Beamish Museum: Colliery

The Colliery in Beamish Museum is in the south of the site, inside the tram oval, to the east of the Pit Village, through which it is accessed, via Pitfield Street. The site has a railway system, which also has some sidings which extend NW around the northern edge of the village.

"Beamish Colliery, Owners: James Joicey & Company, Manager: William Severs"

General views

The Pith Head and Boiler House buildings are at the south of the site. From the head, a wooden railway gangway extending north to a slag heap, and a covered conveyor extending west over the railway. The rails run north, with sidings to two engine sheds, with the track exiting north between them. On the east side is the Lamp Cabin

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  Looking north over the pit head to the engine sheds, lamp cabin on the left
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  Looking north to the pit head
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  Looking north over the pit head to the engine sheds, lamp cabin on the left
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  Looking north over the pit head to the engine sheds
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  Looking north over the pit head to the engine sheds
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  The slagheap and pit head from the west
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the west
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the NW
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the NW
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the NW
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the NW
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  The boiler house, gangway & pit head, from the NW
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  Pit head from the west (1983)
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  The view NW across the railway to the Lamp Cabin & engine sheds (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the Lamp Cabin & engine sheds (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the Lamp Cabin & engine sheds (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the Lamp Cabin & engine sheds (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the Lamp Cabin & engine sheds (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the entrance (from the pit head)
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  The view NW across the railway to the engine works (from the pit head)
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  The view north up the track between the railway (left) and spoil heap (right)
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  The view SE along the west side of the engine works
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  The view S to the Lamp Cabin
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  The view NW to the Engine Works
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  The view NW to the Engine Works
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  The view N across the railway
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  The view N across the railway

Entrance

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  Entrance sign
  (the the B-Type bus turning in the yard)
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  Pitfield Street side
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  (the the B-Type bus entering)
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  Colliery side
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  Colliery side

Entrance building

Object location	54° 53′ 01.33″ N, 1° 39′ 39.83″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883702; -1.661065

Standing just to the north of the entrance is this small building.

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  NE corner

Pit head structures

At the head of the pit are two buildings - a square brick tower, which is the winding engine house, and the red heapstead (timber framed headstock building). A stationary steam engine in the engine house powers the winding wheel at the top of the heapstead - this hoists men and material up the mine shaft - the material is then screened, with the spoil sent along the elevated timber railway to the spoil heap, and the coal tipped into wagons on the railway sidings below.

Exterior overview

Engine house:

Object location	54° 52′ 58.93″ N, 1° 39′ 32.77″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883036; -1.659102

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Exterior detail

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  SE corner of the winding engine house
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  Ascent/descent times on the SE corner
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  North side of the winding engine house
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  North side of the hepstead, spoil railway on the left

Interior

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Winding engine

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Jack engine

The Jack engine is used as a secondary power source in the winding engine house.

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Wolsingham Engine

The Wolsingham Engine is a small steam engine in the hepstead that powers the picking belts (jiggers)

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Hepstead

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  Lift shaft

Slag heap rail gangway

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Boiler House

Object location	54° 52′ 59.61″ N, 1° 39′ 31.96″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883225; -1.658877

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  West side (from the pit head building)
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  West side (from the pit head building)
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  West side

Coal winch

Object location	54° 52′ 59.38″ N, 1° 39′ 34.37″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883162; -1.659548

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  west side
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  north end
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  south end (from the pithead)
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  south end (from the pithead)
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  south end (from the pithead)

Lamp Cabin

Object location	54° 52′ 59.7″ N, 1° 39′ 38.13″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883249; -1.660593

Exterior

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  east side
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  east side
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  east side
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  east side
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  north end

Interior

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  Lamps (reenactment area)
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  Big E sign (exhibition area)

Colliery railway

Standard gauge

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  Beamish Engine Works & smaller shed, from the south
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  The view south out of the small engine shed
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West sidings

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  Looking west
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  Looking east
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  Looking east
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  Coffee Pot No. 1 in the sidings north of the village (tram depot in the distance)

Beamish Engine Works

Object location	54° 53′ 01.62″ N, 1° 39′ 38.21″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883783; -1.660615

Exterior

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  West elevation
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  West elevation
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  West elevation
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  West elevation
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  South end
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  South end

Interior

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Narrow gauge

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  Colliery, spoil heap shed (north)

Drift mine

The former 'Mahogany Drift'. The mouth of the drift mine tunnel is in the south west corner of the Colliery site. Opening near the lamp cabin, it runs directly south, under the southern section of the tramway. Outside, a small wagon way runs north along the west side of the lamp cabin, to winding gear (a Tinsley Winch) at its NW corner.

Tunnel entrance:

Object location	54° 52′ 58.58″ N, 1° 39′ 38.79″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.882938; -1.660776

Winding gear:

Object location	54° 53′ 00.08″ N, 1° 39′ 38.74″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883355; -1.660762

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  winding gear
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  winding gear
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  mouth
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  mouth
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  mouth
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  mouth
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  mouth
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  mouth
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  interior
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  interior
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  interior
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  interior

Picnic area / Boltons Temperance Bar

Object location	54° 53′ 02.11″ N, 1° 39′ 39.56″ W	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap	54.883920; -1.660990

Situated between the Miners Cottages in the Pit Village to the west, and the Beamish Engine Works in the Colliery to the west

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  the view south
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Other yard objects

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  railway axles (picnic area)
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  tank end (picnic area)
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  Spare rail (northern edge)
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  Tanks, west side of the Lamp Cabin
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  Tank, south of the winding engine house
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  Tank, south of the winding engine house
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  Scrap iron
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  Rusting steam engine
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  Steam pump
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  Steam pump
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  Air compressor
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  Boiler (next to the boiler house)
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  Boiler (next to the boiler house)
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  Boiler (NW corner)
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  west side of the engine works
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  southern edge
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  SE corner
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  gantry crane (southern edge)
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  gantry crane (southern edge)
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  railway crane
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  2 foot narrow gauge railway (temporary)
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  TN 216
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  TN 216
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  XMM 73