tarboat's photos with the keyword: essen

Originally sunk in c1842 the Amalie shaft in Essen was eventually incorporated into the colliery Sälzer Amalie which finally ceased winding coal in 1966. Today the shaft is retained to service pumping arrangements for the few remaining collieries in the area.

Although coal winding ceased at the combined Sälzer-Amalie colliery in 1966, some shafts, including that at Amalie have been retained for pumping and drainage purposes relating to other mines in the Ruhr. On the morning I took this photograph the wheels were spinning as winding operations were underway. An unusual feature is that the headframe steelwork is at an angle relative to the shaft tower.

Zollverein colliery headstock over shaft No.12 is still used for drainage of the central Ruhr area although mining here ended in 1986. It forms an important landmark and is part of the Museum of the Ruhr and a World Heritage Site.