opencast mining images

The construction of these giant machines was a massive undertaking .

Photo by Gordon Edgar

Quarry workers warm themselves around a brazier as Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tank No.19 (W/No.2101 of 1940) waits whilst iron-ore tipplers are loaded in the Storefield Ironstone Quarry, Newton, near Kettering in the 1960s. The Barclay was sent for scrap at Cohen’s at Cransley in October 1969 and the quarries ceased production shortly after that, in September 1971.

Portrayed in a lunar-like landscape, Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tank ‘Jacks Green’ (W/No.1953 built in 1939) heads a Locomotive Club of Great Britain railtour in the Nassington Barrowden Mining Co. Nassington ironstone quarry on 19th December 1971

Photo by Gordon Edgar

Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tanks ‘Ring Haw’ and ‘Jack’s Green’ ‘top and tail’ a loaded train in the quarry of Nassington Barrowden Mining Company Ltd in the early 1960s. Nassington ironstone quarry was opened in 1939 when the impending war increased the demand for iron-ore. As an independent quarry, owned by Nassington Barrowden Mining Company, it escaped the rapid Dieselisation which the nationalised steel industry inflicted on the majority of the East Midlands ironstone quarries in the late 1960s, and became the last ironstone quarry in the country to use steam traction and the last privately-owned ironstone quarries in the country. However, its ‘celebrity’ status did not last for long, as the quarry was closed at the end of 1970. The principal working locos for the quarry’s entire working life were two Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tanks named after local spinneys – ‘Ring Haw’ (W/No.1982 of 1940) and ‘Jacks Green’ (W/No.1953 of 1939). Since closure, the quarry, like most former ironstone quarries in the area, has been in-filled and returned to agriculture.

photo by Gordon Edgar



The final full year of operations at the South Durham Iron & Steel Co. Irchester Quarries, with one of the two 1952-built ex-Cargo Fleet Steelworks chunky Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tanks ‘9’ (W/Nos.2323) hauling a train of empty tippler wagons on 10th May 1968, its sister ‘7’ (W/No.2324) standing outside the loco shed, also in steam. Upon being taken over by the British Steel Corporation, the quarries were closed on 27th June 1969, and most of the track had been lifted by March 1970.

photo by Gordon Edgar

Longhills Pit, Corby. Looking E. Working face, looking north-east. Northampton Ironstone next railway, overlain by Lower Estuarine and Lincolnshire Limestone, with some Boulder Clay. 1933

BGS photo archive

Longhills Pit, Corby. Looking E. Working face, looking NE. Northampton Ironstone (next railway), overlain by Lower Estuarine clays and Lincolnshire Limestone. On the right the limestone fills a channel in the clays, resting directly upon the ironstone. 1933

photo BGS archive

Deene Pit, Corby. Looking NW. Closer view of steam digger.
1936

photo BGS archive

Loddington showing the Whittaker .

A donated image suspected to of been a wellingborough pit .

Ruston 300 ton steam shovel working in Wembley pit Irchester

The above two donated Images are of a unknown surface mining site .

a stunning image of a Loddington pit , the gentleman in the foreground appears to have a whip for the horses ?

The plank and barrow method in the two above images, are from the Burton Latimer pits .

Easton men at a ironstone pit 1914

A original photo with cardboard backing, showing a once typical scene.

Here is a transformed stripping shovel which has been changed into a rock drilling machine at the Cowthick surface mine . Photo by David James

Cowthick surface mine photo by David James .

Cowthick surface mine Photo by David James

Rockingham surface mine . Photo by David James

A stunning image on a glass slide , scanned by Northants archive services . The further images are all Glass slides scanned by Northants archives .

a steam navy and track / surface mining works.

A unique style machine in the above image purpose unknown.

The water feed to the steam navy , Also note the wooden wheel barrow.

A  5360 series stripping shovel, note the man on top gives real scale to the image .

Multiple rakes of wagons , suspected to be corby .

No 21 Ruston loading a row of wagons.

A large bucket clearing the Northamptonshire clay over burden .

A scan by Northants archives , showing a rake of wooden tubs and 2 early steam shovels .

A blast of the ironstone in a working surface mine , has been captured in this image .

