JH Mine Access Update - DCA

[DCA]

A large adjustable spanner (Derbyshire Key) is now required to open the James Hall Over Engine Mine lid.
You still need to call at Rowter Farm and pay ?2 for access.

There is also a pair of M16x150mm steel eye-bolts (resin fixed) in the concrete surround as backup anchors. This is to allow for a little more security when entering and exiting the shaft or leaning over to rig the main drop from the belay bar. The lid can be closed with the rope still in situ thanks to a small modification to the lid edge.

For full details, please see: https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/james-halls-over-engine-mine

The DCA Team

 

[alastairgott]

This looks great, I hope you two volunteers had a good day out. I saw RR, AS and GF parked at P8 a few weeks back as I was driving past, and when I went the other week found the double stiles to be in tip top condition, I can only assume you were involved! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

 

[Rob]

Always impressed with the enthusiasm and quality of work of the DCA projects team, and their wider support crew. Keep up the great work. 

 

[DCA]

Now that this new locking mechanism has been in use for a while, there are a couple of things DCA wishes to share.

1. Please work the sliding bolt in and out a few times when you visit, to help it stay moving and not seize up. A bit of grit or corrosion stiffened it up to the point it was not moving recently, but a tap with a rock and some repeated locking/unlocking fixed that. Thanks to the cavers that reported the issue.
2. It is really important to keep the sliding bolt retracted (open position) when the lid is up. If it is in the out position and the lid is closed or dropped, it bends the sliding bolt and may knacker it.
3. On a couple of occasions recently, cavers have reported that the nut which locks the hatch used to reach the sliding bolt had only been finger tight. Cavers are reminded that this should be nipped tight with a spanner and not be accessible with hands alone. The shaft is very close to a footpath and if not kept secure with the Derbyshire Key system, the owner may ask for it to return to a lock and key (which no one wants). The Derbyshire Key system works well but only if cavers secure the nuts beyond finger tight, so please ensure this is the case when you use one.

Thanks, the DCA Access Team

 

[DCA]

DCA received a report from a TSG member last week that the JH lid was not secured properly, and it was subsequently found that the locking bolt had snapped and the hatch nut to access the bolt mechanism was not screwed down correctly - so it was then screwed down correctly. On inspection this morning it was clear that the lid had been dropped with the bolt extended, and as it's cast rather than forged, it's not strong enough to withstand that kind of impact - that lid is heavy, as I know only too well. Not a major problem - except that it wasn't reported when it happened, which is a problem, as we have a public footpath thirty metres away, and rely on the goodwill of the farm to let us access the mine across their private land. They obviously know that we fixed it, but they also now know that it was left broken and open, so bear in mind that they need confidence in cavers to be smart and safe to maintain this beneficial arrangement.

So a reminder again to treat all locking mechanisms with care, especially ones above a deep mine shaft. And please inform someone in authority immediately if a problem like this occurs again - not doing anything at all and just walking away is far worse than the breakage - we can fix a bolt easily, but hauling a corpse out is a much bigger deal, and will definitely create access issues in the future.