new era

A New Beginning for the Mine.

With OS map in one hand, the Mining Records in the other hand, tongue hard pressed in his cheek, the mining historian said "Dig down HERE to find the entrance to the MINE" ???
Many months of blood, sweat and toil followed in the attempt to re-excavate the collapsed mine entrance. Eventually, the original floor was found, complete with the remains of wooden tramway sleepers. Work was tedious, with only sledge hammers, ringers, picks, shovels and wheel barrows to break up and move the many tons of debris, which had slipped down from the surrounding hillside above the collapse. Further collapses followed during the excavations. Finally, fore-poling and side-poling were employed to tunnel back into the hillside above. Then, one day, the blockage was breached, and the famous Goodluck Gale, once again sighed its icy breath from the undergound workings beyond.
Fore - poling and side - poling into the hillside. The original adit was once more visible beyond the collapses for the first time in twenty years.
After considerable struggles, and numerous problems overcome, the least of all being the transportation of many tons of building materials required for the re - building of the mine entrance. Initially, very long gravity operated ropeways were erected from the road side above the mine site, down to the mine, then later, these were replaced by a single ropeway from the end of the mine tip, down to the road side, over 200 feet below in the Via Gellia. An electric winch was built from scratch, and powered by a 24 volt DC generator. It was used for motive power for all the haulage work, and for running mechanical aids as well. Finally, the adit entrance was completed, and ceremonially re - opened in true mining traditional style !!