A Rolls Royce Shrewsbury built standard gauge 6-wheel diesel-hydraulic Steelman loco, No 20 built in 1968, was spotted in the Glendon pit in 1979. Photo courtesy of NIAG

 Steam shovel and conveyor moving the overburden in Lowick Pit. Photo courtesy of NIAG.

Face shovel loading early style tubs in Lowick Pit . Photo from NIAG

A loaded ore train climbing the incline towards Colpman’s farm. Photo courtesy of NIAG.

The way bridge building at lowick surface pit. NIAG image

A Ruston-Bucyrus 55-RB electric face shovel loading ore at Wellingborough No 6 pit in 1966. The motive power is a metre gauge 0-6-0ST Peckett loco. NIAG image .

 In this general view, a dragline is working on the overburden with a loading shovel working on a lower level. NIAG image

A Ruston-Bucyrus 55-RB electric face shovel loading ore . NIAG image

pit men working at south road corby

awaiting description

Wilsons no 2 steam navy at Preston pit Weldon taken in 1899.

The above image was taken on 15th jan 1957 Glendon bridge

The above image is 31st July 1956 Glendon bridge

The above image was taken 30th April 1959 Glendon bridge

The above image was taken may 1956. All 4 images show various stages of progress , all found in the Northampton Archive centre . Glendon bridge

The above image is of Glendon pit north, Unkown date . Northampton Archives .

Glendon pit North ,August 1955 . Found in Northants archives .

Glendon Barford Pit , photo shows 2 15 ton capacity A C E dumpers . date taken 15th Jan 1957. Northants archives .

Glendon Barford Pit date taken May 1958. Northants archives .

Cherry hall pit , The final days of working , majority of railway track has been removed ,the loading out of the final proceedings of ore can be seen in the distance . Taken on 2nd November 1953. Northampton archives.

The entrance to Wellingborough No 5 pit . date taken April 1958. Northants archives .

taken 7th October 1953 , Wellingborough new pit . Note the uneven floor on the ironstone . Northants archives

View of main face taken 7th October 1953. Northants archives

Wellingborough new pit progress report October 1954. Northants archives .

The length of workings is very clear in the above image . The depth of the over burden can also be realised, by using the stripping shovel for scale. 31st July 1956, Northants archives .

The 55RB can be seen loading ore into the small wagons, on this progress report dated 31st July 1956. Northants archives .

Fly dumping by the 5 W dragline in deep overburden . dated 7th June 1957. Northants archives . believed to be no 6

View of 5 W dragline baring initial gullet of new face Wellingborough no 6. Northants archives .

View of Wellingborough no 6 face , In the far distance the water tower can be seen . Taken 30th April 1959. Northants archives .

Carrol springs extension October 1954 . Northants archives .

Carrol spring extensions 7th October 1953. Northants archives.

Small island of virgin ground ” planted with conifer trees” taken from hells pit . taken 29th may 1954. Northants archives.

View of the Final gullet looking East. 27th may 1954. Northants archives

View of old railway cutting running from pit . Taken 27th may 1954. Northants archives .

Rockingham pit 17th June 1959. Northants archives .

Brookfields cottage pit extension westward view of Loading operations .Taken 3rd October 1956.

Priors hall south , Loading and baring operations . Taken 25th sept 1953. Northants archives .

Location and date unknown found in Northants archives .

Believed to be in a Rockingham pit date unknown , Northants archives.

Location & date unknown believed to be corby . Northants archives .

Ransome & rapier 5360 9 cu yard stripping shovel followed by Runorthants archives ston bucyrus 3 1/2 cu yard loading shovel at short leas pit 1934-1935 .

Cowthick pit view of 5364 shovel at work .Taken 31st July 1956. Northants archives .

Park lodge north showing the conversions which took place to machines . 30th April 1959.

Awaiting description , Information unknown.

Pitsford site of engineering shop taken 10th July 1966. Northants archives .

Beloved to be cranford ,Date unkown Northants archives.

One of the Cranford ironworks pits. Northants archives.

A dragline loading a rake of tubs in a Cranford pit . Northants archives.

Large scale operations in a cranford ironstone pit. Northants archives.

The restoration work carried out, after the cranford ironstone works was finished . Northants archives. 5th October 1972

Sinking a pumping shaft in a cranford ironstone pit . Date 14th September 1966. Northants archives.