The Lost Secrets Of Denniston A lost Relic Of A Coal Mining Era.

Denniston is a small settlement, 15 kilometres (9 miles) east of Westport, on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the Denniston Plateau, 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level in the Papahaua Ranges.
It is named for R. B. Denniston, manager of the first major mine to open on the West Coast in the 1870s.[1] During the first few decades of the 20th century, up to 1400 people[2] lived in the townships on the Denniston Plateau to service the large coal mines there. Coal was transported in railway wagons from the plateau via the Denniston Incline to Conns Creek, where steam locomotives of New Zealand Railways took coal trains to the port of Westport.[3]
The Denniston Incline closed in 1967. The plateau now has a population of fewer than 10 people, and virtually all the buildings and structures are gone, although many historical relics remain – scattered throughout the plateau and incline area amongst the scrub vegetation.
The open-cast Escarpment Mine Project was established by Bathurst Resources in an area of 200 hectares of conservation land on the southern Denniston Plateau. Mining commenced in 2014, but was suspended in 2016 in response to the closure in June of the Holcim cement works at Cape Foulwind and a decline in global prices for hard coking coal
History.
The Westport Colliery Company, predecessor to the Westport Coal Company, was formed in 1878 to mine the high quality coal on the Mount Rochfort Plateau,[3] commonly known as the Denniston Plateau.[6] To access the coal, the company extended the nearby Wellington Coal Company's branch railway on the south bank of the Waimangaroa River by 1.1 kilometres (0.68 miles) to Conns Creek, and constructed the Denniston Incline, and the roperoads from the mines to the top of the incline.[7] To raise additional capital to develop the mines further, the Westport Colliery Company was reformed into the Westport Coal Company in 1881.[8] The company also operated mines in other places on the West Coast, including Millerton, and by 1905, the company was by far the largest coal producer in New Zealand.[9] The Westport Coal Company's mines and the Denniston Incline were taken over by the New Zealand State Mines Department in 1948.[10]
The Denniston Incline began operation in April 1880.[11] It was a self-acting ropeway that used gravity to lower 12.5 ton gross laden weight New Zealand Railways' coal wagons one at a time from Brakehead, at Denniston, at the top to Conns Creek below. Each descending wagon hauled an empty one up the incline by means of wire ropes, each wagon attached to its own rope and brake drum. The two drums were mounted beside each other on a common shaft, and the wire rope wound in opposite directions on each drum. So while one drum was letting the rope out and lowering a full wagon down the incline, the other drum was winding its rope in and pulling an empty wagon up the incline. Hydraulic pistons slowed the rotation of the winding drums to control the speed of the wagons.[12]
The Denniston Incline was actually two inclines. The higher of the two began at Brakehead, and descended steeply to the appropriately named Middle Brake. Here wagons were disconnected from the first incline's rope, and placed on the rope of the second incline for a more gentle descent to Conns Creek, where the accumulated wagons would then be marshalled into trains before being taken to Westport.[13] The drum from Middle Brake is now on display at Westport's Coaltown Museum.[14]

Disclaimer. this actions performed on this YouTube channel are performed by a confident person with training around safety of entering coal and gold mines, caves and abandoned houses, all properties are entered with open door policy if for isn't open we don't do in!!, we carry all the safety gear required on each explore , we also are trained on navigating and mapping areas off grid. if you aren't trained or experienced or confident we suggest you leave it to us.

Urbex rules.
1 take only photos leave only footprints,
2 We also do not promote or encourage tagging or vandalism or theft,
3 We enter all buildings as a open door policy,
4 We will not enter any buildings locked or with closed doors or signs stating No trespassing or No entry.
5 The purposes of Urban exploring are to document the dilapidated buildings and to show natural decay in the art form of a photo or video.
6 Never take anything not even treasures.
7 No public or online sharing abandoned locations and addresses or showing notable outside views to any abandoned location. A noticed location will become a damaged and vandalised location.
8 Be safe and don't enter dangerous unstable buildings that could come down.

Original video link here:    • "Ghost Towns" of The South Island New Zeal...  

Abandoned house original video:    • The Coastal Shack  

mad Props channel:    / @thecreatornz  

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