Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery
Location type
MineName and dates
Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery (1944-1969)Served by the New Cumnock Waggonway and Bank Branch (Nithsdale Iron Company).
Description
When opened by New Cumnock Collieries Limited in 1944 this coal mine was served from the already existing Bank Branch off the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway main line). It was built on the site of an old tower, thus the name.
It is infamous for the 7th of September 1950 accident, when 129 were trapped underground when large peat filled hollow drained into the mine, leading to a major rescue operation. Although the majority were rescued 13 men were killed. Rescued men escaped through a connection driven through from Bank Colliery Pit No 6. The disaster is remembers by the 1952 film The Brave Don't Cry .
The mine closed in 1968 and was completely abandoned in 1969.
A coal loading facility, Knockshinnoch Washery, was opened on the site of the mine's loading point in 1983 and was in use until 2004. It handled a considerable amount of coal from opencast mines.
Tags
Coal mine10/02/2022
