tarboat's photos

Rolling bascule bridge in the dock complex at Dunkerque.

A nice single draw kiln with an oval pot. The adjacent quarry has indications of earlier intermittent clamp kilns.

Loading bunker at Zeche Göttelborn. This was part of the remodelling of this pit in the early 1990s. The new Shaft 4 commenced production in 1995 after the expenditure of 200 million euros on development of the colliery to raise 2.5 million tonnes of coal per year. It closed along with the rest of the pit in 2000.

Farme Colliery winding engine was built around 1810 for a colliery at Rutherglen. This atmospheric winding engine worked for just over 100 years and in 1915 it was presented to Glasgow Corporation for preservation. After many years in storage the engine was loaned to the Summerlee Heritage Trust at Coatbridge and in the 1990s what remains was largely re-erected as an exhibit at Summerlee Heritage Park. Whilst in storage it is regrettable that various parts had been lost including the legs that supported the beam which required a new steel frame to be fabricated. Today this engine is one of only three remaining rotary Newcomen engines, with the other two being in the Henry Ford Museum at Dearborn. The operation of these atmospheric winding engines must have required great skill and today nobody knows how it was done. Perhaps one day a replica will be constructed which will allow us to understand the techniques required.

SY 1091 shunts coal wagons in the washery at Guangshan Mine, Beipiao. It was seriously cold as can be seen from the icicles hanging from the coal wagons. I am glad that I managed a visit to this town where the coal industry was in serious decline as the railways and mines have now all gone.

A pair of semi-detached houses on Rochdale Road, North Middleton. The building dates from 1900 and was designed by local architect Edgar Wood. They are listed Grade II. The dormers look awful with all that plastic. I cannot believe they got permission to do that.

Former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway class 27 ('A' Class) locomotive 52322 with a ballast train arriving at the Stoneacre Loop on the Yorkshire Dales Railway.

One of a bank of three limekilns at Crogen Iddon in the community of Glyntraian, Ceiriog Valley, Wales.

Highhouse Colliery, Auchinleck, commenced production in 1894. Owned by Bairds & Dalmellington Limited from 1931 until nationalisation, the two shafts were 177m and 174m deep. In 1948 output was 420 tons per day, 185,000 tons per annum, using longwall and stoop and room working. 473 employees. There were screens for dry coal but washing was done at the nearby Barony Colliery. The mine was closed in 1983 and this headgear and winding house, complete with steam winder, are the main remaining structures. They have been listed by Historic Scotland.

Hope cement works from the primary crusher building at the edge of the limestone quarry. This was during a works open day on a very wet and murky occasion.

SY 1118 works back from the dirt tips towards the Pinggang Colliery on the Lishu system of the Jixi Coal Railway. What is not apparent is that the temperature was around -20C plus the wind chill factor. This was not a comfortable place to be standing around for a long time.

The public baths and wash house at Harpurhey were built in 1909-10 by Manchester City Council at a cost of £39,495. It was designed by Manchester City Council’s architect Henry Price and opened 29th October 1910. The facilities comprised Three swimming pools, 48 Male Slipper Baths, 18 Female Slipper Baths and a Public Wash House with 40 stalls. It was listed Grade II in 1994 and closed as a public swimming pool in 2001. After a period of disuse the buildings have been incorporated into the North Manchester College.

There are four very large draw kilns at the Cowdale limeworks near Buxton. This view is taken inside one of the two draw tunnels, each of which served two kilns. The burned lime was drawn out of the kiln across these screening boxes into which the ashes and small pieces fell, leaving the cleaner large lumps to be loaded into railway wagons outside. Cowdale Quarry was opened by the New Buxton Lime Co c1901. The company was taken over by the Buxton Lime Firms in 1908 and eventually became part of the ICI empire. The quarry and works closed in 1956 but many of the structures have remained in increasing decrepitude.

Harry Needle Railway Company class 20 No.3 (formerly 20906) stands on the lines leading to the maintenance and coal stocking areas at the Breedon Cement works at Hope.

Slate saw at the Skelwith Bridge sawmill, dressing sheds and show area for the Kirkstone Quarry. Kirkstone Quarries was established as an unincorporated business in 1949 to undertake the quarrying of stone at Kirkstone Quarry, in Ambleside. It was incorporated in 1955 as Kirkstone Green Slate Quarries and changed its name to Kirkstone Quarries in 1991. In 1998, it received planning permission to quarry at Brathay Quarry, Ambleside, and also imported stone from around the world. The business went into severe financial decline during 2011 and was liquidated in 2012 with the loss of 39 jobs. Kirkstone Quarry was acquired by Burlington Slate Ltd which extracts stone there when required but has abandoned the process buildings on the site.

75014 as Stoke based 75035 arriving at Consall station evoking memories of local trains on the Churnet Valley line. 30742 charters event.

Manchester and Salford Bank building, Middleton, 1892. Designed by local architect Edgar Wood and listed Grade II, Sadly the terracotta frontage has been ruined by the application of brick acid which has removed the outer layer. It is now a bar.

In heavy rain ex Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 0-6-0 52322 hauls a ballast train through the station at Embsay during a 30742 charters event.