tarboat's photos

Meihekou Coal Railway. On the coldest day I have ever experienced, SY 1662 heads towards Sanjing Mine with a train of empty spoil tippers and coal hoppers. In the early morning the temperature fell off the bottom of our thermometer at -35C. Great for steam effects! :-)

Massive concrete buttresses at the Cowdale limekilns of Buxton Lime Firms

When we rolled back the carpet in the hallway of our house we found this. I believe it to be c1904.

The durability of the glazed terracotta tiles is seen here in a former Co-operative shop in Macclesfield which was erected in 1908.

The inside is outside.

Cheadle bleachworks.

The Palace Cinema opened in 1921 and replaced the Electric Theatre on Edward Street, Stocksbridge. At some time later it was extended and a new projection room was added high up attached to the wall. The remains of the supports for the floor of this structure can be just seen at the right edge of the image. It was here that the young Reginald Dixon played piano to accompany the silent films long before he became famous for his skills on the organ.

Abandoned storage in the workshop at the Loxley brickworks.

Production has ceased at the Loxley refractory works and the brickmaking sheds stand stripped and idle awaiting the coming of the housing estates.

Natural processes take over at Cocking Limeworks. Draw hole of a disused limekiln.

The last rays of the setting sun catch the buildings of the abandoned Beeding Cement Works.

Nutbourne Brickworks, Surrey

JS 6246 shunting Xizhan yard on the Yuanbaoshan Coal Railway. The sun was setting on steam operations here as the first diesels were already on order and a conveyor system was due to make a large section of the rail system here redundant.

Built in 1903-7 by the Broadstone Spinning Co Ltd for 260,000 mule spindles. The use of glazed brick ornamentation is typical of the period. Half of the mill has been demolished since spinning ended in 1959 and the remaining section is in multiple industrial and commercial occupation.

The cast iron mileposts on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal were erected in around 1898. The posts are hollow with the distance plates attached. The city name is on the side nearest to the same place. This post is at Church, around the half-way point.

I spotted this one whilst out and about in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, the other day. The mill is now used by a wide range of businesses and the chimney is not in good condition. The tower saw some renovation of the slating and the erection of the flagpole during spring 2007.

Designed by A.H.Stott this double mill of 1865 was constructed for W.H.Houldsworth. In 1920 there were 140,000 spindles at work here and spinning continued until 1958. After other commercial uses the building has now been refurbished as flats and modern business units.

Another factory gone.