Dear Bernard,

Thanks for your kind reply. I agree that the Mining journal is a very useful source, especially in its earlier (& chunkier) days, though you often find the same news 'copy' repeated in the columns of umpteen journals, esp.the MJ & the Colliery Guardian, and the Iron and Coal Trades Review (an under-valued source in the 1890s in my opinion). 

I'm fortunate to be in Sheffield which has a number of its old Mining Department periodicals still around (though the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers Library which was held here has long since been spread around - some going to Leeds where Earth Sciences and Geology continue to be studied). 

For journals I find the following:

professional societies:

Institution of Mining Engineers (and its constituent member institutes - though they didn't all federate in 1889, so check them indvidually)
Institution of Mining and Metallurgy
Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Electrical Engineers
-with their American/international counterparts
Proceedings of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers;
Mining electrical and mechanical engineer etc

There are also more local (and interesting!) society sources such as:
British Society of Mining Students
Sheffield University Mining Magazine etc etc
The Arts and Science of Mining (Wigan publications)

and there are many general engineering sources
The Engineer
Engineering
Iron
Industries (which last two merged in 1893)

As you say, the advertising can be useful, though the claims taken with a pinch of salt - the ads are often quite striking. I believe the Jennifer, Librarian at the NEIMME Library has a good selection of such advertising from this period. By the 20th Century one finds full-page exclamations of record yards cut per hour or tons etc - Siskol punchers and picks, MECO, International Channelling Machines, etc - often copied from American advertising approaches on this, though there had been simple Gillott & Copley compressed air machine ads appear for many years from the 1880s-1900s across the commercial pages. 

An awareness of the US/UK production imbalance, and presumed slowness to adopt new technologies (let alone having the capital to invest) seems to come into focus with the Mining Journal's promotion of the 'International Exhibition of Mining & Metallurgy', at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1890. Here the 'colonial' galleries brought metal and mineral mining to the fore - Australian mineral resources and South African gold mines, as well as coal collieries developing in the concealed coalfields.

From these sources, it seems the development of the applications of electricity were brought to the fore by the drop in pressure (with the inevitable working losses) in air compression technology when transmitting significant  power to a great distance underground. Rope transmission systems still have their place, and also hydraulic in some cicrumstances, but the high cost of installing new plant and inefficiencies of the old did lead to electricity being adopted, especially by increasingly exhausted older pits or where only thin seams could be found. In all these examples, I find there there is a human scale to the early efforts of the 'Iron-man' (though not beloved of the working men - 'widow-makers' and all), which is really incomparable with the 'whole-process' mechanisation which came later - cutting, loading, conveying; face support systems etc.

The less well known sources are usually more interesting

Chris

----- Original Message ----
From: Bernard Moore <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, 30 March, 2010 10:09:58
Subject: Re: Coal cutting by machinery

Dear Chris,

I think you will find the Mining Journal of use. On my many journeys  
amongst the MJ I have seen quite a few advertisements for coal cutting  eqpt. 
within same (1880's onwards). Likewise the Mining Electrical Engineer and  the 
Colliery Guardian (and other similar coal mining pbls. as the CG), will I am 
sure be of use to you - also Mine & Quarry Engineering. Furthermore pbls.  
& Insts. connected with mining electrical engineering - IMEE (most cutters  
were elec., but there were one or two compressed air versions as I'm  sure 
you know anyway). I do not know very much about this subject, just things  
seen along the way while looking for and doing other things.

Regards, Bernard