Contributions of the group Historical Engineering Works of the UK and Ireland

TWM[25] - Tynemouth canopies [HFF]

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 19:00:24 +0000

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Looking south across what was the riverside bay platforms, you can still see the large slabs that made up the edge, the infill looks somewhat red in this image. The station roof [canopies] covers all but the actual running lines and were substantially restored in 2012.
The Station buildings, footbridge & canopies are all Grade II listed, as an example of Victorian Railway Engineering from 1978.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tynemouth_Metro_station
At the weekend, this area would be filled by flea market stalls - often, over 200 of them ... fenced off for safety [& revenue protection] from the operational area.

Top lock

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 06:28:44 +0000

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The 102ft fall at the Ardnacrusha hydro-electric power station on the Shannon is overcome for navigation by a two-rise staircase lock. The falls are 68ft and 34 ft. This is reaching the top of the deep upper chamber. The locks and power station were completed by 1929.

Hydro lock

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 06:46:41 +0000

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The building of the Shannon hydroelectric scheme in the late 1920s required navigation to be maintained down to Limerick after the Parteen Weir cut off the old route via O'Briensbridge. This was achieved by building a double staircase lock at the Ardnacrusha power station. Taken from the approach canal this shows the entrance to the lower lock which has a rise of 34ft whilst the top lock has a rise of 68ft. This is the deepest lock in Britain and Ireland.

HoS[24] / bri[24] - Skerne Bridge {1824} [HWW]

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 16:51:18 +0000

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The Stockton & Darlington Railway built this bridge in 1824 to cross the River Skerne, and it is still in use ! [the wing walls / abutments are later]. It was cleaned and cleared of vegetation in 2020.
In 2021 it became a Grade 1 listed structure, commemorating it's importance as a railway structure - and joining a very select club [only seven other members] as a Grade I listed railway bridge.
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there are more details on wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skerne_Bridge

glo[16] - SND No4

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:01:40 +0000

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Steam dredger moored alongside the Waterways Museum in Gloucester. I understand that restoration is progressing, but in the early stages.

Originally posted 8th Jan 2017 - by 11/Jan/2021 had 241 visits, 2 yellow stars, no comments.

IoM[2] - Camera Obscura

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sun, 30 May 2021 22:10:48 +0000

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One of the features of Douglas Head - This green and white building, as indicated, is a "Camera Obscura" ...
The other item to the left is the lantern belonging to Douglas Head lighthouse

I haven't yet managed to get in this one, but I did visit the one on Clifton Downs, Bristol, a number of times in my youth.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Observatory
I thin that they are an interesting, if limited, technology, much favoured by artists and the Victorians, sadly there are only a few still surviving.

There is an extensive explanatory item here :- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura

Ironworks

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 12:29:05 +0000

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This enginehouse once formed part of the Albion Ironworks at Aspull, Wigan. It clearly housed a large beam engine, with the bob wall on the other side, but its purpose has never been satisfactorily explained.

Athlone railway bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 06:53:51 +0000

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'The White Bridge' in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, was built in the mid 19th century and spans a total of 542ft - with an opening span of 120ft to accommodate large sailing vessels - was designed by G.W. Hemans and built in 1850. It was the single greatest engineering task during the construction of the Dublin to Galway railway line and took less than 18 months to construct.

Built with twelve cylindrical pillars - each 10ft in diameter - they were placed in position by compressed air which made engineering history at the time.

Messrs. Fox & Henderson were the contractors who shipped the massive ironworks via barge from Limerick to Athlone. It is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

The first commercial train crossed 'The White Bridge' Athlone on Monday 21st July, 1851.

The swinging span was permanently fixed in 1972.

Salt and Pepper

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 06:25:51 +0000

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Sunset behind the Goole docks water towers that are known locally as the Salt and Pepper pots.

The 1885 cylindrical tower is of good quality red brick, laid in English bond. It supports a 30ft diameter cast iron header tank inside its upper drum, capable of storing 30,000 gallons of water. The maximum water level of the tank is 143ft above ground level. It is listed Grade II.

The 1927 reinforced concrete water tower was designed by engineer Edward John Silcock (1862-1953) of 10 Park Row, Leeds, to replace the supply from the neighbouring "pepper pot" tower. The new tower was constructed by Harold Arnold & Sons Ltd of Printing Office Street, Doncaster, for Goole Urban District Council. Its tanks hold 690,000 gallons of high quality drinking water for supplying the population of Goole (estimated around 20,000 people, 2017). It cost £21,310 to construct and went into service on 23rd February 1927 and was Grade II listed in September 1987.

