- This topic has 173 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 5 months ago by
.
-
21. Machine house taking shape, roof being slated. The natural ground level in the foreground is notably lower than the eventual machine house floor level.
Attachments:
22. Inside the machine house, looking north. The eventual machine floor level is evident from the horizontal concrete beam at the end, on which the north end walls are being cast. NG track in the future basement, with a turn plate in the foreground (to swivel wagons off the line onto spurs without installing points – turn plates could be moved to anywhere they were needed). The posts in the floor appear to be for the shuttering for the walls which will define the tunnel in the basement and support no 2mc soleplates.
Attachments:
23. Inside the machine house, looking south. The beater floor frame and floor joists are being erected. It is notable that the basement level is being excavated from the natural ground level down to install the floor at 8′ OD, but spoil is being retained to back fill between the machine pits to the 16′ OD floor level – this is clearer in later photos. From left to right there will be eventually; no 1mc pit, infill to floor level, pipe tunnel at 8′ OD, no 2mc pit. The tunnel connected at the south end through a square hole in the south wall to the pipe tunnel leading from the boiler house basement to the turbine house basement.
Attachments:
24. View from the top of the chimney, looking south east. In the middle foreground is the wet pit excavation, with the NG track crossing it, the pipes from the pumps dewatering it discharging into the river. Foundation blocks for the beaterfloor are to the right bottom corner. The natural river bank (though this was already a straightened navigation cut avoiding the meander around what became the island site) will be cut back to the wharf wall later to provide space for the lighters to discharge cargoes of pulp.
Attachments:
25. The new wharf wall is visible in this view from the island, Ferry Inn to the extreme right, and piling in place in the river where the bank recedes at the point the original ferry operated, this will be back filled later with spoil from the bank excavation by the pulp yard. The SECR railway embankment and boundary fence can be seen and one or two of the ex-army huts which later contributed to the hutted encampment.
Attachments:
26. View from the chimney top, the beater floor foundations and to their right those of the turbine house.
Attachments:
27. Another view from the island, the bulk of the chimney can be appreciated. The river bank is still to be cut back to the wharf wall line.
Attachments:
28. Machine and Boiler houses seen from across the river. Notable in this view is a Lancashire boiler, looking far from pristine when compared with a later photo of newly delivered boilers from Danks, as posted by Kevin Harrild.
Attachments:
29. Machine house, most of the window frames in place and glazing in progress. Most of the annexe walls are of poured concrete, the shuttering lines clearly visible. Other panels are of blockwork, to allow windows etc to be fitted. The blocks were possibly made on site as there are some in front of the Winget plant in photo 3. The low natural ground level can be seen in relation to the concrete beams at machine house floor level.
Attachments:
30. View across the river of the nearly complete chimney.
Attachments:
31. North end of site from the chimney top. Visible below are the foundations for the fitters’ shop and salle, the Ferry Inn with the steps leading down to the water for the ferry. Across the river is the moribund brick and cement works of the erstwhile West Kent Portland Cement Co Ltd, formerly West Kent Gault Brick and Cement Co Ltd, which closed around 1905 (https://www.cementkilns.co.uk/cement_kiln_aylesford.html), the landing stage for the ferry and footpath leading away towards Eccles. The creek on the right is the downstream end of the original Medway meander, cut off by the Upper and Middle Cuts, along which APM was built. This isolated meander led to the existence of the Island site.
A sailing barge tied up against the new wharf seen under construction in photos 1 and 2, and beyond the piling across the bay in the river bank which will be filled in to extend the wharf along, behind the Ferry Inn. Beyond the Ferry Inn is a wharf and barns(?) which I have not been able to identify on old maps but which appear to be in use for the delivery of materials for the mill construction, note there is a steam crane on the wharf there. This area later became the building dept. stores and Blackhorse Yard, leading to the export shed just before the bend in the river.
32. Another view from the chimney top, this time a bit west of north, showing the machine house roof complete at this end, the annexe roof under construction (workmen standing on it) and NG railway lines, the further one may be connected across the bottom of New Hythe Lane to the barns and wharf visible in the previous shot, though it isn’t clear and the sleepering looks a bit dubious compared to the track in the foreground. The felled tree visible in earlier shots is still there.
Attachments:
33. A closer view of the Fitters’ shop and Salle foundation area seen in 31. Interesting items here include the Lancashire boiler parts – two fire tubes and a firehole plate, which suggest a second hand boiler being reused here (compare also the scruffy looking boiler in a previous shot), new boilers would normally be delivered complete (we had in the family a series of photos showing the delivery of a new boiler to Lower Tovil mill by rail, rolling off down the embankment and transfer onto a trolley pulled by a traction engine into the mill, unfortunately now lost) and often with the makers’ name emblazoned on them. Mixed SG and NG track along the wharf with the SG steam crane possibly loading spoil from the bank excavation into a V skip wagon for delivery to raise the ground level under the rather dodgy looking NG track within the salle area. Stacks of NG track panels and various track panels laying about including an upside down point on the SG track by the river – looks a bit like my layout under construction!
Attachments:
34. Fixing the lightning conductor to the chimney, rather him than me! I believe the chimneys were i.r.o. 230 feet tall, can anyone confirm?
Attachments:
35. Beater floor and powerhouse construction, looking towards the river. The section in which the bridge crane has been installed is the future turbine house – turbines 1 and 2. The beaterfloor is beyond and has not yet had all the first floor steelwork erected.
Attachments:
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.