danycraig - Swansea still standing?

[18B]

Hi,

 

according to Google earth there's still the shell of the former Danycraig shed left standing? has it been bulldozed or who anyone be able to confirm that it still stand today?

[The Stationmaster]

It  (or part of it) was still there a few years ago but I think what remained then was probably part of the former works building

[br2975]

I believe the building was damaged by fire many years ago whilst occupied by a private company, possibly Gower Chemicals.

[Richard_A]

As I Swansea resident I can confirm it's still there

[Fat Controller]

My namesake is correct; Gower Chemicals have had the buildings for a long while. They used to bring in sulphuric acid (and possibly other products) by rail, but that stopped with Speedlink, I believe. Whilst the walls of all the buildings are still extant, only one has a roof over it, the rest just acting as open storage. A far cry from my memories of it in the 1960s, when dad used to do a lot of work at the nearby King's Dock and Elba tinplate mills.

[The Johnster]

It's a very distinctive building and visible from Fabian Way, the main A483 into Swansea from the Briton Ferry direction.  It is familiar from photos of the Swansea Docks 0-4-0s as the background to many of them; enthusiasts seeking these locos with cameras went to Danygraig by default as access was easy and it saved hunting them down all over the extensive dock network; it's harder to hit a moving target!

[Richard_A]

Speaking of Swansea depots, do any of you chaps who worked on the railways know if there is likely to be detailed plans of landore depot archived anywhere?

[The Johnster]

Large scale OS maps of the required period are your friend for this purpose.  They show track plans, even small buildings, signal posts, water columns. 

[Richard_A]

I can source them easily enough and I live close to the place, I'm thinking more along the lines of building heights etc which I cannot seem to figure out. I'm rubbish at guestimating.

[Fat Controller]

5 minutes ago, rka said:

I can source them easily enough and I live close to the place, I'm thinking more along the lines of building heights etc which I cannot seem to figure out. I'm rubbish at guestimating.

Could you try asking Gower Chemicals if you could measure some of the outside of the building?  It's a shame the building is in Pennant Sandstone, rather than brick, which is comparatively easy to estimate.

[The Stationmaster]

7 hours ago, rka said:

Speaking of Swansea depots, do any of you chaps who worked on the railways know if there is likely to be detailed plans of landore depot archived anywhere?

All(?) of the Swindon plant and equipment drawings went to the Wiltshire County archive and I presume are still there.  they used to b elisted on line but were oin no particular order and there didn't seem to be an index but the list might still be available possibly?

[Richard_A]

Thank you for that Mike, and I might pop down to Gower chemicals one day just to see if they'll let me.