Blaentillery No. 2 is one of the last remaining of south wales's small mines and seems to have been worked from 1897, the mine was placed for sale around a year ago and although still licensed for extraction coal hasnt been produced in a long time!
The mine was originally dram (tub) hauled, but was later converted to a 50M undercut longwall with conveyor haulage. It seems the Drams were retained for maintenance haulage and muck shifting! it is also famous as the mine featured on BBCs "Coal House"
A WARNING TO ALL THOSE WANTING TO VISIT! The mine was fairly accessible a week or 2 ago, the air was reported to us as being ok down the 800 or so yards of the main that had been visited, HOWEVER we went down with one of the fella's that went down the other week when it was ok, and at the first junction I quote "Shit.. the air has changed, it feels different" there was a smell of creosote and it seemed stale, so i grabbed a shot and we retreated RAPIDLY! It was reported to me today that they had been back with the gas detectors today, and I quote "the air got REALLY shitty at the first junction, but it was breathable. we proceeded another 100 yards to the next junction and it was so bad we had to leave RAPIDLY!"
So there you go folks, shite air and possible death lurks within! you have been warned!
Anyhow, the day was bright and sunny and after looking at some stuff around big pit we walked up to bleantillery, its a LONG walk! LOL
the yard
Dram (tub) these were IDENTICAL to the ones at big pit, makes me wonder if they stole a few when it closed!
Tippler
Compressor house
Conveyor haulage road
conveyor
Tub road and man access
Junction
COAL!
Road
Thanks for looking
The mine was originally dram (tub) hauled, but was later converted to a 50M undercut longwall with conveyor haulage. It seems the Drams were retained for maintenance haulage and muck shifting! it is also famous as the mine featured on BBCs "Coal House"
A WARNING TO ALL THOSE WANTING TO VISIT! The mine was fairly accessible a week or 2 ago, the air was reported to us as being ok down the 800 or so yards of the main that had been visited, HOWEVER we went down with one of the fella's that went down the other week when it was ok, and at the first junction I quote "Shit.. the air has changed, it feels different" there was a smell of creosote and it seemed stale, so i grabbed a shot and we retreated RAPIDLY! It was reported to me today that they had been back with the gas detectors today, and I quote "the air got REALLY shitty at the first junction, but it was breathable. we proceeded another 100 yards to the next junction and it was so bad we had to leave RAPIDLY!"
So there you go folks, shite air and possible death lurks within! you have been warned!
Anyhow, the day was bright and sunny and after looking at some stuff around big pit we walked up to bleantillery, its a LONG walk! LOL
the yard
Dram (tub) these were IDENTICAL to the ones at big pit, makes me wonder if they stole a few when it closed!
Tippler
Compressor house
Conveyor haulage road
conveyor
Tub road and man access
Junction
COAL!
Road
Thanks for looking
