A History of the Greta Coal Measures - Abermain No. 2 Colliery

(A) ORIGINAL	Abermain Collieries Limited. 4 O'Connell Street, Sydney.
(B)	Abermain - Seaham Limited 4 O'Connell Street, Sydney.
(C)	J. & A. Brown Abermain Seaham Collieries Limited J.A.B.A.S. Group 4 O'Connell Street, Sydney.
(D)	Coal and Allied Limited 4 O'Connell Street, Sydney.

(A) Record Tracing No.:	213.
(B) Register:	Northern Collieries Lease Books - Book No. 1 - No. 32
(C) Papers:

(D) Abermain No. 2 Colliery adjoins the south side of the village of Kearsley. The colliery lease holding was a square with 1 mile 48 chains (2.56 kms) in length sides.

(A) Abermain No. 2 Colliery was 8 miles 25 chains (13.3 kms) distant by road from Kurri Post Office via Neath rail level crossing

(B) It was 5 miles 15 chains (8.3 kms) distant by road from Cessnock Post Office via Aberdare and the Kearsley rail level crossing.

(C) The screens at Abermain No. 2 Colliery were 13 miles 62 chains (22.04 kms) distant by rail from the junction with the NSW Government Railways at East Greta Junction.

Both the Greta Top Seam and the Greta Bottom (Homeville splits) Seam underlay the Abermain No. 2 Colliery holding. It was the Greta Top Seam that was worked at this colliery. This seam varied in thickness from 13 feet in the north east portion to 23 feet 6 inches in the south-west part. A mudstone band varying from 1 foot to 2 feet in thickness is continuous in this top seam in the Abermain No. 2 Colliery lease. This mudstone occurs at a horizon ranging from 9 feet to 16 feet above the floor level.

The seam is approximately 860 feet below the ground surface at the bottom of the Abermain No. 2 Colliery shaft.

First workings were made to 8 feet in height. In the pillar extraction the seam was only worked to the first parting below the mudstone band. The coal above this parting averaged 2 feet in thickness below the mudstone band. This particular coal was left to support the mudstone, which had proved it was liable to disintegrate, and therefore made a poor roof. The roof above the Greta Top Seam was a mixture of sandstone and conglomerate, and it too was generally considered to be a poor roof.

The Greta Bottom (Homeville splits) Seam also laid under the Abermain No. 2 Colliery lease holding. A band of conglomerate averaging 60 feet in thickness separated the floor of the Greta Top Seam and the top of the Homeville upper split. This Homeville split appeared mainly as carbonaceous shale with coaly streaks. Although it was some 3 feet thick, it was considered of no commercial value. A sandstone band between 20 feet to 33 feet in thickness divided the upper and lower Homeville splits. The lower Homeville split was between 3 feet to 6 feet in thickness. Although considered to be "good clean coal", this split was not worked.

The Greta Seams on the Abermain No. 2 Colliery lease holding dipped approximately 1 foot in 19 feet on a course South 34º East. Just south of the entry shafts, a major fault trending in a south-easterly direction, traversed the Abermain No. 2 holding. This fault had a down-throw of 30 feet.

On Thursday 3rd November 1910, Mr E.H. Adams, the then company secretary for Abermain Collieries Limited notified the Mines Department that on that day, his company had commenced mining operations at its new Abermain No. 2 Colliery.

A connecting private railway track from the Abermain No. 1 Colliery running across the Abermain Collieries Limited lands to the new workings was commenced early in 1911. This was completed on Monday 17th July 1911.

A special passenger train conveying 75 engineers for an inspection of the new colliery was run on Monday 26th February 1912.

The entry to the Abermain No. 2 Colliery workings was by 2 brick lined circular shafts. These shafts were sunk by Mr ? Hannil, supervising a team of "sinkers". The down-cast shaft was 18 feet in diameter and had a depth of 826 feet. The up-cast shaft was 17 feet in diameter and was sunk to a depth of 840 feet. The shafts were about 90 yards apart, and both bottomed onto the seam during 1912.

These shafts are only 35 chains (0.7 kms) north of the southern boundary of the property. Consequently the major part of the Abermain No. 2 Colliery lease and workings laid north of the shafts, rising towards the outcrop line.

