#winding engine

[azvolrien]

My personal highlight from the museum is the winding engine, still the original from when the colliery first opened in the 1890s and one of the biggest of its kind.

They let me start it up once when I was there for my birthday when I was a kid, but it's not currently in working order. Apparently it started making some worrying noises when they tried firing it up for the first time after lockdown was lifted and so has been sitting idle for quite a while now. I do hope they can get it fixed; it's a magnificent beast, and it would be a disgrace to just let it sit there and rust.

[azvolrien]

A few other bits of kit from around Prestongrange. Not all of them were actually in use there when it was still an active industrial site; some were brought in later just as exhibits. So in order here, we have:

The remains of the winding engine, in significantly worse condition than the one at Newtongrange (this, AFAIK, is the engine used when coal mining was still extant there).

A giant winch, part of a machine used for sinking mineshafts.

The same thing from a different angle.

An old fan brought over from Lingerwood Colliery near Newtongrange, used for mine ventilation (important).

A steam crane, possibly used on site for laying railtracks (not 100% certain of this).

The ventilation fan from a different angle, showing the damage to the fan blades. The tour guide wasn't sure if they just got bashed when the fan was removed from its original location or if it was damaged in a mine explosion.

The winding engine again.

The steam crane again (twice).

Musings on the impermanence of machinery... call those mortal engines.