Why a Mining Truck on Track?

Why a Mining Truck on Track?. . Coal mining, rail manufacture and the railway were all closely connected in 19th century Dronfield and all of these had an impact on the way in which the town developed., So, we, the Friends of Dronfield Station, felt that a mining truck or pit tub on track nicely commemorates all the people involved in these activities., Few traces of mining and the rail industry remain, but since the introduction of the new service in 2008, the railway is once again of major importance in the life of the town., Coal Mining , Records of primitive methods of mining in the local area exist from the 16 century onwards. Mining was often carried on in combination with farming and it was only with the opening of larger pits, as industrial developments from the early 19th century onwards created demand for coal, that it became a primary source of income for many. A plan of 1849 shows a network of projected railways intended to connect over a dozen working pits although the Midland line through Dronfield was not opened until 1870. This easier, cheaper and more reliable means of transport, replacing the horse and cart, was welcomed by mine owners who could then meet the demands of Sheffield's steelworks and beyond with regular supplies of good quality coal and coke, the latter processed in beehive coke overs associated with several collieries., Coal mining in the Dronfield area reached its peak in the 1870s. A newspaper report of 1872 stated that "there never was such a time when the prosperity of the colliery proprietor was more generally shared by his men" but this did not last and by the end of the decade older and smaller pits were closing and reports of sales of equipment, ponies and stock were frequent., Mining declined during the 20 century although in 1945 it continued in Coal Aston, Apperknowle and Dronfield Woodhouse where Hirst Hollow was worked until 1947., Names familiar to current residents in those of streets or districts - Barnes, Gomersal, Gosforth, Hill Top, Ball Close, Oxclose, Summerley, Stubley - all originated from the collieries sited at those places, and the names of owners such as James Addy, William Rhodes, Richard Sheard, Henry Rangeley and John Liddell are still remembered by Dronfield's older residents., Rail Manufacture , The Wilson Cammell works opened in early 1873 on Callywhite Lane adjacent to the Dronfield Silkstone Colliery which not only provided the fuel for smelting but was already served by a rail connection to the main line. The new plant used the Bessemer process to convert iron into steel for the manufacture of rail. Within a year it was manufacturing around 1,000 tons of steel rails per week which increased in volume as the factory underwent improvements. In 1876 electric light was introduced which enabled production to continue beyond the hours of daylight., It became the foremost rail producing plant in Britain and exported world-wide to many areas - especially the (then) extensive British Empire. Census returns indicate workers were drawn from all over the country and consequently houses, shops, schools, waterworks and the cemetery were all developed to cater for the increase in Dronfield's population., However, only ten years later in 1882, the decision was taken to transfer the works, lock, stock and barrel, to Workington on the west coast of Cumberland and a high proportion of the workforce and their families went too, leaving Dronfield a ruined town and heavily in debt. The economic climate had changed; the rail market in Britain had declined and demand now came mostly from the United States of America. Cumberland was the key source of one of the essential raw materials, haematite ore, as well as having local coal supplies; Workington already had a port and steel works; transport costs had risen and there were disputes with the rail companies over their charges., The factory and equipment were physically dismantled and transported to Workington, leaving no trace of this major force for the expansion of Dronfield in the 19th century. However, and maybe as a testament to the rightness of the decision to move, Workington remained the only rail manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom into the early 21 century., Callywhite Lane did however maintain its railway association right up until 1989 as Henry Boot operated a railway engineering business there, producing switches (points) and crossings for both the home and export markets, its last major contract at the Dronfield site being the narrow-gauge construction track for the Channel Tunnel!, How we did it , It was 'Friends of Dronfield Station' member Bob Clough's idea that a mining truck or pit tub on track would make an appropriate feature in front of the station to commemorate Dronfield's industrial history and he actively worked to bring this project to fruition before his untimely death from a sudden illness in November 2011. Generous donations were received from the Rotary Club of Dronfield, Dronfield Civic Society, the Old Dronfield Society, and individual donors. Balfour Beatty supplied and fitted the track, Broadblast cleaned and painted the tub and MF Autos did the welding. The Pit Scene above was painted by Dronfieldian Peter Baldry., These and the efforts of FoDS volunteers enabled this feature to be installed in July 2011 and this poster in May 2012.