From the shaft bottom 4 main parallel headings were driven north. Two of these headings provided the "intake airway". The other two headings made the "return airways". Minor headings to the Districts were driven on the right (east) and left (west) sides of the main headings. All the main headings were 15 feet wide and 8 feet high. The various District headings were almost on a level course. The west District headings ran on a slight slope to the seam dip.

Abermain No. 2 Colliery was mined under the bord and pillar system. Each 7 bords formed a panel, which was bounded by barrier pillars. Bords and cut-throughs were 6 to 8 yards wide. Bords were turned or driven off from the headings at an angle of 76º. This angle permitted easy transport for the large 25 cwt wooden skips. On the average, pillars were 44 yards long by 22 yards wide. In each District, these methods were continued in the first workings, until the District was won out and set-up.

First workings generally were made to a height of 8 feet. In the very early days of development up till about 1923, two systems of mining were utilised, "hand-picking" and "machine cutting". At the end of World War I period, a new type of Jeffrey coal cutting machine was introduced. This was the "under-cut arc series". After its entry into the face this machine made a 6 feet diameter semi-circle cut. The 1923 Mines Department Annual Report states that, at Abermain No. 2, 7 electric Jeffrey coal cutters were utilised.

In May 1936 Abermain No. 2 Colliery closed due to lack of trade and uneconomic working. When this mine re-opened on the 24th October 1938, hand mining had been replaced by mechanisation using mobile coal-face equipment. It is said Abermain No. 2 Colliery was the first South Maitland pit to have been fully and completely mechanised.

In this early mechanisation, coal was cut by a Jeffrey "29U" arc-shearing machine. This cutter weighed 14 tons and travelled on a 3 feet 6 inches gauge track. This track was constructed from 45 pounds to the yard steel skip rails, a little heavier than the usual. The transport electric power was provided by a 15 horse powered unit; the cutting motor power was a 50 horse powered unit. The cutting bar was 8 feet 6 inches long, and removed a five inches "kerf" or undercut. The coal face then received 13 boreholes in preparation for explosion. a compressed air driven unit bored the holes, using Helical steel drills, 8 feet in length and with tungsten carbide tipped bits. After the shot-firing, a Jeffrey "L400" track mounted loader powered by a 40 horse powered electric motor placed the coal into 5 tons capacity steel skips. The Jeffrey mechanised unit averaged 300 tons per shift. A manager's report to the Company's superintendent gives these details for a mechanised unit driving a 6 yards wide bord:

From the loader "L400" in the bord, the 5 tons capacity steel skips were hauled by storage battery powered locomotive to a loading station, situated 30 chains (0.6 kms) from the winding shaft bottom.

Mr Ern Hewitt, the J.A.B.A.S. Company Group engineer from the Hexham Engineering Works designed these 5 tons capacity skips, which had a "door opener" to enable the skip to discharge its load onto a conveyor belt to be transported to a 50 tons surge bin. From this bin at the loading station, Mr Hewitt had designed a special arrangement for reloading via a chute into the 25 cwt capacity wooden skips. This contraption, because of its method of operation was nicknamed the "chocolate wheel" by the Abermain No. 2 miners. The smaller skips were hauled to the shaft bottom by a steam powered endless rope.

A third mechanised unit, similar to the two installed on the 24th October 1938, was introduced on the 31st July 1939. Again storage battery locomotives hauled 5 tons capacity skips to a second loading station at which was a 20 tons capacity bin. Here again reloading was made into 25 cwt wooden skips to be hauled by another endless rope to the shaft bottom. For the additional skip haulage, J.A.B.A.S. Company purchased a new locomotive and battery from Gibson, Battle & Coy on 2nd May 1939 at a cost of £3,858-0-0 ($7,716.00).

In 1941 John Marcus Baddeley, Member for Cessnock electorate in the NSW State Parliament and also Minister for Mines, introduced a most restrictive Act that prohibited coal mines using machines in the extraction of pillar coal. Such machinery could only be used in first workings in the driving of headings and bords. This restrictive legislation and practice lasted until repealed in the mid 1950's. All pillar extraction at Abermain No. 2 Colliery during this period was made by contract hand mining. The mechanised units used in the driving of the bords and headings at Abermain No. 2 were progressively withdrawn on these dates:

This reversion from fully mechanised operations to hand mining resulted in increased costs of production and the lowering of the efficiency of the mine. Pillar extraction by hand mining commenced in 1948 after all virgin areas had been developed in the first workings. The pillars were first split by an opening 6 yards wide, which was driven through the pillar up to the height of the first band below the mudstone band. A second split was then driven 6 yards wide right through the pillar holing out at the "goaf" edge. Lifts 6 yards wide were then taken off these then smaller and reduced pillars, or as they were more commonly called "stooks".

