Between the 1870s and 1970s there were extensive open-cast ironstone quarries in parts of Leicestershire. However few traces of these survive. In this video Bob Trubshaw summarises and updates the extensive research of Eric Tonks which was published in the 1990s, shortly before his death.
This is a much-revised version of a previous video uploaded in August 2020.
UPDATE: I said that the W1400 dragline was "the largest in the world at that time". Tom Wislocki emailed to say that's inaccurate. The W1800 Dragline at Roxby mine just north of Scunthorpe was the largest, built in 1961 it had an extended jib of 303 feet in length and a jib lifting weight capacity of 50 tons. Tom should know. "I was responsible for the electrical maintenance of this dragline for most of its working life, as well as the two smaller W600 Draglines we had in the United Steels Crosby Warren and Yarborough quarries." If you've got an interest in R&R and Marion draglines then email me (bobtrubs@indigogroup.co.uk) and I'll forward all of Tom's information.
