East boiler-house from S showing the ash conveyor gantry rising up from the stoking floor, circa 1985 (Copyright FoPP)

East boiler-house from NE ,circa1985 (Copyright FoPP)

In these photographs, although the boilers themselves cannot be seen since they were below the ground level, a number of other features are visible.

Near the base of the chimney can be seen a section of lighter coloured brickwork.  This marks the point where the discharge from a flue-extraction fan fed into the chimney.  The fan was driven by a variable speed electric motor and was used to boost boiler output during peak demand by increasing the flue draft and hence the burning rate of the fuel.

It should be noted, however, that these photos was taken after the cessation of production at the colliery and the railway sidings which originally ran in the foreground had been removed.  There were 8 railway tracks here, two of which ran beneath the ROM / ash bunker. The furthest one of  these ran alongside the boiler fronts and carried the railway wagons supplying the coal for the boilers.