Pit Towers
In Winterslag, you can cast an admiring glance on both the oldest and the youngest pit towers in the entire Kempen basin. Originally, both towers were equally tall, at 40 metres.
Large pit tower
A pit tower connects the world above with the underground. People and equipment were shuttled down via a lift under the tower. The coal was brought to the surface via a heavy steel cable that connected to the collection machine in the collection hall. In that building, you can still see the slots in which those cables ran.
In 1963, in order to accommodate rising production, the old pit tower was replaced by a new one, over 72 metres high. The new tower was placed on top of the old one. Simultaneously, the new pit tower switched to a skip system, meaning that instead of hauling up coal in small carts, a container could bring up to 13 tonnes of coal to the surface in one go.
Interesting to know: the pit tower was assembled by the ‘Atelier de Jambes’, the same company that built the world-famous Atomium in Brussels.
Small pit tower
The small pit tower (1915-16) is the oldest one in the Kempen basin. Miners used to call these pit towers the ‘belles fleurs’ (‘beautiful flowers’).
Steel cables ran over the large shaft wheels towards the collection machines.
Due to subsidence, only ruins remain of the former collection building.