Report - Harworth Colliery, Substation - Harworth - Jan 2015

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Harworth Colliery Electricity Substation

Evening all, decided to go and have a look around Harworth, I didn't get round all of the buildings, turning up mid afternoon was a daft idea... However, I'm quite pleased with the bits that I did find though, and I'm keen to re-visit at somepoint!

The Explore

The with place currently under demolition you do have to use your noggin a little on this one, there's plenty of workers on site and secca does patrol too, but with a little bit of thought and a good pair of legs you should be ok. Also the stairway that would lead up to the substation has been gas axed so you're going to have to do a bit of free climbing once inside the building, but again, it's nothing too challenging, I did it with a tripod strapped to my back... Sadly I ran out of light and decided to call it a day and return another time (SOON as the place is getting knocked down at a bloody rapid pace).

History

Work began on sinking the shaft in 1913, when the Northern Union Mining Company was set up. This was with an INVESTMENT in German equipment and men, but with the start of the First World War (1914-1918) the German workers were interned and the company's assets were impounded by the Government, and so construction was halted.

Later in 1917 the pit was bought by Messrs. Barber, Walker & Co. for £80,100, becoming full owners in 1921 after the war repayments scheme. The sinking of the shafts was started with preliminary works in 1919, but the first real sinking started in 1921. Water problems were encountered but this was overcome with the solidification of the ground with liquid cement grout. On 29 October 1923 the shaft sinkers eventually reached the Barnsley coal seam at 848 metres (2,782 ft) although there were problems with underground faults. The second shaft also reached the Barnsley seam on 15 November 1923.

In 1924 the colliery was connected with a 4.2 km railway line to connect with the LNER-owned East coast main line. The ECML became very congested and a connection the South Yorkshire Joint Railway was considered, also linking the new Firbeck Colliery (sinking started in 1923) near Carlton in Lindrick. A triangle junction would lead to another triangle junction near Styrrup with lines going to Harworth and another going through Oldcotes and Langold to reach Firbeck. The forecast for Harworth was 5000 tons per day; this would have meant more congestion, so the opportunity was taken by the new owners on the SYJR (LNER and the LMS) to build the line to connect both collieries. This was completed in 1928.

There were also several Coke ovens at Harworth, and like Maltby Main Colliery it was decided to modernise the pit in the 1950s. Rebuilding with the concrete headgears began in the late 1950s.

These structures were replaced with the current headgears in 1989 (No 1 Shaft) and 1996 (No2 Shaft). Shortly after the No1 Headgears were built the new surface main mine fan was also commissioned to efficiently ventilate the workings.

The mine was mothballed in 2008, demolition beginning in 2012

Pictures

Ok so pictures of the substation building hopefully more to come in due course!

The Headstock and substation building (Red Brick)

Before we get onto the electrical goodness, this was in the far end of the building, now exposed to the elements as it would appear a JCB has ripped the end of the building off... A large gyro?

Moving deeper into the building... We find the substation and electronics galore...

Me... I'm not usually a poser, honest

Brush Electrical...

And one more...

That's all for now folks, hopefully more to come before the place is no more, Speed has put a few images up on the FB page that I missed on my trip so check those out too, between us I think we have the site pretty much covered!

Thanks for reading

 

[Speed]

Did you see the controls for the winder in there?

Looks like part of the cladding has gone off the end of the building since i was there. Anything on the ground floor in that bit?

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Did you see the controls for the winder in there?

Looks like part of the cladding has gone off the end of the building since i was there. Anything on the ground floor in that bit?

I didn't see the controls... I had a bit of a retard moment and walked straight past... (Didn't cross my mind until I was reviewing images at home...)

On the ground floor there's a few compressors and a Scania back up Diesel generator, there was also a service tunnel carrying the cabling underground, sadly the tunnel is flooded with water to ankle height which I wasn't really prepared for so I gave that a miss too, would have been interesting to have explored that tunnel further though!

 

[Speed]

That is one of the old winders by the way. When the colliery was built there was two winders at each end of this building with the powerhouse in the middle. They would have linked up with two traditional headstocks over the shafts to haul the coal/men up and down. The original headstocks were demolished and replaced with the modern ones you see today (or did until one got ripped down!) The headstock still standing is a modern design with winder actually on top of it. The other remained a traditional design but they built a new winding house at 90 degrees to it which has now gone too (without being explored i hasten to add!!)

 

[Els]

Is this public or not? If it's all over fb it's a bit pointless keeping it np nest pas?

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Is this public or not? If it's all over fb it's a bit pointless keeping it np nest pas?

I didn't realize we where keeping it quiet?

Feel free to move to the Non Public section if so, although myself and Speed have both shared images of it on there... :/

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

That is one of the old winders by the way. When the colliery was built there was two winders at each end of this building with the powerhouse in the middle. They would have linked up with two traditional headstocks over the shafts to haul the coal/men up and down. The original headstocks were demolished and replaced with the modern ones you see today (or did until one get ripped down!) The headstock still standing is a modern design with winder actually on top of it. The other remained a traditional design but they built a new winding house at 90 degrees to it which has now gone too (without being explored i hasten to add!!)

Ahhh interesting, and looking at a few older pics I can see what you mean

I thought it was a winder as it looked similar to the one at Oaks, but I couldn't work out what it was supposed to be winding until now, presumed it was a large gyro type contraption!

 

[Speed]

Also i dont mind you putting it public as the place will most likely be rubble in a few weeks, its never been a big secret but we know they look on here so seemed sensible to keep it NP until all had been done which it almost has now.

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Nice ones mate

Some sweet selective DOF piccies

And keeping the Cammo" Trousers tradition alive as well

 

[huey]

That's chuffin awesome that is.

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Nice ones mate

Some sweet selective DOF piccies

And keeping the Cammo" Trousers tradition alive as well

Cheers dude

That's a tradition I won't be letting slip anytime soon

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Also i dont mind you putting it public as the place will most likely be rubble in a few weeks, its never been a big secret but we know they look on here so seemed sensible to keep it NP until all had been done which it almost has now.

I guess moving it to NP is as simple as pushing a button for a mod? Might as well bung it in there until the head stock's down...

 

[Els]

Yea I'll stick the fucker in n.p. for the mo. Looks a cool mooch btw.

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

That's chuffin awesome that is.

Cheers dude, was an awesome little place to wander round

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Yea I'll stick the fucker in n.p. for the mo. Looks a cool mooch btw.

Cheers again for sorting that, was a rather nice explore!