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Bates Colliery was completely reorganised after nationalisation in 1947. This is described in the following link: http://www.dmm.org.uk/colleng/5910-01.htm The massive reorganisation was carried out without any loss in production and this required temporary coal handling arrangements and one of these was to have, for a short time an underground tippler. The following paragraph is taken directly from the article in the link. “No. 3 shaft pit-bottom has been completed, but until a new heapstead is built it will not be suitable for coal winding, consequently the 3½-ton minecars are tipped in the pit-bottom and the coal is reloaded by conveyor into tubs for winding up Bates shaft.” p.s. There is also a "creeeper" in the photo - it is at the end of the rails at the right of the photo.

Alan,me last comment was short a bit,a had meant ti say this creeper pulled tubs and trams of materials and timber pit props and planks etc,up to the Heapstead,to go down the pit. Aam studying this Tippler at thi pit bottom pic,and aam puzzled as hell!! Why wud ye want ti tip mine cars oot underground?..they were just filled an hour before reaching the shaft bottom!..even if there was a drift conveyor to the surface like Lynemouth...why would they use mine cars being filled and tipped? beats me! A wasn't at the pit in them days,so a canna fathom it oot..and if they used Skip Winding,the conveyor belts would run straight to the cages/Skips...and a canna mind Bates ever having a skip winder! Bill Riley,where are ye?!!...please explain![unless they were tippling into a staple shaft..like they had at Bedlington Aad pit,in the High Main seam..the coal came ootbye on the conveyor belt and went doon a chute into a Staple shaft aboot 60 feet doon,ti the Loader end,which was at a lower level. The Staple was filled like a reservoir,if there was a stoppage at the Shaft bottom area,for any reason,tubs off the way or owt like that. It meant that coalwork could still proceed until the Staple was full. Ashington pit had a Staple shaft as weel..that's the only thing a can think of as ti why a tippler wud be at the shaft bottom..ti draw aal the coal from different seams in one place..noo that meks sense!!