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Maurie Shaw (1929-2007) - Engine driver, Paxton Colliery. Recorded 18 December 1991. Part 1/1.
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SummaryMAURIE SHAW
Recorded 18 December 1991
Part 1/1
0:31
Began work at Paxton Colliery in Dec. 1954. Had worked at Pelton Colliery prior and South Maitland. Railways. He had his fireman’s ticket and got a job on the boilers at Pelton. Reason for working at Paxton Colliery. Sam Goodwin.
1:47
Laurie Farrell agreed to teach him. 2 boilers at Pelton Colliery. Pelton used steam "endless rope" haulage. 5 boilers at Paxton Colliery – Babcock & Willcox.
3:16
Manufacturer of Paxton boilers. Situated side on in the boiler house facing Ellalong. Recollection of hand cleaning boilers through a doorway – every two years. Boiler coal was conveyed from the pit top with bunkers at the back of the boiler. Describes the process of firing a boiler for two years – 8 shovelfuls. Maurie draws and describes the process. Two "fire-boxes" attached to each boiler. Reason for there being two "fire-boxes". Describes the process of cleaning boilers.
9:04
Description of a "trimmer". Coal transported to pit top via conveyor belt. Location of conveyor belt, Paxton. Description of Paxton boiler house. Water was pumped from holding dam. Water pumps were steam-powered.
12:16
Dimension/brand of air compressor - there was 1 big steam compressor used to keep the air up for the winder. A smaller one was on standby. Recalls the dimensions of boilers – Compton Parkinson (?) possible name of manufacturer. Disposing of the ashes. Dennis McDonald – carted coal for Paxton and Pelton. Ronnie O'Hearn also coal carter taking the coal from the crusher.
15:26
Ventilator fan was electrically driven with steam as an alternative. Air shaft operated using "Walker" motors. Recollection of driving haulage engine – 2 skips in a cage. Paxton operated single-deck carriage.
18:16
Describes driving haulage cage. Recalls driving cage carrying long timber – 18ft slabs – chained to the bottom of the cage. Recollection of steam haulage engine from one of J & A Brown’s 6o Milers. Dimensions of steam engine drum – holding 350ft of rope. Cages were taken to Hexham Engineering for maintenance.
22:56
Describes how cages were "brought on level" the braceman worked on top mostly – kips – held the cage from underneath while the men got out. It was automatic. The braceman would “throw the monkey” to knock out the kips when he was finished with the cage on top. Recalls rise/fall speed of cage. Recollection of shift starting times. Number of skips hauled per/shift – 1132 skips in 8 hours taking the tea and lunch breaks.
27:17
Horses entered pit mouth every morning 6am – one horse lowered in a cage at a time. They knew their turns. Recalls "personality" of pit horses. Recalls working cage in E shaft . Used clutch for changing cage direction up or down. Foot brake used to stop it. It gave momentum for the engine.
29:32
Cage was started using throttle which put the steam in. Recollection of deputies on duty, dogwatch at about 2pm Worked at Chain Valley after Paxton closure. Describes testing of "endless rope". Recalls frequency of changing rope. Describes cutting of the haulage rope.
33:39
Describes haulage system at Chain Valley – built on a monorail. Bruce Williams – from Fairy Meadow who had a patent on it. Describes cage haulage system, Chain Valley. Winder engine operated using air brakes – came up underneath the winding engine.
35:44
Dimension of winding engine "drum" – 4ft wide and about 10ft diameter. The drum was sitting in front of you. One motor operated each separate cage. Describes hauling the transport cage up through the poppet head and back down. Location and dimension of "receiver tank" – as wide as the building and about 3ft high.
45:40
End (Tape 413/Side B)
Shaw, Maurice Bernard, 1929-2007PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Chain Valley, NSW[2] Paxton Colliery, NSWIdentifier413B
Recorded 18 December 1991
Part 1/1
0:31
Began work at Paxton Colliery in Dec. 1954. Had worked at Pelton Colliery prior and South Maitland. Railways. He had his fireman’s ticket and got a job on the boilers at Pelton. Reason for working at Paxton Colliery. Sam Goodwin.
1:47
Laurie Farrell agreed to teach him. 2 boilers at Pelton Colliery. Pelton used steam "endless rope" haulage. 5 boilers at Paxton Colliery – Babcock & Willcox.
3:16
Manufacturer of Paxton boilers. Situated side on in the boiler house facing Ellalong. Recollection of hand cleaning boilers through a doorway – every two years. Boiler coal was conveyed from the pit top with bunkers at the back of the boiler. Describes the process of firing a boiler for two years – 8 shovelfuls. Maurie draws and describes the process. Two "fire-boxes" attached to each boiler. Reason for there being two "fire-boxes". Describes the process of cleaning boilers.
9:04
Description of a "trimmer". Coal transported to pit top via conveyor belt. Location of conveyor belt, Paxton. Description of Paxton boiler house. Water was pumped from holding dam. Water pumps were steam-powered.
12:16
Dimension/brand of air compressor - there was 1 big steam compressor used to keep the air up for the winder. A smaller one was on standby. Recalls the dimensions of boilers – Compton Parkinson (?) possible name of manufacturer. Disposing of the ashes. Dennis McDonald – carted coal for Paxton and Pelton. Ronnie O'Hearn also coal carter taking the coal from the crusher.
15:26
Ventilator fan was electrically driven with steam as an alternative. Air shaft operated using "Walker" motors. Recollection of driving haulage engine – 2 skips in a cage. Paxton operated single-deck carriage.
18:16
Describes driving haulage cage. Recalls driving cage carrying long timber – 18ft slabs – chained to the bottom of the cage. Recollection of steam haulage engine from one of J & A Brown’s 6o Milers. Dimensions of steam engine drum – holding 350ft of rope. Cages were taken to Hexham Engineering for maintenance.
22:56
Describes how cages were "brought on level" the braceman worked on top mostly – kips – held the cage from underneath while the men got out. It was automatic. The braceman would “throw the monkey” to knock out the kips when he was finished with the cage on top. Recalls rise/fall speed of cage. Recollection of shift starting times. Number of skips hauled per/shift – 1132 skips in 8 hours taking the tea and lunch breaks.
27:17
Horses entered pit mouth every morning 6am – one horse lowered in a cage at a time. They knew their turns. Recalls "personality" of pit horses. Recalls working cage in E shaft . Used clutch for changing cage direction up or down. Foot brake used to stop it. It gave momentum for the engine.
29:32
Cage was started using throttle which put the steam in. Recollection of deputies on duty, dogwatch at about 2pm Worked at Chain Valley after Paxton closure. Describes testing of "endless rope". Recalls frequency of changing rope. Describes cutting of the haulage rope.
33:39
Describes haulage system at Chain Valley – built on a monorail. Bruce Williams – from Fairy Meadow who had a patent on it. Describes cage haulage system, Chain Valley. Winder engine operated using air brakes – came up underneath the winding engine.
35:44
Dimension of winding engine "drum" – 4ft wide and about 10ft diameter. The drum was sitting in front of you. One motor operated each separate cage. Describes hauling the transport cage up through the poppet head and back down. Location and dimension of "receiver tank" – as wide as the building and about 3ft high.
45:40
End (Tape 413/Side B)
Shaw, Maurice Bernard, 1929-2007PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Chain Valley, NSW[2] Paxton Colliery, NSWIdentifier413Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Maurie Shaw (1929-2007) - Engine driver, Paxton Colliery. Recorded 18 December 1991. Part 1/1., [413B]. Living Histories, accessed 05/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/56054