The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green has the last remaing headgear and winding engine in the Lancashire Coalfield!
The colliery began its life in 1908 to exploit coal reserves in the south Lancashire Coalfield.
Apart from the steam winding engine and headgear the museum houses many exhibits, not least of which is the collection of 28 colliery locomotives!
The winding engine which served the No 1 shaft is the largest surviving colliery winding engine of its type in Europe. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement developing 3300 horsepower at 58 rpm. The engine was installed in 1912 and took two years to complete. It is connected to a bicylindro-conical drum which in turn was connected to the headgear pulleys to wind up the coal and wind down the miners and maintenance supplies.
The No.1 Engine house was completed circa 1910.
The pit closed in 1970 and although the Winding House, Winding Engine and Headgear were saved, it was not until 1983 that the site was leased to the society and work started on saving and restoring the winding engine and winding house and getting it working again. This has been achieved by a small dedicated team of volunteers over the last 37 years and it is now in working condition. The engine finally ran for the first time in 2013 almost 30 years to the day when the Red Rose Steam Society took over the site, although now running on compressed air, it is run at regular intervals through the year.
Keep an eye out on Facebook and the Website for running days.
The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green has the only surviving headgear on the Lancashire Coalfield. It is made from wrought iron lattice girders with rivetted plates at the joints. It has two large and one small wheel mounted at the top. It is nearly 30 metres (98 ft) high and was built by Head Wrightson of Stockton-on-Tees in 1910-11 for Astley Green Colliery. The sheaves were 20 ft. in diameter and the whole frame weighed 120 tons.
The Museum needs to raise a significant amount of money to try and save the headgear. Please consider donating now before this iconic landmark is lost forever.
Check out their website – HERE! It will bring you all the information regarding the development of the museum site and the attempt by the trustees to save the iconic headgear before it is lost forever.
Follow their Facebook Page – HERE!
Lancashire Mining Museum, Higher Green Lane, Astley, Tyldesley, Manchester, M29 7JB
The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green has the last remaing headgear and winding engine in the Lancashire Coalfield!
The colliery began its life in 1908 to exploit coal reserves in the south Lancashire Coalfield.
Apart from the steam winding engine and headgear the museum houses many exhibits, not least of which is the collection of 28 colliery locomotives!
The winding engine which served the No 1 shaft is the largest surviving colliery winding engine of its type in Europe. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement developing 3300 horsepower at 58 rpm. The engine was installed in 1912 and took two years to complete. It is connected to a bicylindro-conical drum which in turn was connected to the headgear pulleys to wind up the coal and wind down the miners and maintenance supplies.
The No.1 Engine house was completed circa 1910.
The pit closed in 1970 and although the Winding House, Winding Engine and Headgear were saved, it was not until 1983 that the site was leased to the society and work started on saving and restoring the winding engine and winding house and getting it working again. This has been achieved by a small dedicated team of volunteers over the last 37 years and it is now in working condition. The engine finally ran for the first time in 2013 almost 30 years to the day when the Red Rose Steam Society took over the site, although now running on compressed air, it is run at regular intervals through the year.
Keep an eye out on Facebook and the Website for running days.
The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green has the only surviving headgear on the Lancashire Coalfield. It is made from wrought iron lattice girders with rivetted plates at the joints. It has two large and one small wheel mounted at the top. It is nearly 30 metres (98 ft) high and was built by Head Wrightson of Stockton-on-Tees in 1910-11 for Astley Green Colliery. The sheaves were 20 ft. in diameter and the whole frame weighed 120 tons.
The Museum needs to raise a significant amount of money to try and save the headgear. Please consider donating now before this iconic landmark is lost forever.
Check out their website – HERE! It will bring you all the information regarding the development of the museum site and the attempt by the trustees to save the iconic headgear before it is lost forever.
Follow their Facebook Page – HERE!
Lancashire Mining Museum, Higher Green Lane, Astley, Tyldesley, Manchester, M29 7JB
