Another Ironston Mine Midland April 2010

[diehardlove]

please forgive some duplicate pics but still trying to sort a fault out with my laptop,
another 10 hours in the mine to get hoplessly lost and spend another 4 to get out lol still not completly done this but am half on the way to chalking and mapping some of it.

thanks to fazy-uk for all his help and his brother for coming along good day lads.

horse shoe tracks on the old railway tracks to pull the carts.
really hope people dont tread on these and cover them up.

a lamp

what i think is a animal fat candle as was in the mine near the walls and smelt like death ?

 

[RichardB]

Looks like a good one, and plenty variety.

4 hours to find your way out?

 

[diehardlove]

Looks like a good one, and plenty variety.

4 hours to find your way out?

thanks alot for fixing my pics that was good of you,yeah quite abit to see,Its a massive mine and quite easy to get lost but they normally follow the same pattern this being a grid.Ive been caving/mineing for years and always leave marks for the way out but it was finding the marks,I always carry srt kit,first aid kit,enough lights for a week,food drink,and a four gas meter so wasnt too concerned about getting lost,
One thing i would say is this being a iron mine people need to be carefull as iron is known to leech the air and also there is no ventilation in here and my four gas reading for oxygen varied quite alot.

 

[borntobemild]

Excellent pics. I love these places where you have a few everyday relics left around. It looks like they just packed up on a shift expecting to come back, but never did.

 

[Foxylady]

...I love these places where you have a few everyday relics left around...

Yes, me too. The fact that they're so old and could be at home in a museum is what amazes me.
Very interesting explore. Love the horse shoe prints.

 

[reddwarf9]

aha this would be yours then i guess!

 

[Sabtr]

Great stuff this. Some very interesting relics left behind - I like the pick. It looks like it could be used again.

The thinner metalic items are slowly being absorbed back into where they probably originated!

I was going to ask about gas detection - I'm pleased you had it.

The candle is probably Tallow. Tallow is made from rendered beef or mutton fat. That will explain the smell!

Some good use of lighting in there. Thanks for posting.

 

[reddwarf9]

ive been reading an interesting account of a guy thats still living that spent his entire working life in the iron ore mines seeing the last one in northants close in 1965 - he reports that gas was never aproblem but the air can be low on oxygen so great care is needed when down these places, lots of the original air shafts have now been bunged up or fallen in

heres a link to his life story for those interested

http://www.burtonlatimer.info/people/Alan-smith.html

 

[diehardlove]

cheers sausage yeah i always take a gas detector to mines and drains/sewars but i do 4 to 5 mines a month if not more and loads of drains so it pays for itsself untill calibration is due,the oxygen in there was 20 percent on the way in and after a few days in there was down to 17 percent so we called it off to allow the readings to increase,
reddwarf9 that was a joke by a friend of mine who had never done any mines before but i wasnt too bothered as was only in chalk (else id have gone mental at him as im a big no no of touching mines and taking everything out you took in inc waste products) and near a place that the first downpour would be gone else id have babywiped it off.
have you done the findon mines,there is a way in

 

[diehardlove]

cheers sausage was wondering on the candle was thinking either blubber or animal fat,thanks for answering i know they used t poison the candles to stop the mine workers eating them as they were a way to gain energy and eat.

 

[reddwarf9]

4 hours to find your way out?

its big - covers 300 acres i believe

 

[Richard Davies]

I remember being told at Blists Hill that some mine owners had the mine issue candles dyed with copper rust to stop their workers eating them or stealing them.

 

[chris]

i know they used t poison the candles to stop the mine workers eating them as they were a way to gain energy and eat.

Damn - that is mean :icon_evil

Fantastic report and photos - interesting that iron mines leach oxygen.

 

[diehardlove]

Damn - that is mean :icon_evil

Fantastic report and photos - interesting that iron mines leach oxygen.

it forms iron oxide mate,paint pigment by a reaction of the air,someone correct me if im wrong as not 100 percent sure.

 

[thenoisydrum]

Incredible photies, thanks for sharing

 

[Coal Cutter]

Nice mine. Pity about the graff though. I get sick of seeing idiots in the Nenthead mines leaving arrows and stuff on the walls. Its criminal. If they cant find their way out without defacing the mine then they shouldnt be in there I think

 

[smileysal]

If you're going somewhere you can get lost, it's better to take glow sticks, or something like that, on the route, then you can pick them all back up on the way out. Common sense really.

 

[Foxylady]

...it's better to take glow sticks, or something like that, on the route, then you can pick them all back up on the way out....

That's a really good idea, Sal. I haven't done much UG, but it's easy to get disoriented. I must remember that...if I ever get going again! lol

 

[remoteneeded]

If you're going somewhere you can get lost, it's better to take glow sticks, or something like that, on the route, then you can pick them all back up on the way out. Common sense really.

The problem with using things like glow sticks is that other people can come along and pick them up leaving you in a right mess. If you're relying on things like glow sticks or string then your navigation skills are probably not good enough to get you out of trouble if needed.

Get used to looking behind you when you reach a junction as it'll be this view you see when you exit. Remember something significant about this junction to help navigate out and if there's nothing use something like a small pile of stones. It needs to be insignificant enough that someone else coming along won't disturb it. If you find yourself in a passage you don't recognise then don't be afraid to backtrack until you're on familiar ground.

Underground it's very easy to end up walking in circles without realising it so take a compass. If you make a note of your general bearing then all you have to do is reverse it to be sure of heading towards the exit.

Perhaps the most important thing to realise is that in large complex mines you will get lost. This is part of the fun As long as you don't panic and think logically you will orient yourself again.

Fortunately there's always plenty of people around with experience of mine exploring so if in doubt give one of us a shout and we'll gladly help. As it happens I know these Ironstone mines very well having been there many times over the past couple of years. They're lovely mines but getting lost isn't the only danger as some of them have very bad air in places.

 

[CitadelMonkey]

Ace report. Love all the old stuff you found down there.