A busy scene at the Pit Bank around 1906, one dram is heading off to the right probably to be tipped directly into a railway wagon, on the left two others are in the process of being tipped onto the coal pile. Two more drams are visible under the roof and there is plenty of timber ready to go underground. One intriguing feature is that the narrow gauge railway tracks appear to be laid out with two different gauges. All our information indicates the gauge being the normal two foot, there appears to be a narrower one there as well, possibly the high and hard vein used different gauge drams.
Dorothy Hewitt, courtesy Anne Matson



One of our favourites from the newly discovered J. C. Burrow pictures of Frog Lane. This shows the dram being loaded with lump coal near the working face by the younger collier whilst his older colleague appears to be demonstrating the lever used to work the clutch or brake on the chain that controlled the descent of the loaded dram to the main haulage way. No peg and ball lamps appear in this view, the candle in its holder spiked to the prop giving the only light.
courtesy Anne Matson