 1998 and found a couple of
references which help date the start-up of the mine in the
Selby group. The items in the Magazine are as follows:
MM Items on Selby
March 1988 p 173
At British Coal's Gascoigne Wood drift mine in the Selby coal field,
Europe's longest underground coal mining conveyor has finally been
completed. The belt now has a total looped length of 25 km and some
65 vulcanized joints overall.
With a power requirement of 11.2 MW (the belt alone weighs 2,000 t)
and a carrying capacity of 3,200 t/h at a top speed of 32 km/h, it will take
the coal around 25 minutes to be transported the full length of the South
Tunnel to the surface at Gascoigne Wood. The South Tunnel is the longest
single entry mining tunnel in the world and completion of the belt has enabled
the satellite mines of Ricall, Stillingfleet and Whitemoor to begin producing.
The operation at Gascoigne Wood is remotely controlled and monitored from
a surface installation which also controls the conveyor in the North Tunnel.
The latter has been carrying Wistow's coal and roadway dirt on a regular basis
since November 1987.
June 1983 (i.e. within the article I mentioned in my earlier message)
Regarding the five mines, progress at the time of visiting is summarised below:
Wistow -- Site entirely complete. First face (A1) being installed, subsequently
described.
Stillingfleet -- Site will be completed this year. Shafts finished, drivage being done.
Riccall -- Shafts finished, plus insets at shaft bottom. At about the same stage as
Stillingfleet.
Whitemoor -- One shaft finished, the other approaching pit bottom. Whitemoor is
some 6 months behind Riccall, the main surface civil engineering structures having
commenced.
North Selby -- Half way down with twin shafts. Water pressure problems necessitated
plugging both shafts in oreder to inject cement into surrounding strata. Currently
injecting at No 2 shaft, and some civil engineering work complete.
Tony Brewis
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