what was a coal trimmer?

[lorraine66]

What is a coal trimmer or was a coal trimmer? One of my ancestors was one.

[gasser]

Trimmer—The person who sorts the coal in the railway cars after it is dumped into them. He spreads the coals in the waggons or carriages in which the coals are conveyed along a railway from the top of the pit to the staith -which is the place where the coals are shipped by a spout or by a machine for lowering the waggons.

more information:
When coals from the waggons are dropped or spouted into the hold of a vessel they produce a conical heap which, unless provided against, would soon block up the hatchway. To prevent this, sheets of iron are laid upon the cone as it rises which cause the coals to slide off in all directions ; these are placed by a set of men, called trimmers, who with shovels and rakes still further distribute the coal, or trim the cargo.

[maesglas/ssclub]

Well done gasser
I have come across the "coal trimmer" a few times and wondered what sort of a job it was, it had me thinking that the trimmer made the coal into nice and regular shapes for the posh people Ha Ha.

glad you put me straight
Robert Purnell.

[Peter Goodey]

Context is all important.

See also last week's thread

https://www.british-genealogy.com/for...t=coal+trimmer

[Mutley]

Thank you Peter for the link to the other thread.

As the question has been asked before I will close this thread to save repetition.