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I was in charge of the FSV for about 12 month, When the pit was closing all four fsv's were driven out ,(took two days) and sent up the shaft in pieces. I think two of the m/c ended up down Parkside

Could someone explain what an fsv is and what they were used for.thanks

Pw go onto Golborne Colliery thread for more photos, A Free Steering Vehicle was a large rubber tyred diesel m/c which you sat near the middle of to steer it.' When you wanted to go round into another tunnel they were hinged in the middle and could drive round a 90 deg bend. The m/c's were approx 30ft long 5ft wide and 4ft tall. Two of the m/c's had flat beds to carry supplies one had a flat bed with built up sides this could be interchanged with a ripping bucket, and the other had a large bucket at the front with a steel conveyor at the bottom of the bucket and a side unloading section used to rip the floor up and tip the dirt onto a conveyor

Also photos on Parkside thread

Pw, If conditions were right the F.S.V.s were used to replace the rope haulage systems for transporting supplies.

Thanks PeterP and Tuddy for the information.

The first one was used iiiiiiin the Crombouce top road at Golbourne,It used a mixture of Parafin & oil as fuel, that would be in the mid 60s

how did you cope with all the fumes being under ground. coming from a long line of miners i was never a aloud to work in the mines and i can see why

you just got on with it.

Rt these m/c were fitted with flame traps on the exhaust system which kept the gasses to a minimum. The air flow was very strong and disipated the exhaust very quickly. You should go to the British mining museum (after covid) and you can go underground and get a taste of mining

the stories my dad and grandad told me put the fear of god in me especially the time when he got buried in roof collapse and finished up in blackpools miners home . i always remember the black marks on his back and arms so when he said that i was not to go down the mines i did not argue