The owners and officials of Coed Talon wanted to make a contribution to the exhibition that would astonish all the visitors to the Exhibition. They succeeded in great style astonishing all that saw it.They decided to send a 14ft thick piece of Main Coal, the premier seam in the area.

 

The shaft that it was to be worked was above Coed Talon Wood pit on Coed Talon Banks next to the plate-way (Lshaped rails) that ran from Tan Lan to Pontybodkin railway sidings. The plate-way ran on the level from Tan Lan to just past the shaft that was being used to get the coal from and then down a very steep incline. The shaft was known as Lump Mawr Push On Pit from then on.This shaft was chosen because of the quality and thickness of the seam close to the pit bottom. It was 70 yds down to the Main Coal seam.The way that the coal was worked and brought to the surface reflects great credit to the workforce and officials alike.The method that they used to work the coal was firstly to remove fireclay from under the coal. Then a specially constructed trolley was placed under the coal.

 

The colliers then worked the around coal with hand picks and encircled it with iron bands. There it was ready for moving, 8 or 9 ft in diameter and 14ft thick. After much scheming and ingenuity it was moved to the pit bottom. The haulage tackle to raise it where crab winches and capstans, all hand operated, not steam driven.It took several days to raise it to the surface, the first time it neared the pit top it was found to be to large for the upper section of the shaft. It was lowered back down and re-dressed to fit. It was estimated that two tons of coal where removed. When it was landed on the surface the whole area was rejoicing.

 

Now there was the next problem, How to get it from Push On to the valley at Pontybodkin. A new rope for the incline had been provided and a special railway truck made. Considering that it was 162 years ago it is no wonder that they considered the load to be immense.Due to the enthusiasm of the workmen a lot of the anxiety was lost about moving it down the incline. Hundreds gathered men and women, scores brought ropes to fasten to the wagon in order to keep it under control descending the incline. It was lowered down to Pontybodkin without mishap.A general holiday was proclaimed and feasting and merry-making took place in the old-fashioned way was seen, Bread Cheese and Ale, Bara, Caws a Chwrw.The great lump reached its destination and with it the fame of the Coed Talon Main Coal.

 

The lump was deposited on the grounds at Crystal Palace and a plate attached to it with these names: -

 

Edward Oakley Esq.

Charles Harrison, Agent.

Richard Evans, Manager.

 

The company also sent another large lump from one of their Leeswood Collierys that coal came from the Diamond Seam 8ft thick. This being from the Diamond seam was then called The Black Diamond. A public house in Coed Talon was named the Black Diamond after it.