Early in November 1958 preparatory work was commenced for the introduction of mechanised equipment for the extraction of pillars from "No. 2 West" section of Abermain No. 2 Colliery. On 23rd February 1959 the pit reopened for a second time as a fully mechanised mine. The unit consisted of a Joy "11BU" loader, an "AB" coal cutting machine and two Joy "10-SC" shuttle cars. The shuttle cars ran to a conveyor belt system, thence to a trunk belt to the earlier 1938 holding bin area. Here coal was again reloaded into small wooden skips to be raised to the surface. Skips loaded on the Afternoon Shift were stored on "flats" around the shaft bottom. Skips loaded on the Day Shift were raised on the Day shift together with the skips loaded on Afternoon Shift.

During 1959 and 1960 additional mechanised units were installed in other panels and Districts. These units delivered their output onto the existing trunk-belt system.

Because over its history "fire-damp" had been met on occasions, safety lamps were widely used in Abermain No. 2 Colliery. The 1927 Mines Department Annual Report informs that 274 safety lamps were in use in that mine during that year.

The winding engine at Abermain No. 2 Colliery first utilised to lift the single deck cages was steam driven. Its cylinders were 2 feet 4 inches in diameter with a 5 feet stroke, and operated 10 feet diameter rope drums. This winding engine had been equipped with over-winding and over-speeding prevention "governor" gear. The winding engine weighed 120 tons and operated at a working pressure of 150 pounds per square inch. This engine had been supplied by a Scottish firm, Grant, Ritchie and Company of Kilmarnock.

During May 1934 serious cracks developed in the main winding engine. The colliery was temporarily closed on the 31st May 1934 to determine the company policy as to whether steam or electricity winding haulage should be maintained. Some time after 1929 the steam winding engine at Aberdare Shaft Colliery was replaced by an electric winder. Abermain No. 2 mine made overtures to purchase this disused "Barclay" steam winder. An agreed price of £4,300-0-0 ($8,600.00) was made. This steam engine was installed and Abermain No. 2 Colliery resumed mining operations during October 1934. An old steam engine on the surface was utilised to power the endless underground rope haulage.

The winding engines were housed in a 14 inches thick brick-walled building supported with buttresses. This building was 60 feet long, 50 feet wide and 25 feet high. It had a galvanised corrugated iron roof.

Boiler plant for the Colliery's steam raising purposes, and particularly for the mine's haulage winding engine consisted of 8 Thompsons Lancashire boilers. This number was reduced to 6 boilers in 1935. These boilers were each 30 feet long and 8 feet 4 inches in diameter, and operated at 150 pounds per square inch. Only 5 boilers operated at a time, the 6th boiler being retained as a spare. The boilers were fitted with "high steam" and "low water" alarms. Water for use in the boilers came from a fair-sized lagoon type dam located on the southern side of the pit-top. The boilers had been placed on a concrete base 3 feet thick in the boilerhouse, which was 70 feet long by 50 feet wide.

A 140 feet high colliery chimney stack stood on foundations 24 feet square and 8 feet high. The stack itself was also of square design, tapering slightly towards its top. The stack was bound and strapped with angle iron at appropriate intervals.

The poppet or head gear above the main shaft was of the angle steel lattice type. The height from the ground level to the centre of the pulley wheel was 86 feet. The pulley wheels were 16 feet in diameter. The haulage winding rope was of "Lang's plough steel", 4½ inches in circumference. It had a breaking strain of 80 tons. This poppet head carried 2 single deck cages, each of which carried two 25 cwt skips. The cages were supported in the shaft by rigid steel rail guides. These rails were of 70 pounds to the yard strength.

In 1923 a "Techer Graph" machine was installed at Abermain No. 2 Colliery to measure stoppages on haulage, and were driven by an old steam engine on the surface. Its purpose was to remove the arguments and disputes on the cause of delays, whether the pit-top or the pit-bottom or the winding driver. The graph automatically recorded all movements, the times, the delays, when the "rap" signals were made, etc., etc.

