Manchester Gas Works
1807 Gas lighting was introduced in Manchester
1844 Control of the gas undertaking passed to the Corporation
By 1894 the Corporation owned 4 gas stations: Gaythorn, Rochdale Road, Bradford Road, and Droylsden.
1894 The Bradford Road works was visited by members of the IMechE, and aspects of the equipment were described in Engineering 1894/07/27. At that time there were four gasholders, each 153 ft. in diameter. They were telescopic, in three lifts, each lift being 33 ft. deep, and had a total storage capacity of 7,000,000 cubic feet. A gasholder of much larger dimensions was being constructed, with the object of making good the deficiency at Rochdale-road, as well as providing increased storage room at Bradford-road. This gasholder, which, together with its tank, had been designed by G. E. Stevenson, would 250 ft. in diameter and have three lifts, each 50 ft. deep. It will contain the same quantity of gas as the four existing holders, i.e. 7,000,000 cubic feet. '... a departure is being made from the older style of construction in which cast-iron columns were used to support the holder, inasmuch as the guide framing of the new holder will be of steel of comparatively light construction. The tank is 254 ft. in diameter by 50 ft. 6 in. deep. It will contain a timber framing to support the untrussed crown of the gasholder when not inflated. This framing will be carried on 196 pipe columns, 30 ft. long by 10 in. in diameter, placed on brick pillars, and tied together by wrought-iron tie-rods. The construction of this tank involves some 86.000 cubic yards of excavation, and will absorb 6,000,000 bricks, the greater part of which are being made on the premises of the clay obtained from the excavation. The other features of the work are well shown in our illustrations. The advantage of large gasholders from the point of view of economy in capital expenditure, is evident from the fact that whilst the four older gasholders cost, with their tanks, altogether 143,000l. odd, the contracts for the new tank and holder amount to 65,000l. for an equal cubical storage capacity
1901 Photo of Rochdale Road gas booster engines running here[1]. Three 1880s Mather and Platt vertical engines in the foreground, one two-cylinder horizontal engine in background. See here and here for 1901 photos showing foundation for a large gasholder [2]
1907 Photos showing Rochdale Road gasworks here[3] and here.
1908 Photo here showing preparations for foundations of an enormous gasholder [4]
1920 Manchester Corporation Gas Department was a user of the Sentinel Steam Wagon[5]
1929 The Partington Works were opened. The gas department had four stations: Rochdale Road, Bradford Road, Droylsden and Partington.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ [1] Manchester City Council local images collection: image m59081, Gas Works, Rochdale Road Gas Works, Manchester, 1901
- ↑ Manchester City Council local images collection: images m74744 & m74746
- ↑ [2] Manchester City Council local images collection: image m59086: Gas Works, Rochdale Road Gas Works, in Gould Street, Manchester
- ↑ [3] Manchester City Council images collection. Image No. m59064
- ↑ The Times Oct. 19, 1920