Ince Moss Colliery

Shafts
Sinking commenced 1863 with eventually six shafts on this site.
No.1 Pit, 14 feet diameter, sunk to Ince Seven Feet Mine at 129 yards, winding and downcast.
No.2 Pit, 15 feet diameter, sunk to Pemberton Four Feet Mine at 267 yards. Winding and upcast (for No.1 and No.5 Pits).
No.3 Pit, 15 feet diameter, sunk to Arley Mine at 718 yards, coal winding and downcast.
No.4 Pit, 15 feet diameter, sunk to Arley Mine at 710 yards. Coal winding. Upcast for Wigan Four Feet, King and Arley.

The following seams were intersected in the shaft:

No.5 Pit, 14 feet diameter, sunk to Pemberton Four Feet Mine at 285 yards. Coal winding and downcast.
No.6 (or Daisy) Pit, commenced sinking 1892, sunk to Wigan Nine Feet Mine at 454 yards. (coal wound July 1898).

Winding
No.1 Pit, Single cylinder horizontal engine 24 inches x 54 inches, slide valve, slightly conical drum 10 feet to 10 feet 6 inches diameter at centre. Two brake paths. Winding ropes charcoal iron with detaching hooks, two iron wire rope conductors to each cage. Two tubs, 7½ cwt. capacity, wound side by side in single deck cages. winding from Ince Seven Feet horizon. Also Ince Four Feet coal brought to this horizon by a level tunnel.
No.2 Pit, Twin cylinder horizontal engine 28 inches x 60 inches, slide valves. Stepped conical drum, 18 feet – 18 feet 6 inches for winding from Pemberton Four Feet and 16 feet – 16 feet 6 inches for winding from Pemberton Five Feet. Four tubs wound in each cage each of 7½ cwt capacity. Winding ropes of steel 3¾ inches circumference on Pemberton Four Feet side and 4¼ inches circumference on Five Feet side. Two charcoal iron wire rope conductors to each cage. Winding ropes fitted with detaching hooks. The heavier rope helped to balance to lighter and longer rope. Winding drum fitted with a brake path each side.
No.3 Pit, Twin cylinder horizontal engine 32 inches x 72 inches, slide valves, built at Worsley Mesnes Ironworks. Conical winding drum 20 feet – 20 feet 6 inches, with brake path each side, 10 inches steam brake and a foot brake. Four tubs 8½ cwt capacity, wound in each cage, 2 tubs per deck. Winding ropes of steel 4 inches circumference fitted with detaching hooks. Charcoal iron wire rope conductors 41/8 inches circumference, three for each cage. Wigan Four Feet at 432 yards and King and Cannel at 555 yards wound.
No.4 Pit, twin cylinder horizontal engine 40 inches x 84 inches, Cornish valves, 10 inches admission, 12 inches exhaust. Conical drum 25 feet – 25 feet 6 inches diameter with brake path each side. Foot brake and 10 inches steam brake. Four tubs wound 6¼ cwt capacity in double deck cages, tubs side by side. Winding ropes of steel, 4½ inches circumference, fitted with detaching hooks. Two charcoal iron wire rope conductors, 4¼ inches diameter, for each cage. Winding Arley coal plus (in future) Haigh Yard coal accessed by a rise tunnel.
Winding engine built by Haigh Foundry.
No.5 Pit, twin cylinder horizontal engine, 24 inches x 54 inches, fitted with Eatock’s Patent slide valves. Stepped conical winding drum, 12 feet – 12 feet 6 inches diameter for Pemberton Four Feet and 11 feet – 11 feet 6 inches for winding Pemberton Five Feet. Two brake paths fitted for foot brake. Two tubs wound in single deck cages, 7½ cwt capacity tubs. Steel winding ropes fitted with detaching hooks. Four Feet side rope 31/8 inches circumference, Five Feet side rope 3½ inches circumference. Charcoal iron wire rope conductors 3¾ inches circumference, three to each cage.
No.6 (Daisy) Pit, Twin cylinder horizontal engine by Worsley Mesnes Ironworks, 36 inches x 72 inches, fitted with Eatock’s Patent slide valves. Conical winding drum 20 feet – 20 feet 6 inches diameter, with brake path each side for 10 inch steam brake and a foot brake. Six tubs wound in three-deck cages, tubs 9 cwt capacity. Winding ropes, steel, 4½ inches circumference fitted with detaching hooks. Cage conductors charcoal iron wire ropes, 3¾ inches circumference, three to each cage.