Originally the underground mine's main headings were equipped for endless rope haulage, and were driven from the main winding engine. A band rope from the surface via the up-cast air shaft transmitted power to the clutch gear at the shaft bottom to operate the endless rope. On Tuesday 3rd July 1934, Abermain Collieries Limited, at a cost of £6,500-0-0 ($13,000.00) purchased the surplus Aberdare Shaft Colliery steam winding engine, this engine took over the role of driving the endless ropes. Before 1938 and the introduction of mechanisation and battery powered locomotives, pit-horse hauled the skips to and from the bords and subsidiary headings to the endless rope in the main heading levels. Pit-horses always played some role in the underground haulage.

After 1938 with the introduction of mechanisation both battery powered underground locomotives and the endless rope haulage systems were utilised. Nine Jeffrey 10 tons weight locomotives were used. Each of these locos was driven by two 15 horse powered motors drawing current from Exide KCL batteries of 56 cells each. Batteries were recharged on the Afternoon Shift. Locomotive maintenance was performed during the same period of battery recharging. Skips hauled by these locomotives were a large bottom discharge type with a capacity of 5 tons. The skips were hauled in sets of five to a special transfer or reloading station. Mr Ern Hewitt, J.A.B.A.S. Group engineer had designed at Hexham Engineering Works a "door opener", which allowed the coal to be dumped onto a conveyor belt in a trough and placed into a concrete 50 tons capacity surge bin. Mr Hewitt also planned an arrangement that via a chute coal was reloaded into 25 cwt capacity wooden skips for lifting in the cage up the shaft. This contraption, because of its method of operation, was nicknamed the "chocolate wheel" by the Abermain No. 2 miners. This transfer station was some 30 chains (0.6 kms) from the shaft bottom.

Pit-horses were used extensively in underground haulage up to 1938, when battery powered locomotives were introduced. Pit-horses continued to play a minor role up till the mine ceased operations.

The 1912 Mines Department Annual Report states that early in that year with the commencement of actual coal production, a steam-driven fan had been installed at Abermain No. 2 Colliery to provide the ventilation. This was a Sirrocco fan 112 inches in diameter by 96 inches deep. It was capable of producing 400,000 cubic feet of fresh air per minute. The air travelled along the two centre main headings, and from there it was split into each of the separate Districts. The air returned from these Districts by the two outside main headings to the up-cast shaft.

The Sirrocco fan was direct driven by a vertical steam Allen engine. This was a compound forced lubricated engine, which had two cranks enclosed. It also had two cylinders, one 27 inches in diameter, the other 17 inches in diameter, both had a 14 inches stroke. The fan operated at 200 revolutions per minute.

The steam Allen fan engine was housed in the same building as the electricity generation plant. This building had been 72 feet long, 38 feet wide and 25 feet high. It was similar in design and construction to the building that housed the mine haulage engine.

An electricity power generation plant was constructed at Abermain No. 2 Colliery during 1912. The Mines Department 1912 Annual Report describing the installation of a fan to provide ventilation informed that the steam engine for the fan had been housed with the electricity generation plant, and that provision and room had been made for future development and for later increased generation plant.

The original plant, an Allen-Siemens generator, was a 250 kW unit which produced direct current electricity at 240 pressure volts. A marble switchboard mounted all necessary instruments for controlling the electrical supply. In 1918 an additional 225 kW unit was installed at Abermain No. 2 Colliery. This second unit was a Bellis and Morcom set and produced alternating current electricity at 415 pressure volts. On 9th July 1925 the shaft to the Bellis-Morcom unit broke and ceased the electricity production. Colliery fitters reversed the shaft, and the unit was able to resume power generation.

The 1925 Mines Department Annual Report states that during that year a further unit was added to the Abermain No. 2 electricity power generation plant. This was a 350 kW unit, which produced alternating current electricity at 2200 pressure volts. This unit too, is said to have been a Bellis and Morcom plant. This same Annual Report lists the uses of electrical power as being for coal cutting, pumping, 170 surface and 200 underground electric lights, plus six small motors driving the shaker screens, picking belts and creeper chains on the pit-top.

