Ystalyfera
Wales
Gauge : 2ft
Status : Ceased
(Click on images for full size picture)
Pentwyn No.3 was one of the few coal mines in South Wales that still used pit ponies into the mid 1990s. Usually 6 ponies were in use, with 2 working to the surface.
By 1994 when these photos were taken there was a simple run round loop on the surface ending in a tipping cute for the coal.
The drams were hinged at one end to allow end tipping, typical of many of the small mines in this area.
2 horses tended to work to the surface hauling 2 drams each.
Apart from the harsh economics of making a living from this type of mining, considerable pressure was exerted from animal rights campaigners in recent years, to stop the use of horses in the mines.
The horses were worked in rotation with one of the seven always in the nearby field.