IEEC2.1 06 The Trials & Tribulations of Wood & Caldwell’s Engines at Bycars Colliery, Burslem

The Trials & Tribulations of Wood & Caldwell’s Engines at

Bycars Colliery, Burslem

David Kitching

An off-print from

Transactions of the 2nd International Early Engines Conference - Volume 1 pp130-143

Summary

The shortage of coal to feed the pottery industry in Burslem led pottery owners Wood & Caldwell to purchase the nearby Bycars colliery to secure supplies. The problems faced with water flooding the workings and the actions of rogue neighbours forced the installation of ever larger pumping engines and prompted technical innovation to increase the power of these engines. This paper outlines the problems faced with water and the attempts to drain the mines by increasingly powerful engines. The unscrupulous actions of the Gallimore family, tenants of the adjacent colliery, and the effect on the pumping arrangements over many years are detailed.