Pre-cast sectional buildings.

[br2975]

Over the years I have seen a number of pre-cast concrete railway buildings similar to those shown in the attached sketches appearing in railway photographs.

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They seem to have been common on the Western Region, whether their history can be traced back to the GWR I don't know.

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Were they produced at Taunton ?

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Where they provided by contractors ?

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The buildings appear to be constructed of cast sections in various sizes and combinations in order to suit the requirements at a particular site.

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In South Wales a building made of such components once stood alongside the valleys platform at Bridgend, another stood near the coal stage at Duffryn Yard.

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A similar structure can be found here:-

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82563-the-buildings-of-studley-and-astwood-bank/page-2

 

These have aroused my interest, and I feel the need for such facilities at Rosamund Street.

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Does anyone have any links to photographs of such buildings ?

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Does anyone know their history, or have dimensions ?

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My breath is baited.

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Brian R

[Rods_of_Revolution]

In "Great Western Branch Line Termini" by Paul Karau the drawing above is provided and is described as being Lambourn Weighbridge Hut.

 

Measuring the drawing against the scale provided gives the following dimensions:

 

10ft 6" at base - windowed elevation
8ft 6" at base - door elevation
8ft 11" high - excluding stove pipe

 

Here's a photograph of a similar structure being used as a waiting shelter at Alcester: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrbj1315.htm

 

This post on RMWeb also has a photograph of one: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82563-the-buildings-of-studley-and-astwood-bank/?p=1407776

 

I don't know which company provided them but them seem to have had a pretty good distribution so they certainly wouldn't look out of place as a yard office or weighbridge hut in South Wales.

 

All the best,

 

Jack

[jonhall]

The LMS/ BR(LM) concrete works had a similar modular building in its catalogue, and the LNER and SR lineside huts are quite well known, so it wouldn't surprise me in the GW had something similar.

 

Jon

[br2975]

There is a published shot of Neath (Riverside) in the early 1960s with one of these huts on the former Brecon line platform.

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It appears to be at least 8'0" x 6'0" with double wooden doors in the gable end.

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There was another at Pengam Sidings, Cardiff, a larger structure with six panels to the side (18'0" long ?) and smaller windows in a 3'0" panel, unlike a 6'0" panel in the drawing above.

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Brian R

[Rods_of_Revolution]

This listing is for a photograph of Silverton Station, the waiting room is a prefab concrete structure of the style shown above, but also of note is that the platform is built from cast concrete: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverton-Railway-Station-Photo-Stoke-Canon-Hele-Bradninch-Tiverton-Line-/251724651764

[br2975]

Another example, very close to home; but, does anyone know what this particular sectional building was used for ? - alongside the carriage shed at Cardiff Canton.

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Brian R

[Clive Mortimore]

Another example, very close to home; but, does anyone know what this particular sectional building was used for ? - alongside the carriage shed at Cardiff Canton.

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Brian R

Hi Brian

 

The small and high windows suggest it is a toilet or wash room.

[br2975]

Hi Brian

 

The small and high windows suggest it is a toilet or wash room.

 

My first thought Clive.

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Not sure if there's enough headroom for a cistern, if there are any 'traps' ............

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However, urinal stalls could easily fit under the windows.

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No sign of any soil pipes, but then with this type of sectional building I would expect the services to be taken via the slab it's built on.

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Someone, somewhere must have info, drawings or sketches of the various components that made up these buildings >

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Brian R

[Adam]

I'd be stunned if these were anything other than the products of Taunton concrete works; they're certainly a GW/Western Region 'thing'. Here's one I photographed this morning at Yeovil Pen Mill. Facing up the hill, there's a window that accords with the sketch above (albeit now boarded over).

 

 

From the front you can see that it's fairly well integrated with the iron railings - I think this one was used as a lamp hut - which suggests that it was installed quite some time ago. The roof is made of reinforced concrete slabs with interlocking ridge elements. Quite a neat little structure.

 

 

Adam

 

 

 

[br2975]

I'd be stunned if these were anything other than the products of Taunton concrete works; they're certainly a GW/Western Region 'thing'.

 

 

I agree here Adam.

 

They only appear in photographs I have of BR (WR) locations (albeit my library is loaded in that direction anyway) and seem to have started sprouting in the early/mid 1950s..

 

I don't recall seeing any in GWR era photos, as they had used the familiar brick structures with cast concrete roof..