After the formation of J.A.B.A.S. Group in early 1931, the new company's policy was that electricity would be supplied to all the Group's collieries from the Company's Richmond Main Colliery powerhouse. A transmission power line was built in 1942 across country from Richmond Main powerhouse to Abermain No. 2, Abermain No. 3 Shaft, Abermain No. 1 and then in 1947 across country to near the Khartoum Hotel, Kitchener and on past Cessnock No. 1 Colliery pit-top to Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery. The early electricity generation powerhouses at the Abermain Group Collieries (Nos 1, 2 and 3) were all phased out by 1943. Abermain No. 2 Colliery had closed in May 1936 due to the slackness of the coal trade and the old uneconomical system of mine working. The new power transmission line enabled Abermain No. 2 to operate more efficiently under the new mechanisation mining methods.

Electricity power was received at Abermain No. 2 Colliery at 33,000 volts, and was transformed down to 3300 volts, for transmission underground. Here again, it was stepped down to 415 volts in portable transformers, mounted on flanged wheels and housed in fire-proof rooms. Current was reticulated by 4 core armoured cable to cast iron flame proof junction boxes, which had automatic circuit-breakers and earth leakage protection. Trailing cables fitted to the coal cutters, mobile loaders, scraper loaders, etc. All were plugged into these boxes.

In 1923 underground pit water in Abermain No. 2 Colliery was dealt with by two electric pumps installed at the bottom of the shaft. Each pump was operated by a 150 horse powered motor. The pumps were of the five plunger type and were capable of handling 22,000 gallons per hour against a head of 900 feet.

The 1927 Mines Department Annual Report states that during that year 7 electric pumps were operating underground at Abermain No. 2 Colliery.

A 1924 Abermain Collieries Limited company report in a description of Abermain No. 2 Colliery and its facilities, informs that this colliery had had a compressed air unit which had a capacity of 220 cubic feet of air per minute.

A single standard gauge railway 3 miles 61 chains (6.02 kms) in length was constructed by the Abermain Collieries Limited Company to connect its new workings at Kearsley to the original No. 1 Colliery near Abermain township. Because the topography presented no major engineering problems, the track was laid by the Company using day labour contracts. Construction was commenced during early 1911, and was completed on Monday 17th July 1911.

Right from the commencement of operations at its new Abermain No. 2 Colliery, Abermain Collieries Limited had adopted a policy of providing rail transport from Abermain No. 1 to the new workings. To accomplish this Abermain Collieries Limited in June 1911 purchased two ex-steam tram cars from the NSW Tramway. Over the years a number of similar ex-steam tram cars were purchased and added to miners transport fleet as a convenience to the miners employed at Abermain No. 2 Colliery who resided at Abermain. The actual date of the first trip has not been located, but is possible that it was used during the sinking of the shafts.

A special passenger train was run on the 26th February 1912 to convey a party of 75 engineers to make an inspection tour at Abermain No. 2 Colliery. Pressure was made in the newspapers seeking Abermain Collieries Limited to run passenger train services to Kearsley because of poor road access. The Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in its issue of 27th March 1915 sought such a move. Whilst no doubt some local Kearsley people did avail themselves of the "blind-eye" attitude of the company on travellers on the miners' train, it was never official.

The Seaham Coal Company, the closely associated mining operator with Abermain Collieries, ran a passenger train service in conjunction with Caledonian Collieries between the Government Railways at Cockle Creek and their respective collieries. There is no doubt that it was this influence that encouraged the Abermain Collieries to at least provide the miners' transport trains.

Abermain No. 2 Colliery yard consisted of three loop sidings which ran under the screens. A running road ran on the eastern side of the vehicle standage areas. A dead end shunting neck and a short locomotive run-around loop parallel to the shunting neck allowed for quick release of the locomotive. Later a long siding was added that ran on the west side of the shafts and pit-top running close to the office, workshops, and other ancillary pit-top buildings. A short pair of loop sidings between this last siding and the vehicles standage sidings were used to accommodate the miners' transport train during shift hours and to be on hand for the return journey.

In early 1961 after the closure of Abermain No. 1 mine, a short dead-end siding diverted to the east just past the screens and pit-top. This short dead-end siding became the "loco depot", and a small shed was erected to house the Company's locomotive. As has been outlined on pages 308 to 310 inclusive, Abermain No. 1 exchange sidings were continued to be utilised for the exchange of coal traffic, (loaded and empty vehicles) for Abermain No. 2 Colliery production after the closure of Abermain No. 1 mine.

The use of Abermain private railway by the construction of a set of connecting crossover points to allow the stowage of loaded vehicles in Abermain sidings (No. 1) following the closure of Abermain No. 2 Colliery has been fully described on page 310. The crossover points constructed at Neath and operated from that signal box made a link to South Maitland Railways.

