VALE OF CLWYDD COLLIERY. 



Ill 



face, it is therefore more suitable for slow haulage. The skips 

 are made to ring a bell, which gives notice to the men that 

 a set of skips is approaching the flat. The arrangement is 

 shown in (Fig. 48), where (C) is a vertical iron rod that can 



B 



Fig. 48. Signal Post. Fig. 49. Geordie Turn-out. 



turn in bearings at either end; (B) is a projection hit by the 

 passing skip, and (A) is a lever attached to the bell wire. 



As the full and empty skips all travel along the main 

 roadway in the same direction on a single track, when a flat is 

 reached from which cross-roadways branch to the workings 

 off which it is desired to divert some of the empties, the 

 selected skips are undipped and switched into the cross-road- 

 way, which has two sets of rails, one for the empties going 

 in, the other for the full passing out. The latter return to the 

 main roadway automatically when set free to do so, and are 

 then clipped on to the main rope. Horses serve to collect the 

 skips, and there are good stables for them underground. 



Geordie turn-outs are used for turning skips into the 

 several bords (Fig. 49). These are made of bar iron, square in 

 cross-section, so as to be reversible when required for turns 

 in opposite directions. The two rails forming the crossing (a) 

 are welded together; (b) is known as the sweep-rail, (c) the 

 sweep-point, and (d) the straight point. These square rails 

 are fastened down with nails 4in, long by fin., provided with 

 a chisel point, which pass through holes in the rail. 



Water is raised from the goaf, where it collects, by a 

 three-throw pump at the end of the main haulage. This is 

 worked by the main rope passing over the top of the pulley 

 that turns a chain, and sets the pump in motion. The main 

 pump at the pit's bottom is one of Cameron's patent, made by 

 Tangye, which is worked by steam. 



