The works of Sakubei Yamamoto
Transport (outside the mine), Coal Sorting

The Pit Mouth (Hashirikomi) in the Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa (1926-1989) Eras
February 1967

Meiji, Taisho, Showa Yama no Koguchi (Hashirikomi)
[The Pit Mouth (Hashirikomi) in the Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa (1926-1989) Eras]
37.7 x 53.8 cm Painting in Watercolors and Ink

"Sashimodoshi (winding up and Lowering Mine Cars)"
This facility is the same as those at underground makitates (landings). The loaded mine cars wound up from the pit were lowered to the upper turnout. The leading mine car connected to the wire rope was split from other loaded cars and wound up the slope. It was lowered again to the lower turnout to be coupled with empty cars, before being wound up together and sent into the pit. Loaded and unloaded cars were interchanged in this manner. In this case, the wire rope socket was always connected to the leading mine car and there was no fear of a mine car accidentally reversing. This was the best way to keep pit workers safe.
Large-scale coal mines, such as those run by the Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd., built tall steel-framework trestles and equipped them with winding machines so that miners could send coal directly to coal dressing machines. But small and middle-scale coal pits could not build and use such big facilities. In most of the coal pits, workers first gathered coal in the low-lying area before they brought it up to coal dressing machines. However, only pits in the mountains could use this method.

Text at the Bottom Right
A 60 HP electric winding machine could wind up six mine cars. The pistons of the steam engine attached to the machine were 12 inches or more in diameter. A skip filled with coal refuse was about 1.5 times as heavy as a fully-loaded mine car.

Word in White in the Inset
makiba: winding machine station


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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