Orrell Colliery

Shafts
No.1 Pit, sunk c1834, 175 yards to Wigan Four Feet, pumping only in 1899.
No.2 Pit, sunk 1849, 11 feet diameter, upcast to Arley (or Orrell Four Feet) Mine at 510 yards.
No.3 Pit, sunk 1849, downcast, 13 feet diameter, to Yard Mine.
Nos. 4 & 5 Pits, formerly Norley Hall Nos. 4 & 5 Pits.

Winding
No.1 Pit, single cylinder beam engine 17 inches x 54 inches, flat rope reels.
No.2 Pit, single cylinder vertical engine 34 inches x 60 inches, Cornish valves, made by Robert Daglish, St Helens. Flat rope reels, ropes 3½ inches x 5/8 inches. Four tubs wound in four deck cages. Tubs changed simultaneously on two decks at a time. Winding from Orrell Five Feet at 442 yards approx. Arley Mine coal raised to Five Feet level through a staple pit, 6 feet diameter by a 12 inches engine.
No.3 Pit, twin cylinder horizontal engine by Robert Daglish, 24 inches x 60 inches, Cornish valves, Diabolo drum 14 feet 6 inches at sides, 13 feet 6 inches at centre. Winding ropes 1¼ inches diameter, 3 wire rope conductors per cage. Winding from 385 yards (Yard Mine), and mouthings at 292 yards (Cannel Mine) and 208 yards (Wigan Nine Feet Mine).

Lattice girder headgears at Nos. 2 & 3 Pits.

No.4 Pit (formerly Norley Hall No.4), upcast with wooden air lock casing with lifting doors. Winding Wigan Five Feet, Wigan Nine Feet and Wigan Four Feet coals.
No.5 Pit (formerly Norley Hall No.5), winding Wigan Five Feet, Wigan Nine Feet, Yard and Arley coals.
All winding ropes fitted with Ormerod detaching hooks.
Underground Haulage No.2 Pit, 13 inch engine in Arley Mine, main and tail haulage, 940 yards long.
No.3 Pit, Single cylinder horizontal engine 13 inches x 30 inches, geared 1:7 to 4 feet diameter Clifton pulley on second shaft for endless rope haulage. Also self-acting incline 520 yards in length and two direct rope haulages with 10 inch and 14 inch engines respectively.
All engines compressed air powered.
No.4 Pit, (formerly Norley Hall No.4), Endless rope in Wigan Nine Feet and Arley Mine, powered by twin cylinder horizontal engine at surface geared 1:4 to second shaft with a 4ft.6in. Clifton pulley.

Pumping
No.1 Pit, originally a beam pumping engine. Superseded by Tangye steam pump at Wigan Four Feet (175 yards) level. Single cylinder horizontal 26in.x 48in.x 7in. ram, forcing 250gpm. to surface.
At 60 yards (approx.) level, twin cylinder Cameron pump placed in a lodge room. Steam cylinders 12 inches and 5 inches single acting rams. Water forced to surface reservoir for boiler feed.
No.5 Pit (formerly Norley Hall No.5), Bull pumping engine. Also Tangye pump in lodge room at 75 yards, Cylinder 22 inches x 24 inches and 6 inches rams. Water lifted to surface for boiler feed.
(1920) – Underground three-throw ram pump installed driven by surface steam engine and endless wire rope. Installed by agreement with Wigan Coal & Iron Co. Ltd to relieve water making from Walthew House to Standish pits.

Ventilation
Furnace at bottom of No.2 Pit for Nos. 2 & 3 Pits.
Schiele fan for Nos. 4 & 5 Pits (formerly Norley Hall).

Compressed Air
Single horizontal compressor by Wood & Gee, Wigan, 24 inches (steam), 26 inches (air) x 60 inches stroke. Also a similar smaller compressor.

Boilers
Eight Lancashire boilers 7 feet x 30 feet, eight egg-end boilers, two Cornish boilers at coke ovens fired by coke oven gas. Pressure 45 – 50psi. All boilers hand fired, except Cornish. All boilers brickwork covered.

CLOSURES
Orrell Coal & Cannel Co. Ltd formed 1875, ceased in 1895. Purchased by Sharrock & Gaskell and re-started 1895.
Norley Hall Nos. 4 & 5 Pits absorbed 1897. Orrell Colliery Co. Ltd formed July 1900.
No.2 Pit closed early 1900s. No.4 Pit closed 1922. No.5 Pit closed 1921.
No.3 Pit abandoned 30 October 1924.

Copyright © NMRS Records: G. Hayes Collection