Abermain No. 2 Colliery utilised the Abermain Collieries Limited fleet of coal wooden hopper rail wagons to transport its coal production. See pages 311 and 312 for their description and details.

Abermain Collieries Limited owned its own locomotive to haul its wagons over its private railway.

The pit-top building was of the usual strong heavy rough squared bush timbers similar to the mines of that era. It was elevated sufficiently to allow the coal to be tipped from the skips and to be passed over shaker screens to separate the large and small coal. The large coal travelled over picking belts, and thence to the loading chutes. Like at many other collieries, small coal was frequently placed in an elevated heavy timber holding box.

The work areas were floored with decking timbers. Six small electric motors were utilised to drive the shaker screens, the picking belts and the creeper chains.

The pit-top structure at one end surrounded the steel lattice style poppet head. The pulley wheel was 86 feet above the earth surface. It was 16 feet in diameter. The winding haulage rope was 4½ inches in circumference, and was manufactured from "Lane's" plough steel. The shaft carried two single deck cages and each had the capacity to carry two fully laden 25 cwt skips.

The boilerhouse was an open building structure, with a galvanised corrugated iron roof. Alongside and to the back of this boilerhouse, a very high 104 feet colliery chimney stack stood on brick foundations, 24 feet square and 8 feet high. The stack was also of a square design tapering inwards slightly towards its top. To the south side of the boilerhouse and square on with the shaft, a tall 14 inches thick brick wall building had been erected to house the winding engine. This was a fine building, and it too was roofed with galvanised corrugated iron. On the north of the boilerhouse, a building, similar in type to the winding engine house in that it was 14 inches thick brick, housed the electricity generation plant, plus the Sirrocco fan and its engine. The compressed air unit also stood in this building. The up-cast air shaft lay just to the north-west of this building. The bricks used in all these buildings had been made in the kilns adjacent to Abermain No. 1 Colliery.

Abermain No. 2 Colliery had the usual tradesmen's shops, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, wagon repairers, electricians, fitters, etc., to carry out the normal colliery repairs. In 1927, a fine brick bathhouse was constructed. In addition, fine timber homes were constructed for the manager, under-manager, engineer, electrician, all in a short street on the colliery property and in reasonable close proximity to the pit-top.

The first colliery office was a wooden building, which had been transported from Seaham Colliery. In early 1926 a more modern brick building was constructed in front of the wooden structure. The older wooden building was retained to become the "Ambulance Room". However its life as such was as short, because in 1927 it was destroyed by a flood from the dam lagoon creek.

Similar to other collieries, small coal in Abermain No. 2 Colliery's early years, appears to have been slow to sell. To meet this problem an elevated heavy timbered slack coal storage bin was constructed to hold the excess small coal production. The bin or box had a capacity of 7,000 tons or equivalent to some 20 loaded coal trains of that era.

Abermain No. 2 Colliery in 1923 introduced "stone-dusting" into its mine working methods. It used an Oldham machine, which had a capacity of 18 cwts per hour.

In the first place the stone-dust was transported from the Seaham Collieries. Later Abermain No. 2 Colliery installed a Richard Schofield Ideal Stone Dust Crusher and Ballmill. This machine had the ability to convert 5 tons of shale to stonedust in a day of 8 hours.

In June 1930 the Abermain collieries Limited Company introduced a new method for cleaning coal to improve its sales. This Birtley dry-cleaning "duff blower" system was constructed in Abermain No. 3 Colliery yard. It was not unlike the dry-cleaning plant built by Hebburn Collieries Limited in 1923. (See page No. 331 for details). It had 200 cyclone linen tube bags that removed the "duff refuse". Mr Ken Broadhead supervised its working operations during the plant's life.

Difficulty was found in getting rid of this "duff refuse". Attempts were made to burn it in the boiler fires at the various Abermain Group Collieries (Nos. 1, 2 and 3). Many mixtures were tried. Wilcox and Babcock, boiler manufacturers, designed special steam jets to prevent blowouts. These designs were not very successful. Much industrial turmoil was experienced whilst ever the duff was so utilised. Eventually the "duff-refuse" was dumped in the chitter heaps at Abermain No. 3 Colliery.

