The upcast pit shaft is the largest of the two shafts sunk at Glyn pits, being 11 feet in diameter, and used for both winding of coal, men, and the pumping of water. The winding of coal and men was done with a single cage similar to the one in this 1905 photo, which worked simultaneously with the cage in the downcast shaft travelling in the opposite direction from a depth of 186 yards.  The remaining distance to the 190-yard depth was the sump area where the water from the mine collected, and from where it was pumped. This pump was driven by the Rotative Beam Engine, which drove a connecting rod linked to a bell crank lever at the pit head. A rocking motion caused the pitch pine rods  (spears) to the pit bottom to rise and fall thus driving a lift pump sending the water up the pit to a 'Lobby',  From the lobby water was further pumped higher to within 85 yards of the surface, where it entered a watercourse which conveyed the water to the valley bottom. This was also the pit where the foul air and gas left the mine after traversing the workings. Approximately 6 ft from the pit head was the mouth of the fan-drift, ( Air Duct ) by which the foul air was extracted by a fan which was around 30 yards away at the end of this fan drift and where it was exhausted to atmosphere.

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Below in this later 1910 photograph, taken somewhere in South Wales, is a double tier cage, where one cage is mounted on top of another, allowing for double the amount of coal or men to be lifted from the mine at any one time.  Another item of interest in the photo is the safety gate, for as the cages arrive at bank (pit head) so the safety gate is lifted with the cage, and then lowered when the cage descends into the mine again. This pit shaft being big enough contained two sets of cages as can be seen by the double set of tram rails and another safety gate seen in the downward secured position.  A further safety feature can be seen in front of the lowered gate between the tram rails. This item in its upward position locks against the tram's axle, thus stopping the tram moving any further forward. When in the downward position, the Tram ( Dram ) is free to be loaded into the cage.

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