Underground Haulage
No.1 Pit, steam haulage engine in Ince Seven Feet, located near shaft Twin cylinder horizontal 19 inches x 30 inches geared 1 to 5. Clifton pulley 5 feet diameter on second motion shaft. Endless power rope to two vertical shafts each fitted with a Clifton pulley for operating endless rope haulages.
No.2 Pit, Steam haulage engine in Pemberton Four Feet near to shaft Single cylinder horizontal 19 inches x 36 inches, geared 1 to 3 to two 5 feet diameter winding drums operating a main and tail haulage.
Steam engine in Pemberton Five Feet 15 inches x 36 inches, geared 1 to 3 to two 5 feet diameter drums operating a main and tail haulage.
Inbye compressed air haulage engine, single cylinder 9 inches x 15 inches, geared 1 to 3 to a 5 feet drum for a single direct rope haulage.
No.3 Pit, steam haulage engine in Cannel and King Mine, twin cylinders horizontal 14 inches x 25 inches, geared 1 to 3. Two 5 feet drums with clutches for main and tail haulage.
Steam haulage engine in Wigan Four Feet, twin cyl. horizontal 15 inches x 30 inches, geared 1 to 9. Two Clifton pulleys 5 feet diameter, clutched, one operating an endless rope haulage, second pulley spare.

Compressed Air
Twin horizontal engine, 18 inches (steam), 19 inches (air) x 42 inches stroke. Flywheel 12 feet diameter, 4 tons. Air pressure 50psi.

Pumping
No.1 Pit, lodgement at Ince Seven Feet. Steam pump by Ommaney & Routledge, Manchester, 1866. Twin cylinder 31 inches x 24 inches, two double acting piston pumps 11 inches x 24 inches, two 5 ton flywheels. Delivery by 12 inches rising main to surface. (later replaced by Pearson & Knowles engine)
Standby pump, twin double acting pistons capable of connection to tail rods of Ince Seven Feet haulage engine.
Five inbye compressed air pumps in Ince and Pemberton Mines, 8 inches x 24 inches x 4 inches single with double acting plungers. One 14 inches x 24 inches x 5 inches compressed air pump in Pemberton Four Feet delivering to Ince Seven Feet lodge room.
Main pumps later replaced by electrically driven pumps. 125hp. three-stage centrifugal pump at Ince Seven Feet with standby. Similar pump at Ince Yard Mine. A compressed air pump delivered to Ince Yard lodgement and two compressed air pumps in Ince Four Feet together with five pumps in the Ince Seven Feet delivered to the Ince Seven Feet lodgement. Also, three compressed air pumps in Ince Furnace Mine delivered to the Ince Seven Feet lodge room.
Total water pumped to surface approximately 560,000 gallons per day.

Ventilation
No.2 Pit, two furnaces plus flue gases from three boilers serving the pumping and haulage engines at No.1 Pit.
No.4 Pit, two furnaces and flue gases from two boilers.
1892 – Walker Bros. “Indestructible” fan erected 1892, 26 feet x 8 feet, 10 feet diameter pulley. Cotton rope drive from cross-compound engine with 20 feet diameter flywheel.
Walker Bros. supplied a fan and engine in 1903 to Pearson & Knowles, presumably for Ince Moss. Works No.10860. Fan 16 feet diameter, pulley 8 feet diameter for seven – 15/8 inches ropes. Compound engine 13 inches + 25 inches x 42 inches, Corliss valves on HP, cut-off slide valves on LP., 150psi. 15 feet diameter, flywheel, Lancaster & Tonge packing, vertical condenser and air pump. Specification dated 15-3-03 included Dobson valve gear, amended 23-3-03 to Whitehead gear.

Workshops
Located at old Springs Colliery site (closed c1871).
Blacksmiths and fitters shop, single horizontal engine 12 inches x 24 inches steam hammer 5 cwt, 30 inches Gunther fan for blowing blacksmiths hearths. Wagon and carpenters shop, single cylinder, horizontal engine 8 inches x 16in.
Sawmill, 14 inches table engine.

Boilers (Underground)
No.1 Pit, three Lancashire boilers 7 feet x 30 feet by Hough & Son, Wigan.
No.3 Pit, two Lancashire boilers 7 feet x 30 feet, by Hough & Son, Wigan.

Boilers (Surface) (1892)
No.1 Pit, two egg-end boilers
No.2 Pit, three egg-end boilers
No.3 Pit, four egg-end boilers
No.4 Pit, four Lancashire boilers 8 feet x 30 feet, made Tetlow, Hollinwood.
No.5 Pit, three Lancashire boilers 7 feet x 30 feet, by Pearson & Knowles, Dallam.
No.6 Pit, three Lancashire boilers (steel) 8 feet x 30 feet, by Heaton & Son, Holt Town, Manchester.
Workshops (Springs Pit), one Lancashire boiler 7 feet diameter.

Seams Worked/Workforce (1954)
Nos. 3, 4, 5 & 6 Pits – Park Yard, Pemberton Two Feet, Ince Two Feet.

Accidents & Disasters
On 6th September 1871, just a year after the colliery was opened and while some shaft sinking was still taking place, an explosion killed all 60 miners working in the Wigan Nine Feet Mine and setting fire to the mine. The mine was sealed and when smoke and heat was no longer coming from the shaft, and as the cover plates were being removed a massive explosion occurred killing the 5 men working at the shaft top. A decision was then taken to flood the colliery. The full report can be found here.

CLOSURES
No.1 Pit, c1920
No.2 Pit, c1927
U/G 464, S/F 146
Complete closure November 1962.

Copyright © NMRS Records: G. Hayes Collection