MineArchiveTylorstown Colliery runaway journey, 1959
On 4 March 1959 a haulage rope snapped as a journey moved slowly along the rails in No. 9 Pit at Tylorstown Colliery, and the two riders working it, Isaac John Davies and Lavender Hughes, were crushed between drams when it ran back.
| Date | 4 March 1959 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tylorstown Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Haulage / Transport |
| Fatalities | 2 (Isaac John Davies, 50 (49 in the NMRS record), rider, a widower, and Lavender Hughes, 50, rider (L. A. Hughes, 55, in the NMRS record).) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The haulage rope broke and the journey ran back.
Rescue & recovery
First aid was given on the spot and both men were brought quickly to the surface. Davies was already dead. Ambulance men and a first-aid attendant went on treating Hughes as the ambulance drove to Porth Hospital, three miles away, but he was dead on arrival.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 4 March 1959 two men, Isaac John Davies and Lavender Hughes, were killed in No. 9 Pit at Tylorstown Colliery. 1,2,3
- The haulage rope broke and the journey ran back, crushing them between drams. 1,2,3
- Davies was dead when brought to the surface; Hughes died on the way to Porth Hospital. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…as a journey moved slowly along the rails in No. 9 Pit at Tylorstown Colliery, and the two riders working it, Isaac John Davies and Lavender…” - Haulage (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 4 March 1959 a haulage rope snapped as a journey moved slowly along the rails in No. 9 Pit…” - Journey (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 4 March 1959 a haulage rope snapped as a journey moved slowly along the rails in No. 9 Pit at Tylorstown Colliery,…” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…it, Isaac John Davies and Lavender Hughes, were crushed between drams when it ran back.”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1959 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: I. Davies, Tylorstown No.9, 4 March 1959 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: L.A. Hughes, Tylorstown No.9, 4 March 1959 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026