Mining Items

A Knocky-Up Board. This iron framed slate board is from the North Eastern coalfields and widely used down as far as the Midlands. These wrought-iron and slate boards were screwed onto the front of the miners houses upon which the occupants would chalk the time they wanted to get up in the morning, a “knocker-upper” employed by the company would …

A Belt Man’s Knife. This type of knife was used by the conveyor belt fitters, to cut the conveyor belt when lengthening the belts or repairing joints etc.  Made from Sheffield Steel. Size – Folded 5″ inches. Unfolded 8 1/2″ inches. 

A Miners Track Laying Sledge Hammer Head. Made from iron. Size 9″ x 2 ” inches. Date unknown. This hammer head has a long point back-end.  

A Miners Track Laying Sledge Hammer Head. Made from iron. Size 7″ x 2 1/2″ inches. Dated 1941. This hammer head has a wedged back-end.

A Colliery Pithead Baths Locker Door. As the collieries various pithead baths were constructed, between the early 1930’s and early 1950’s lockers were incorporated for miners to keep their clothes safe. There were on average 1,000 lockers or more depending on the size of the workforce – 500 clean and 500 dirty lockers, each miner would have one of each …

The Comet Belt Lacer. A Comet conveyor belt lacing machine. Made by Mastabar Mining Equipment Company Ltd, Accrington, Lancashire. Made from iron and brass. Size 12″ x 15″ x 4″ inches. Weight 20kg. This machine was used to crimp the metal clips into the ends of the conveyor belting. As the roadways extended in lengths the conveyor belts had to …

Carbon Monoxide Detector – National Coal Board. This detector is the T. C. O. II type from the Scientific Department of the National Coal Board North Western Division. Made from iron, glass and plastic. Size 10″ x 9″ x 6″ inches. The detector has a hinged from compartment which is locked from the back with a cylinder lock. This piece …

A Ringrose Firedamp Alarm. This Ringrose Firedamp Alarm was made by I.G.D. Ltd the International Gas Detectors Limited of Leeds, England. Made from aluminium, glass, iron and brass. Size 10″ x 4″ x 4″ inches. Dated to the 1960’s 1970’s?   These aluminium Ringrose Firedamp Alarms were later produced with a metal casing and also a plastic casing, the plastic …

A Ringrose Firedamp Alarm. This Ringrose Firedamp Alarm was made by I.G.D. Ltd the International Gas Detectors Limited of Leeds, England. Made from metal, glass, iron and copper. Size 9 1/2″ x 3″ x 3″ inches. Dated to the 1970’s-1980’s?   These metal Ringrose Firedamp Alarms were later produced with a plastic casing and also made slightly larger.

A Ringrose Firedamp Alarm. This Ringrose Firedamp Alarm was made by I.G.D. Ltd the International Gas Detectors Limited of Leeds, England. Made from plastic, glass, iron and brass. Size 10″ x 4″ x 4″ inches. Dated to the 1970’s-1980’s. These Ringrose Firedamp Alarms were made with a steel casing and also a later plastic casing version.