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Taylor Woodrow Waterfalls O.C.C.S?

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:21 am
by Mark Williams
Hello Everyone,
I would like to mention about the above site which was located near the village of Rhigos & Cwmgrach in South Wales.
This site was in operation in the early 60s @ the beginning of open cast coal mining in the area.My Grandfather actually worked on this site for a short time.2 x 12 hour shifts,7 days a week.No heaters in the cabs of the Euclid 9 yarder trucks & no cabs on the Caterpillar D8 & Euclid dozers,some with scraper boxs. Many of my older friends have told me,that the only way to keep warm in their cabs would be from a hot rock that had come out of the fire,that was kept warm in the tipmans coal fire.They would change the rock when it got cold,for a replacement & put their feet on it to keep warm.This site was very wet,because of the heavy rainfall in this area.I was told that they had a conveyor belt,that would move the overburden away,that was fed by a Dragline. Maybe Fred (Fowlerman) can confirm this.My Grandfather then left that site to go & work @ the Taylor Woodrow Royal Arms O.C.C.S.
There was 2 other coal sites right in the same area that were worked by Wimpey & Sir Lindsey Parkinson Mining.The SLP one was called Hendre Fawr.
My good friend David Drew told me that he was on a Euclid 9 yarder for Parkys @ Hendre Fawr.He says that Wagon Hirers (Blackwood Hodge in later days) had trucks on hire to that site & he says that the state of the trucks was something to see.Wimpey coloured doors,miss matched,no windows.
All these sites in that area have been worked by,
Taylor Woodrow, Waterfalls.
Wimpey Mining,Hendre Fawr.
Sir Lindsey Parkinson Mining,Hendre Fawr.
Budge
Merriman & Meighan
Across the stream,
Sir Lindsey Parkinson Mining,Dunraven Deep.
Shand Mining,Ffyndaff,Ffyndaff Revised.
Celtic Energy, Selar.
Walters Celtic Energy, Selar.
Hargreaves Tower Colliery.
I hope this is of some interest & additional stories to the above are greatly accepted.
Regards,
Mark Williams.