Last gasholder decommissioned.

[GRUNFOS]

The framework of Washfordheath holder still exists. Even though it looks like two holders it was a connected single that raised and lowered "the twins" together. The other type that was common at steelworks had an enclosed piston in a cylinder so looking from outside it never moved. Have found this image of Washfordheath, yours to model!

 

[Arthur]

.

.

In January 1941 he sepnt nights on top of the gasholders (that's what he always called them) at Grangetown, with no more than buckets of water, a stirrup pump and buckets of sand putting out German incendiaries that landed on the gasholder before they could do any harm !

 

Brian R

One of the gas holders at East Moors was pierced by a bomb in 1940/41, they were kept empty at the time, fortunately.

 

 

In 1971, one of Dorman Longs, on Teesside, was struck by lightning, I think your grandad would have needed quite a few buckets of water.........

 

[br2975]

One of the gas holders at East Moors was pierced by a bomb in 1940/41, they were kept empty at the time, fortunately.

 

image.jpg

 

In 1971, one of Dorman Longs, on Teesside, was struck by lightning, I think your grandad would have needed quite a few buckets of water.........

 

image.jpg

My grandads view was - if the holder went up, he wouldn't know anything about it !

.

He was also the Corporal rifle instructor in the (64th ?) Glamorgan Local Defence Volunteers (aka Luck, Duck & Vanish but Home Guard to the rest of us !) - unfortunately for most of the war, they didn't have any rifles !

.

(he also felt the tv series Dads Army played them down, as opposed to taking the mick !).

 

Brian R

[Arthur]

The internal piston type were generally referred to as waterless gas holders as they didn't sit in a ring of water which formed a seal at the bottom.

 

In 1975 Northern Metals were tasked with demolishing two such holders at the Irlam works of the Lancashire Steel Corporation, by then part of the BSC. They started with the larger of the two, a 2 million cubic feet capacity holder weighing 500 tons. After two attempts with explosives they got this far,

 

 

It stood like that for several days until a third blast brought it down.

[Horsetan]

....., how do they store gas now?

  

In tins of Heinz baked beans.

.....or in vegetable curries.

[Michael Delamar]

Linacre Gasworks Bootle Merseyside being demolished in 2010, this also was hit by a bomb in WW2 that never exploded.

 

[Danemouth]

My quarterly British Gas Pensioners' Newsletter arrived today - now there's a coincidence!

 

It has an article on this very subject so I can now proceed to bore you all to death with some further facts:

 

"It is estimated that since 2009 over 300 holders have been taken out of service - 70 of these in North London alone".

 

"Gas Holders have been in existence since 1814 when the Gas Light and Cole Company of Westminster built a single gas holder capable of storing 14,000 cubic feet of coal gas".

 

"The largest holder in Britain was the 295 feet rigid gas holder located at Southall. Unlike water sealed telescopic gas holders, this holder does not expand or contract with the gas contained inside, but consists of an oil sealed piston free to travel inside a metal cylinder. The letters 'LH' and an arrow were painted on the side of the holder to point out the direction to London Heathrow airport which was four miles to the south west. This was to prevent confusion with a similar holder that once stood at South Harrow on the approach to Northolt airfield, later painted with a giant 'NO'. Before this more than one pilot landed at Norholt rather than Heathrow, only just managing to stop on the short runway!."

 

So now you know,

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

My grandfather came to Cardiff from Sheffield and went to work for the Cardiff Gas Light & Coke Co. at their Bute Terrace and Grangetown 'works'.

.

In January 1941 he sepnt nights on top of the gasholders (that's what he always called them) at Grangetown, with no more than buckets of water, a stirrup pump and buckets of sand putting out German incendiaries that landed on the gasholder before they could do any harm !

.

I doubt many would do that today, or would the HSE allow it, even in times of national emergency.

.

It wasn't the Germans that eventually got him - but the wet asbestos he used to lag the pipes with at Grangetown.

 

Brian R

Brian,

 

My grandfather lived in Clive Street, and was also a fire watcher.

 

It's probable that they knew each other!

 

I was born within sight and sound of Grangetown gas works

 

Plus the fact that you work with my brother, so I'd say it's a pretty small world!

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Xerces Fobe2]

There are still three in use in Reading...

They looked empty when I passed them a few weeks ago!

 

XF

[Talltim]

I hadn't realised that they were an endangered species. There were two in Chesterfield last time I looked, but I think they went out of use last year or maybe the year before that.

http://goo.gl/maps/x8jC9

[jamie92208]

Brian,

 

My grandfather lived in Clive Street, and was also a fire watcher.

