John

At level fawr in Cwmystwyth mine in mid Wales, there is a huge "skip shaft"
inclined at about 70 degrees. This was used to haul up skips which I believe
could have then been trammed out on the tracks in the mine. It is still
possible to go in to look at this and its an easy underground walk too.

From Simon Hughes booklet 'The Cwmystwyth Mines", I think that this shaft
originally had a depth of 23 fathoms and is below the open stope of
Graigfawr. I believe it was sunk about 1885-7. In the booklet it also says
"It is known however that trains of four 'Hudson' side tipping waggons were
being hauled out of Kingside adit with a horse in 1910 and that horses were
hauling front tipping waggons out of Level Fawr at the same period." Could
these have been the same trucks that were hauled up the 70 degree inclined
shaft? I cannot see why it wouldn't be possible to use the same trucks -
they would just look an odd design compared to normal.

There is a photo of the skip shaft in British Mining No 12 The Mines of
Cardiganshire on page 69. Unfortunately it doesn't show a truck - just the
shaft..

I hope this may be some help to John Hamilton.

All the best

Roger


----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Claughton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 11 July 2002 18:34
Subject: Hoisting ore through underlie shafts,19th century. Brendon hills,
Somerset.


> Can any member help with this query from John Hamilton?
>
> What little experience I have with steeply inclined skip shafts in metal
> mines suggests that a guide wheel on the underside of the rail would be
> expected.  In fact a drawing of a 'cage' designed to run on the skipway in
> New or North Shaft at the Llanfyrnach Mine in Pembrokeshire, in the 1880s,
> does show such guide wheels.
>
> Peter
>
> >From: "John Hamilton" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: "mining history request" <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Hoisting ore through underlie shafts,19th century.  Brendon
hills,
> >         Somerset.
> >Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 12:43:11 +0100
>
> >
> >Dear Mr Claughton,
> >Tony Brook, ex. CSM has suggested I contact you for access to Mining
> History requests.
> >My query relates to the design of mine trams capable of being loaded with
> iron ore below sub-level stopes, then trammed out through the level to the
> relevent shaft station, pushed onto the shaft 'wings', thence hoisted up
> underlie shaft inclinations as steep as 70 degrees, to surface..  They
were
> not deep mines;  that at Raleighs Cross, the deepest, was less than 800
feet.
> >Such was the system of hoisting at most of the ten or so of the Brendo
> Hills iron ore mines.
> >Tony Brooks quite reasonably questions this apparently simple system, as
> the weight on the front wheels of the laden trams when ascending the shaft
> at 70 degrees would be insufficient to keep it on track.  Tony asks was
> there, perhaps, some kind of guidance bridal in use?  I have no way of
> answering that question.
> >It seems likely that the Brendon hills system of hoisting was introduced
> there via South Wales iron mines, as the engineers in charge were at the
> time of its inception, from South Wales.
> >Perhaps you, or one of your associates has come across the hoisting of
mine
> trams through underliers or is able to shed some light on the matter,
please?
> >Yours faithfully,
> >JOHN HAMILTON.