Bradford Gas Works, Holder No.2
SHIFTED
The holder was the third largest in the world; having a capacity of 10,410,000 cubic feet.
Though not quite the largest in the world, it is probably the heaviest of its kind.
The whole work was designed by the Chief Engineer. The following are the principle features of the undertaking:
- TANK - Size of tank, 285 feet in diameter and 43 feet deep.
Excavation for tank walls, 107.000 cubic yards. Clay puddle, 7940 cubic yards.
Number of bricks required for tank, 4,000,000.
Thickness of tank wall, 5 ft. 6 in. at the base, and 2 ft. 9 in. at top.
Stonework,10,225 cubic feet.
Timber used in excavation to keep the ground intact until the walls were being built: Polling boards, 89.300 superficial feet by 1½ inches thick ; walling timbers, 14.660 cubic feet ; struts, 18,330 cubic feet ; punchings, 3000 cubic feet.
Total depth of excavation in trench, 50 feet.
Total depth of excavation in pipe recess, 56 ft. 9 in.
Total weight of steel and iron work in tank framing, 258 tons. Water required to fill tank, 9,042,018 gallons. Cost, £35,638.
- HOLDER - Outer lift, 282 ft. diameter by 42 ft. 6 in. deep ; Third lift, 279 ft. by 42 ft. 6 in. ; Second lift, 276 ft. by 42 ft. 6 in. ; Inner lift. 273 ft. by 43 ft. 6 in.
Total capacity of holder, 10,410,000 cubic feet.
Ground level to top of holder crown, 182 feet when filled.
Ground level to top of guide-framing standards, 169 ft. 6 in.
Steel standards and guides, 32 in number, each weighing 30 tons complete.
Floating weight of holder, 1607 tons.
Total weight of steel and ironwork in holder complete, 3080 tons (excluding the tank framing, previously given).
Estimated cost of holder, with tank framing and inlet and outlet pipes, £52,600.
In total there have been 7 holders over both sites since the late 1800's
You can see the much older 4 original holders - 1870's and also (just about) Holder No.1 - 1892 from New Viaduct Street in the below image
A keen eye will also note the River Medlock is culverted under the site
Another little known fact is Cyanide is also leaching from the older parts of the site above in places
A shot I took many moons back from the cinematic electric bird from Holder No.1 looking across to Holder No.2 which we are concerned with in this thread
(Note the older 4 holders have long gone)
Later replaced with tennis courts and a bowling green, and a social club for the gas workers opposite Barking Street, but they too have long since gone
In 1931 No.4 M.A.N holder was erected
It once towered over everything else at 235 feet until it was redundant and demolished in the early 90's
M.A.N stands for Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg, which is the name of the German company that developed the design for the tall blue gas holder
You can see the much older 4 original holders - 1870's and also (just about) Holder No.1 - 1892 from New Viaduct Street in the below image
A keen eye will also note the River Medlock is culverted under the site
Another little known fact is Cyanide is also leaching from the older parts of the site above in places
A shot I took many moons back from the cinematic electric bird from Holder No.1 looking across to Holder No.2 which we are concerned with in this thread
(Note the older 4 holders have long gone)
Later replaced with tennis courts and a bowling green, and a social club for the gas workers opposite Barking Street, but they too have long since gone
In 1931 No.4 M.A.N holder was erected
It once towered over everything else at 235 feet until it was redundant and demolished in the early 90's
M.A.N stands for Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg, which is the name of the German company that developed the design for the tall blue gas holder
I had a bit of a fascination with these types, as there was one near me when I grew up I used to climb as a kid
This is a pic I took inside another one many decades later to give you an idea...
Here you can see holder No.4 next to No.1 before they redeveloped the entire Eastlands area
No.4 // No.1 // No.2 for context
Back to business
Anyone driving down Briscoe Lane will be familiar with this view of the giant gasometer
East Manchester’s gas holders are a legacy of the area’s heavy industrial past, once a staple of the urban landscape these things are fast disappearing
As of 2019 there's only 430 holders left now in the UK according to National Grid's asset disposal team
My plan from a few years back of avoiding the various security measures National Grid stick around these key sites to keep goons like us out finally worked a treat
It's the only thing left in Manc from the legacy UE era that hadn't been done, the one next door got all the attention instead as it used to be a walk in..
Cost £14 quid in some shit car park and a questionable insect bite on the forearm for my troubles though!
Such beauty..
"32 column guided beast"
Up we go, it's been a while since I bothered with one of these..
182ft of WIN
Looking East, towards the 'Council House'
Much better views looking South West
Heading down
Shouts to Mr Reject for hitting this old relic of a Gas site up with me ♥