After the closure of Abermain No. 1 Colliery on the 16th September 1960, the loco depot was transferred from Abermain No. 1 Colliery to Abermain No. 2 Colliery. A short dead-end siding was constructed diverting to the left in a facing points shunting movement from the running road just past the pit-top at Abermain No. 2 Colliery. A small loco shed was constructed over part of this siding to house the company's private locomotive. Abermain No. 2 Colliery coal was conveyed by this locomotive to the earlier exchange siding at Abermain No. 1 Colliery.

Like many early mines on the South Maitland Coalfields, Abermain No. 2 Colliery, because of its then somewhat isolation and its inaccessibility, attracted around it a "calico" village of tents. Many of these soon became "bag humpies" and the odd bark-houses. These accommodation structures were all on the Abermain No. 2 Colliery lease land, mainly towards the north-east or Neath side of the colliery, along the creek bank. As more wives and families joined the miners in residence, the mining village grew and spread. It became known as Eddenville.

Education was always a feature and an important part of mining villages. It was not long before efforts were made to establish a school at Eddenville. On the 20th January 1912, the NSW Department of Public Instruction leased Mr A. Colton's hall on the Abermain No. 2 Colliery land property, and opened a school with Henry J. Rolfe as teacher and 36 pupils in attendance. This was a very poor structure with a corrugated galvanised iron roof, hessian bag walls, rough timber floored, unlined and un-ceiled. In the Department's records the school is registered as the Abermain No. 2 Shaft School.

Like other similar mining villages, progressive miners and unionists sought tenure of more permanent home sites. On 27th May 1915 the NSW Government acceded to these demands in this area, and through its Lands Department surveyed and laid out a new township. This village was named "Kearsley" after Mr William Kearsley, who at that period had recently become the first Member of the new Cessnock Electorate in the NSW Legislative Assembly of Parliament. Mr W. Kearsley had been a strong mining unionist, who had fought, as well as the mining issues, for proper home sites, schools, hospitals, etc., very much needed civil conditions. Within the new village of Kearsley, provision had been made for a new school site. When the new school had been erected, Mr John M. Alcie, the local school teacher and his pupils on Monday 24th January 1916 marched the short distance from the Abermain No. 2 Shaft old "bag" structure school at Eddenville to the fine new building in nearby Kearsley.

Like other coal companies operating on the South Maitland Coalfields with the ready sales of its coal production, Abermain Colliery Company looked for further mining expansion. Mr E.H. Adams, the Company Secretary at that date, on Thursday 3rd November 1910 notified the Mines Department that on this day his company had commenced mining operations in the area now known as Kearsley. Later this workings became known as Abermain No. 2 Colliery.

A colourful description of this new colliery's commencement appears in the Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in its issue of Saturday 28th December 1912. I quote:

First workings were made to a height of 8 feet. In later pillar extraction, coal was removed to the first parting below the mudstone band. Coal above the mudstone band averaged 2 feet in thickness was intended to support what was usually considered a poor roof. Mining was made on the contract hand mining system, which continued until May 1936. Two methods were utilised, "hand-picking" and "machine cutting". A Jeffrey "under-cut arc series" machine appears to have been introduced about the end of World War I. These machines were electrically driven by power supplied from the colliery's own generation plant.

Haulage in the Abermain No. 2 Shaft was steam driven. William Humble, Mines Department Inspector, in a review of this colliery made in September 1922 states that 6 John Thompson boilers supplied sufficient steam for the shaft haulage, endless ropes, electricity generation and ventilation fans. A second-hand steam engine acquired from Aberdare shaft was utilised to power the underground endless rope haulage.

A private railway across Abermain Collieries' leases completed on Monday 17th July 1911. Not only did this rail service provide for the transport of coal production from Abermain No. 2 Colliery to the exchange sidings adjacent to the Abermain No. 1 pit-top, but also for the conveyance of miners from Abermain township to the Abermain No. 2 Colliery. Ex-steam tram cars from the NSW Tramway Department in Sydney were utilised for this service.

The amalgamation of the Abermain Mines Group with the Seaham mines in the Abermain - Seaham Collieries Limited in October 1922 resulted in the exchange of mining knowledge and experience between the two. quite a number of clerks and manager personnel were interchanged. The linking of this group with J. & A. Brown Company in early 1930, further promoted this close bonding of staff and the promotion of ideas.

