Displaying Artifacts

The Trust owns a big collection of mining machinery and equipment. Through the activities of its members, many of these are now in a working condition. With the assistance of T O Tomlins Ltd, we take a unique working display to steam rallies, etc. We have been to every Onslow Steam Rally since 1998 and a few others as well.

Onslow Steam Rally 1998

Mid-Shrops Show 1999

Onslow Steam Rally 1999

Onslow Steam Rally 2003

Onslow Steam Rally 2004

		Click for movie of rock drill

Onslow Steam Rally 2006

We are able to offer the organisers of steam fairs, shows, etc a unique set of working mining artifacts which can only enhance their event. Obviously being a Trust we will need to cover our costs, so detailed below are the possibilities you may wish to consider before you decide if you wish to book us. Note that there is no charge for Trust members' time, only the actual transportation costs. We can bring two lorry loads.

Basic Display

This is our permanent display which is kept on a lorry trailer. It consists of :-

• Ruston Hornsby single cylinder static engine (occasionally we use a flat belt drive from a tractor or traction engine instead)
• Jaw crusher
• Compressed air winch
• Length of rail track with Hudson side tipper truck
• Eimco compressed air loading shovel
• Length of track with another Hudson side tipper truck
• BEV electric loco

The display can be static but looks even better if it is working with the rails laid. The Eimco will load stone into one truck which is winched onto the lorry platform. It is emptied and the stone passed through the jaw crusher. The stone is then loaded into the other truck which is drawn away by the BEV loco and tipped.

The basic charge is 50p/mile for the round trip from Halfway House, Shropshire which pays for the lorry diesel. If you want the winches working you will need to supply a 450cfm compressor and 2 x 30ft jackhammer-type hoses, together with the fuel to run it. If you want the stone crusher working, you can either supply the stone yourself or contact Stuart Tomlins to negotiate the additional cost of us acquiring some.

If you want the rock drill working then you will need to provide a third compressor hose.

Tinsley Winder

This is an ex-British Coal winder and it will have to be brought on a second low loader lorry trailer. It is from the closed Hem Heath Colliery in Staffordshire and it is a two cylinder horizontal engine built in 1961 by the firm of John Tinsley of Darlington. It is known as a crab winder and, although built on steam lines, it was always worked on compressed air. It was originally installed on a new shaft at Wolstanton Colliery near Stoke-on-Trent, which at the time was the deepest coal shaft in Western Europe. It was then used as an emergency winder for such things as when the rope needed to be replaced on the main Koepe tower winder. When Wolstanton Colliery closed, it was moved to Hem Heath Colliery near Stafford where it was used as a winch on the drift shaft. It was dismantled and recovered by Trust members over a weekend in June 1997. This was quite an achievement as the winding engine weighs 45 tons in total, with the winding drum alone weighing 30 tons!

We only display the 15 ton working engine and not the drum. The basic charge is 50p/mile for the round trip from Halfway House, Shropshire. We may have to arrange another driver if you want the basic display as well and the journey is not local. If you want the Tinsley engine you will need to supply a 600cfm compressor and a 30ft hose, together with the fuel to run it. Also more hoses if you want the other items running from it.

Contact

To book the Trust display or discuss alternatives, ring Stuart Tomlins on T. 01743-884433.

Last updated 8^th October 2005