West Stanley Pit Disaster

By 1909, a significant amount of electricity was being used underground. Two electrically driven coal cutting machines were used in the Townley seam and one each in the Tilley and Brockwell seams. The largest motors underground were the 100 hp pump in the Busty seam near to the Busty shaft, and the 100 hp haulage motor in the Townley seam. There were also two smaller 25 horsepower motors and three 5 horsepower motors elsewhere in the colliery. To power this, a 40 Hz 550 volt 150 amp, three-phase generator was installed on the surface, which delivered the power through insulated (though unarmoured) cables down the Busty shaft. As well as the motors, there were a few incandescent lamps around…