Sliding Bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 07:30:59 +0000

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The sliding bridge at Keadby was constructed in 1925 by Sir William Arrol of Dalmarnock (Glasgow) and rebuilt in 2004. The original rail crossing here was a swing bridge with its pivot located at the other side of the canal to the drawbridge. Its replacement with a sliding bridge was to minimising disruption to rail services during construction. It is battery operated using a set of 64 submarine type batteries which are trickle charged when not in use. The railway passes over the Stainforth & Keadby Canal on a skew. In the railway opened position it is supported on the nose abutment, the front wedges and the rear wedges. Control of the bridge is by the signalman from the adjacent signal cabin. An interlock with the railway signalling system ensures that the bridge cannot be opened unless rail traffic is prevented from crossing the bridge. The main actuators of the bridge are a set of hydraulically driven lifting jacks, two sets of electrically driven wedges and an electrically driven winch haulage drive which operates through an open gearbox with a six foot diameter differential gear.

Generating hall

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:46:48 +0000

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The Shannon hydro-electric scheme was constructed between 1925 and 1929 to harness the power of the river where it underwent a fall of nearly 35 metres in the final stages of its route to tidal waters at Limerick. The civil engineering works were undertaken by the German company Siemens-Schuckertwerke and on completion the power station at Ardnacrusha was the largest hydro-electric generating plant in the world. Initially there were three vertical shaft Francis turbine generators installed and in 1934 a single vertical shaft Kalan turbine generator was added, giving a total output of 85mw from an average head of 28.5 metres.

glo[16] - waggonway

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 10:00:34 +0000

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Replica plateway and waggons, on display near to the docks in Gloucester.
(the local variant is the single g spelling of waggon)

lmhall - 003

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:10:18 +0000

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Internal courtyard, looking up at the bay windows.

nsm - tree to planks

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:47:16 +0000

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Belt-driven (from over-head shaft) multiple blade vertical action rip saw, for converting whole tree trunks into planks in one pass.

nsm - arm powered

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:42:57 +0000

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One of the many alternative means of transport around the railway systems in the slate mines, quarries and related areas. This example relies on human arm-power, but the gearing looks advantageous. There are a couple of slab waggons behind, which seem to be built to the narrower 2ft gauge, as used on the quarry/mine working levels.

eatm[16] - Thorneycroft

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 22:11:13 +0000

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1916 Thorneycraft "sided" lorry (petrol).
The regular driver of this vehicle has recently decided against taking it out on normal roads, because modern drivers seem unaware just how long this lorry takes to stop and insist on cutting it up at junctions.

PQR - quarry guard

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 22:16:45 +0000

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This image shows a prison officer, on guard duty - patrolling the quarry rim - rifle and sword bayonet / cutlass at the ready, as convicts work in Stirling Hill quarry near Peterhead Prison. Although this was taken prior to 1959, the scene hasn't changed much from before WW1. This image was obtained during one of the limited number of times a press photographer had been allowed access to the prison.

bri[12] - Private Bridge / Pont Briwet

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:37:17 +0000

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The rail / toll road bridge over the treath bach. This is due to be replaced shortly (by 2015 and will cost almost £20million).
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Currently (dec 2012) the toll is 50p for cars, and this road route to Harlech is shorter than going via Maentwrog - unless you're in a 'bus or hgv.
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Pont Briwet has stood since 1867 and was partially rebuilt in 1932 - it is grade II listed, and is very rare, but that has not stopped the decision to demolish it, the replacement will be concrete. I had been told that the old timber bridge - which is privately owned - would be retained as a path / cycleway. So much for CADW.

After a tremendous amount of "fun and games" the replacement rail part was opened in September 2014 and a further tremendous amount of effort and delays the road part opened on 13th July 2015.
In my opinion, both sides of the new bridge are modern, concrete eyesores. The fact that the listed bridge was destroyed, instead of becoming a foot and cycle path, makes me very cross. My info is that the footpath use would Not have over-stressed the old bridge ...

TiG - Secundus [1 of 2]

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 15:10:31 +0000

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Secundus is an unique 2ft 8in gauge locomotive built in 1874 by Bellis & Seekings Ltd in Birmingham, for use on the Furzebrook Tramway. Her name is derived from the Latin word for second, but can also be translated as lucky or favourable. The unusual appearance partly comes from being an 0-6-0 well tank with outside Stephenson valve gear and cowcatcher, the tall chimney and large dome also give Secundus plenty of character. The locomotive, on loan from Birmingham Museum, is currently on display in the Swanage Railway museum at Corfe Castle station

PQR - sideview

nobody@ipernity.com (StoneRoad2013) — Sat, 21 May 2016 21:44:28 +0000

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Fully up on the low-loader and with chains/strops securely attached. Now to unpick the ramp and stow the components.