 

They come in all sorts of combinations with panels of two apparent widths (one to accomodate a door)

 

At least two different styles of window exist.

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My yard office and associated 'dubs' for the shunters etc will be based on these structures.

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Brian R

[marc smith]

Hello Brian,

An interesting question, to which I'm afraid I don't know the answer
I'd be interested to find out when these were introduced myself though....
I must say, personally, I find it's all the little details like huts, sheds and outbuildings that can help add credence and location to a layout

If I recall correctly, the Ratio OO concrete shed kit is based on a Southern Structure - with it's angled roof...
I've always liked that model myself, but shied away from using it due to it being off region for any of my layouts

maybe there's some info somewhere on when the Southern introduced these huts?
It's not a definitive answer to your question, but may give you a guide as to roughly when the railways started using pre-fab concrete structures?

It may be that these huts replaced wooden, sleeper built huts in the same location?
How old would the wooden huts have been? Did they start to rot? etc

[Adam]

The Ratio hut is indeed based on the Southern version (and the reason they are that shape is that they were shipped from Exmouth Junction in one piece - the angles are to clear the loading gauge - there was an article in MRJ 62 on all of this) and the LSWR and SR use of concrete was covered in an early Wild Swan book called Southern Nouveau which the author, George Reeve, has been threatening to update ever since. Nothing yet, so far as I know. The Midland & Great Northern used quite a of of concrete and all of the 'Big Four' had standard structure designs employing the stuff, but only the Southern has a dedicated book.

 

The Pen Mill hut almost certainly replaced something in corrugated iron and that will have rusted out; the GWR pattern railings and brick plinth would appear to be older than the rest of the structure.

 

Adam

[jonhall]

 

If I recall correctly, the Ratio OO concrete shed kit is based on a Southern Structure - with it's angled roof...

I've always liked that model myself, but shied away from using it due to it being off region for any of my layouts

 

maybe there's some info somewhere on when the Southern introduced these huts?

It's not a definitive answer to your question, but may give you a guide as to roughly when the railways started using pre-fab concrete structures?

 

 

There is an article in the Southern Railway staff Magazine from late 1946 that shows an artists impression of a 'new' platelayers hut, that would become the one we are familiar with, but in the picture the top edge is at the same height all around, so If your SR layout pre-dates 1947 then no 'standard' concrete huts for you.

 

In the accompanying write up there is a utopian dream that the CCE was going to encourage platelayers to layout and maintain shrubberies alongside their huts, but because no appreciable diversion of labour from essential works could be allowed, the beautifying of the lineside would have to rely on the voluntary efforts of staff!

 

Jon

[jonhall]

From The SR Magazine September 1946

 

Concrete huts for track workers.

 

The first of several hundred pre-cast re-inforced concrete huts for the use of Permanent Way staff throughout the system has been made at the Exmouth Junction Concrete Depot, and was placed in position on the incline leading to Exeter Central Station in the early hours of Sunday July 28^th (1946)

Weighing eight tons the complete hut was conveyed to the site on a well wagon and off-loaded on to its permanent position by steam crane.

The hut is fitted with a fireplace, tool rack and, for messing purposes, a table and forms. It is completely rain proof, and the interior walls have an absorbent finish to prevent condensation. The frames of the three windows and door are painted in the S.R/’s standard colour of green.

The huts are being built to the design of the Western Divisional Engineer (Mr. W.H. Shortt) under the supervision of the Resident Engineer at the Concrete Depot, Mr. G.E. Bedford, and their provision is a further indication of the progressive policy of the Company in regard to the accommodation of their outdoor staff.

 

accompanied by a photo of the non-standard (as it later turned out) square topped standard platelayers huts.

 

Jon

[Rivercider]

I spotted a building obviously from the same family at Exeter St Davids today alongside Red Cow Crossing.

While changing trains I went out and took some photos, the south side is tight up against the former goods/NCL office building so I could ony photograph three sides.

 

View of the west end

 

View of the north side

 

View of the east end

 

General view of the building with the goods/NCL office building behind

 

cheers

 

[jonhall]

There is a much bigger structure at Didcot beside the footpath from the station to the carpark in the triangle.

 

Jon

[Rivercider]

There is a much bigger structure at Didcot beside the footpath from the station to the carpark in the triangle.

 

Jon

I can't picture that large concrete hut, but while looking through my old pictures of Didcot I spotted one on platform 2/3

50009 Conqueror at Didcot with the 08.23 departure for Paddington, 10/7/81

 

cheers 

[jonhall]

This was the one I was thinking of

 

 

Jon

[br2975]

They pop-up everywhere - even with extensions and outhouses ?

