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Title: COALMINING IN CENTRAL SCOTLAND

Reference number: 3942

Date: 1930 - 1939c

Production company: Lanarkshire Experimental Group

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 15.54 mins

Description: This film shows the activities above and below ground in a typical Scottish colliery. [Footage includes Kingshill Colliery]

Credits: Produced ... with the co-operation of the Coltness Iron Co. Ltd.

Shotlist: Title (0.15) Countries in which coal is abundant take a leading place in trade and industry. Great Britain therefore is fortunate in possessing numerous rich coalfields. Map of UK. Coalfields in Scotland are confined to the Central Plain. Most important is the Lanarkshire Coalfield. Map of central Scotland (1.12) A visit to a typical colliery best reveals the nature of the miners' work. ext. of colliery with shots of carts being winched up bing (2.29) workers arriving at pit and being issued with helmet and lamp, brief shot of miners descending mine shaft in lift (2.45) a coal mine consists chiefly of a deep shaft from which roads branch to the various seams. Two cages operate at great speed in the shaft. As one is raised the other goes down. gvs same, also showing the machinery operator who controls this and shot of miners looking on (3.49) 150 ft 450 ft 950 ft. Shot of miners descending in lift down pit shaft, then boarding carts to travel to coal face (4.39) from pit shaft to coal face the miners may travel a mile, two miles or even more. Shot of miners walking along pit tunnel (5.03) In suitable places coal cutters are used to undercut the coal. gvs same (5.53) despite the danger coal is regularly blasted out by means of explosives. Shot of explosives being placed in rock at coal seam, shots of miners digging for coal with pick axes, shovelling coal onto conveyor belt (7.44) as the coal is dug out it becomes necessary to support the roof with wooden props. Wooden props being loaded onto conveyor belt, being received and hammered into place at the seam end. Shots of coal passing along conveyor belt into container carts (9.01) the coal is sent in tubs to the pit shaft for raising to the surface. Shots of the tubs being carted along toward the pit shaft and being received as they reach the top. Includes brief shot of miner eating sandwiches (10.47) the coal is tipped onto mechanical screens and freed from "dirt". The "smalls" are graded according to size. gvs workers doing same, the sorted coal passes along conveyor belt into railway coal carriages ("Kingshill Colliery Coltness"), LNER 9658 steam engine pulls away with train load of coal (12.23) the "dirt" is loaded into other carts and winched up to the top of the bing where it is dumped (12.47) shots of miners leaving work, cleaning boots on a mechanical shoe shiner, gvs in shower room (13.27) Attached to the baths is a first aid room, complete with sunray appliances. gv man undergoing sunray treatment, bandage being applied, gvs miners dressing, collecting wage packet (14.29) Scotland and the whole modern world owes a great debt to the brave hard-working miner. gvs miners down pit (15.08)