Following the Miners' Lockout and the depression of the early 1930's, the uneconomic system of mine working at Abermain No. 2 Colliery resulted in that mine being closed until 24th October 1938. On this date Abermain No. 2 pit resumed production as a fully mechanised mine, with two complete units each comprising a Jeffrey L-400 loader, a Jeffrey 29-U coal cutting machine and a CP electric drilling equipment. During the colliery cessation, a new electricity transmission line had been erected in late 1937 to connect Richmond Main power station to the Abermain Group mines. Following which the electricity generation at all three Abermain Pits was phased out.

Coal was placed by the L-400 scraper loaders into 5 tons capacity steel skips for haulage by storage battery powered locomotives to a bin for reloading into one ton skips for raising up the shaft. Mr Ern Hewitt, J.A.B.A.S. Group engineer designed a special method including a bottom door skip, opener, conveyor belt, 50 tons surge bin, and an arrangement to reload via a chute. Reloading contraption was nicknamed the "chocolate wheel" by the Abermain No. 2 miners.

A third mechanised unit was introduced on 31st July 1939. Again storage battery locomotives hauled 5 tons capacity steel skips to a 25 tons bin at a second reloading station.

During 1941 John Marcus Baddeley, Minister of Mines, introduced restrictive legislation by the inclusion of General Rule 40A, of Coal Mines Regulation Act which prohibited and forbid the use of mechanised equipment in the extraction of pillar coal. As a result of this restrictive Act, when the first workings at Abermain No. 2 Mine had been completed in the driving of headings, bords and cut-throughs, the three mechanised units were withdrawn from this Abermain mine. The first on November 3rd 1947, the second on 13th February 1948, and the third and last on 17th June 1948. This reversion from fully mechanised operations to hand mining pillar extraction resulted in increased costs of production and lowering of efficiency. This resulted in closure of the pit on a number of occasions, for varying periods. All losses as a result of this restrictive legislation, which was finally repealed in the mid 1950's. One wonders what pressure saw the introduction of such a futile Act, when after its repeal much pillar extraction was made with a minimum of accidents.

On 23rd February 1959, Abermain No. 2 Colliery re-opened for the second time for production as a fully mechanised colliery. A unit operated on both Day and Afternoon Shift on each working day. Each unit comprised a Joy 11BU loader, AB coal cutting machine and two Joy SC shuttle cars. The shuttle cars delivered their load to a panel belt of 260 yards centres having Joy Limberoller structure carrying 36 inches wide 6 ply belting. The panel belt carried to two conveyors in tandem at 650 yards centres and had fox structure and gear carrying 36 inches wide 6 ply belting. This in turn conveyed to a bin for reloading into 25 cwt wooden skips to be raised up the shaft.

A huge creep and numerous serious falls of coal eventually caused Abermain No. 1 Colliery and Abermain No. 3 Shaft to close on 16th September 1960. Abermain No. 2 Colliery coal production continued to be hauled and utilised the exchange facilities at Abermain No. 1 pit-top. Finally Abermain No. 2 Colliery also felt the result of the slackening of coal sales and suffered the result of the then economic climate. Raising coal via shafts and long transport underground made production costs prohibitive. Abermain No. 2 Colliery closed on the 30th December 1963. However its last coal production was not despatched from the Abermain No. 1 Colliery exchange sidings until 10th April 1964.

During the mid 1970's, the pit-top buildings, the colliery rail sidings and yard, the Abermain private railway branch were all demolished. Steel structures, machinery and rails were all sold for scrap. The cottages belonging to the colliery and used by the administrative and managerial staff of the colliery stood for a number of years. These were let, leased or rented by various Coal and Allied staff. By 1981 these too had all been demolished and removed.

Cessnock City Council during the 1970's did try to interest some Sydney factories in "decentralising" their organisation to these areas, without much success. Whilst these efforts were being made the fine brick building used as the bathroom was allowed to remain standing. Subsequently Cessnock City Council erected a chain wire fence around this brick building and converted the bathhouse to a "store". This is still being utilised for this purpose as at 1st January 1989.

Coal and Allied Limited have carried out some restoration work on the old pit-top area.

Enquiries made to the City of Cessnock Municipal Council show that the land is still owned by Coal and Allied Limited.

Newcastle Regional Museum
787 Hunter Street,
Newcastle West NSW 2302

Phone: 61 2 4974 1415
61 2 4974 1400

Fax: 61 2 4974 1405

Email: nrmuseum@ncc.nsw.gov.au