 

It's probable that they knew each other!

 

I was born within sight and sound of Grangetown gas works

 

Plus the fact that you work with my brother, so I'd say it's a pretty small world!

 

Regards

 

Richard

IIRC one east London gasholder was demolished realtively recently and as well as finding a patch on the roof with a circular hole below it they found a live unexploded bomb at the bottom.

 

I modeled a gasholder on my Long Preston Layout.  There was a very small gasworks built in 1876 just below the line east of the station.  We explored the site with permission, and discovered the remains of the riveted holder about 12' diameter and there was enough detail still available for us to model it accurately.  My frined who made it motorised it but then someone else painted it so it never worked unfortunately.  It had closed in 1926 and is still there in the field.  We even got some oral history about a guy who worked there used to come home from courting his girlfriend by train and always checked the brightness of the lamps.  If they were low he would nip down and put a few more shovelfuls of coal into the retort before going home.

 

Jamie

[Clive Mortimore]

Don't care what they are called but the two in Chelmsford haven't gone up or down for ages.

[PatB]

I've always been intrigued by the miniature versions that were used for the small installations at, for example, large country houses.  I remember finding one in the undergrowth near a derelict stately home in North Wales back in the 80s.  I'd never previously realised such weeny ones existed.

[Geoff Endacott]

In West Midlands Gas we just called them Holders, with the vast amount of the distribution network now steel or plastic pipework  the pressure has been increased all around the country thereby increasing internal storage capacity.

 

Is that because Slade's lead singer being called Noddy Ometer would have sounded silly?

 

Geoff Endacott

[br2975]

Plus the fact that you work with my brother, .....

So, your brother drew the short straw !

 

Brian R

[br2975]

Is that because Slade's lead singer being called Noddy Ometer would have sounded silly?

 

Geoff Endacott

 

Not as silly as if he'd been called Willy Holder !

.

Brian R

[Happy Hippo]

Nobby Holder?

 

I'll get my coat

 

Regards

 

Richard

[DaveF]

The gasholder in Blyth, Northumberland, today.

 

Blyth gasholder Northumberland

 

 

The top section paintwork was designed by local schoolchildren a few years ago.

 

David

[ChrisB]

The two that have stood in Swindon for as long as I can remember have just been dismantled/demolished in the past few weeks. there are now some pretty large holes in the ground that are in the process of being filled.

[Enterprisingwestern]

My quarterly British Gas Pensioners' Newsletter arrived today - now there's a coincidence!

 

It has an article on this very subject so I can now proceed to bore you all to death with some further facts:

 

"It is estimated that since 2009 over 300 holders have been taken out of service - 70 of these in North London alone".

 

"Gas Holders have been in existence since 1814 when the Gas Light and Cole Company of Westminster built a single gas holder capable of storing 14,000 cubic feet of coal gas".

 

"The largest holder in Britain was the 295 feet rigid gas holder located at Southall. Unlike water sealed telescopic gas holders, this holder does not expand or contract with the gas contained inside, but consists of an oil sealed piston free to travel inside a metal cylinder. The letters 'LH' and an arrow were painted on the side of the holder to point out the direction to London Heathrow airport which was four miles to the south west. This was to prevent confusion with a similar holder that once stood at South Harrow on the approach to Northolt airfield, later painted with a giant 'NO'. Before this more than one pilot landed at Norholt rather than Heathrow, only just managing to stop on the short runway!."

 

So now you know,

 

Regards,

 

Dave

 

Mine arrived Friday, but I didn't want to bore anybody to death

 

Mike.

[newbryford]

Mine arrived Friday, but I didn't want to bore anybody to death

 

Mike.

 

You usually do when it comes to W*st*rns. Why change the habit of a lifetime?

 

Mick

[New Haven Neil]

Hmm, the gasholder/gasometer thing is the same as 'pylons' - transmission towers to those who work with them!

[Enterprisingwestern]

You usually do when it comes to W*st*rns. Why change the habit of a lifetime?

 

Mick

 

You can't hide forever!

 

Mike.

[RJS1977]

Just heard a rumour Grumbly Town's will be demolished next week :-(

[peter220950]

Slightly off topic, but I might as well take advantage of the knowledge base, one thing that has nagged at me for years. How do they seal the joint between the lifting sections? It has to be a sliding seal but I can't see how it was arranged.

 

peterL