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This one is care of Gord Edgar's Flickr page.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/5780117127/

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Brian R

[Arthur]

 

There were several companies making and selling precast concrete buildings in the 30's through to the 70's. There was one near where I lived, Kencast at Leigh and Worsley, west of Manchester. They were very well known for garages and outbuildings and had a range of pre fab bungalows.

 

When I was first at University in London I got talking to a lad, who became a friend, from rural Cornwall. When I told him where I was from he knew Kencast, his dad was a farmer and the local undertaker. They had a Kencast Chapel of Rest! I had visions of coffins lying in state in a damp, draughty, cobweb strewn garage.

[Fat Controller]

Apart from the railway's own plants, some private firms manufactured pre-cast concrete buildings. One was a company called 'Atcost', who are still about; another was T W Ward (of Ketton Cement and Inverkeithing Scrapyard fame), who even did some bungalows with precast panels in an oak frame. Some of these latter have been listed; they're not the post-WW2 prefabs, but somewhat posher, and earlier. I suspect the bungalows in this image might have been supplied by Wards:-

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/New+Zealand+St,+Llanelli,+Carmarthenshire+SA15+3EN/@51.6856925,-4.1702814,3a,90y,270h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1subgzIPkPODAMmtsdyzPCEQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DubgzIPkPODAMmtsdyzPCEQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D84.869621%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x486eedd07f386335:0xa5e322afa0544814?hl=en

[Arthur]

Atcost seem to have supplied a lot of large concrete farm structures. You see their name attached to quite a few of them.

 

The large number of so called 'non traditional' build houses of the 60's and 70's subsequently suffered many problems. Damp, condensation, water ingress and crumbling concrete requiring much subsequent remedial work. Another friend ran a business off the back of this, doing such work on council housing.

 

This site, scroll down, has quite a few photographs and manufacturers names of such housing. You'll have seen many such examples.

 

http://www.wbs-ltd.co.uk/external-wall-insulation/ewi-refurbishment/domestic-refurbishment-low-rise/non-traditional-housing/

[br2975]

This site, scroll down, has quite a few photographs and manufacturers names of such housing. You'll have seen many such examples.

 

http://www.wbs-ltd.co.uk/external-wall-insulation/ewi-refurbishment/domestic-refurbishment-low-rise/non-traditional-housing/

That page could be a tour of several Cardiff housing estates...................

[Rivercider]

They pop-up everywhere - even with extensions and outhouses ?

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This one is care of Gord Edgar's Flickr page.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/5780117127/

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Brian R

Good find, that is a very atmospheric view.

 

I noticed another one today at Taunton, behind the up bay platform, which I will try to get a photo of some time

 

cheers

[runs as required]

It was a coincidence to click on this thread about  SR and GWR p.c.concrete railway structures, for only last night I read a May 1935 article about 'Concrete Work in the North-Eastern Area of the L.N.E.R." It was in a bound volume of 'The Railway Magazine' that I keep by my bed as an antidote to insomnia (the duller the article, the quicker it works).

 

The article proved informative (and kept me well awake) about the 'concrete depot at York...[that has been] in existence for some five years [employing] an average of 50 men....

In front of the depot there is arranged what may be descibed as a nursery garden of concrete articles, displayed not with latin plant names but tags bearing a prosaic letter and a number ...produced from standard moulds... using rapid hardening additives, so that moulds can be used three times in one working day.'

Platelayers huts are mentioned, as are complete platforms comprising self keying parts that can be erected in one day by unskilled labour, and interlocking structures for building up, combined with earth, as retaining walls. As ever with concrete, weight is the limiting functional factor.

One product (highlighlighted in red) surprised me in its magnitude 'In considerable demand is a lineside pitfall post to detect and measure settling of the track in the neighbourhood of mine workings....when a post has sunk to a certain level, another can be attached to the top and its useful life extended indefinitely'

 

What struck me is how, back in the 1930s, concrete gets lauded as a fresh 'white' material 'cleaning up and beautifying the lineside:..here and there the company has enlivened its property by the erection of bird baths which are turned out from surplus concrete at York. ...But perhaps the most frequent purchasers of these articles are the railwaymen themselves who can thus obtain for the modest sum of 7s 6d (35p) a garden ornament with railway associations'

dh