Aspull Pumping Pit

Shaft
Commenced 1871, 21 feet diameter, sunk to King Mine (below Cannel Mine), 180 yards.

Pumping
No.1 Pump – Bull-type pumping engine 56 inches x 6 feet 9 inches, 20 inches ram pump, 540 gallons per minute at 6 strokes per minute. This engine reputedly built by J. Musgrave, Bolton, c.1840 and second-hand from another of the Earl of Crawford’s pits.
No.2 Pump – Installed 1874, Bull-type 50 inches x 8 feet 1½ inches, 20 inches ram pump, pump rods 16 inches square. 436 gpm. at 4½ strokes per minute.
No.3 Pump – Installed 1875, ex. Gorse’s Pit, Bull-type 60 inches x 8 feet, 20 inches ram pump at King Mine, 12 inches ram pump at Cannel Mine worked by offset from main rod. Cannel Mine water used for boilers and locomotives. 657 gpm. at 4½ spm.
Engines fitted with condensers, pump delivery through 16 inches diameter cast iron rising mains. Initially pumped 123 yards to Great Haigh Sough, except Cannel Mine water which was pumped to surface. Later all water pumped to surface, 180 yards, following subsidence damage to Great Haigh Sough.

Underground Pumping Engine – Installed 1894. Cross-compound horizontal pumping engine by William Wilkinson, Holmehouse Foundry, Wigan. Cylinders 32 inches (HP), 60 inches (LPT by 36 inches stroke. Quadruple ram pumps 10½ inches x 36 inches. Delivery 60,000 gallons per hour at 600 feet head. Steam pressure 100psi. Flywheel 25 feet diameter.

Steam from surface boilers piped down shaft. Exhaust steam piped to independent condenser and air pump at surface.

Underground Electric Pumps
Installed 1908. three-throw flooded suction ram pumps by Lee, Howl of Tipton. Three pumps each delivering 450gpm at 30rpm. Rope drive from 130hp motors running at 485rpm. Pump rams 10 inches x 18 inches.

Overland (on poles) 5000 volt AC supply from Kirkless Ironworks to three Siemens 5000/400-440 volt transformers. Separate cables down shaft to each pump.

Boilers
Five Lancashire boilers 100psi. (Probably installed 1894 for Wilkinson engine).

Winding
Single cylinder horizontal engine geared to winding drum. Wooden headgear with single pulley.

CLOSURE – 1932. Chimney demolished c1955.
Closure caused flooding and subsequent closure of Scot Lane Collieries and Westhoughton Coal & Cannel Company’s collieries.

PARK HALL COLLIERY (Ridgway’s), BLACKROD
Taken over on closure 1886 by Wigan Coal & Iron Co. Ltd., as a pumping pit until underground roadways could be driven to carry water to Aspull Pumping Pit.

Pumping Engine
Rotative single beam engine, 21 inches x 72 inches, 20 feet diameter flywheel, cast iron beam 20 feet in length. Geared to flat rods and “L” legs (or “angle bobs”) connected to two 6 inches square pitch pine pump rods. Bottom bucket lift at 280 feet. top bucket lift at 182ft.6 inches Six working strokes per minute. Rising main cast iron 12½ inches diameter.

Boilers
One Lancashire 7 feet 3 inches x 32 feet, 1 egg-end 5 feet x 38 feet, working pressure 30psi.

Copyright © NMRS Records: G. Hayes Collection