An amateur film believed shot at Wearmouth or Monkwearmouth Colliery near Sunderland showing viewing of the steam winding machine and the man at the controls raising and lowing the colliery cage. It was the deepest mine in the world when it commenced producing coal in 1835, and may ahve been the last mine to have a single-cylinder vertical winding engine which was installed in 1868. Steam power was used at the mine until the 1950s, and is possibly the reason film was made; just prior to...

An amateur film believed shot at Wearmouth or Monkwearmouth Colliery near Sunderland showing viewing of the steam winding machine and the man at the controls raising and lowing the colliery cage. It was the deepest mine in the world when it commenced producing coal in 1835, and may ahve been the last mine to have a single-cylinder vertical winding engine which was installed in 1868. Steam power was used at the mine until the 1950s, and is possibly the reason film was made; just prior to decommisioning the engine. The opening view shows industrial buildings and the pit head at the colliery. The film then goes on to show a workman possibly oiling part of the steam engine as he stands between a large rapidly rotating winding wheel and other moving mechanisms. An overhead view looks down through railings on another worker and showing the beam of the single piston engine moving up and down. Another workman operates levers and a foot control. Levers move up and down in front of him. He catches one lever which seems to cause another to move which he also stops with his hand. Another view of the engine shows what appear to be almost clockwork like features moving in a very measured and elegant way. More views follow of the lever operator, he appears to be concentrating on an indicator on the wall which shows the position of the pit cage in the main shaft, as it goes down the mine. A view follows of the single piston attached to the beam as it moves up and down. A brass plate on the engine reads J & G Joicey & Co, No. 161, Engineers, 1868 Newcastle on Tyne. The film goes on to show a pendulum clock attached to a wall followed by more views of the piston and beam. Above the beam the up and down movement is turned into rotary movement via a connecting rod which is attached to a crank. Views from above show the crank presumably turning the large wheel. The film goes back to the workman seen earlier who stands next to the rapidly rotating winding wheel. The gauge used for checking the progress of the pit cage, shows the cage descending into the mine. More views follow of the large wheel, the beam and the gauge. The engine is put in reverse and the large wheel moves in the opposite direction, general views follow of the engine. The wall gauge shows the pit cage moving up the shaft, another view follows of the workman operating the control levers. A small bell is attached to the wall next to the gauge, this is set to ring when the pit cage indicator reaches a certain depth in the shaft. The film ends showing the engine at rest.