Broad gauge at Brentford

[Shimbleshanks]

Any idea what this ultra-broad gauge track spotted by a friend of mine near the locks at Brentford might be? Part of a lock mechanism? A boat transport system? Just a decorative feature?

 

[glbotu]

Any idea what this ultra-broad gauge track spotted by a friend of mine near the locks at Brentford might be? Part of a lock mechanism? A boat transport system? Just a decorative feature?

It's probably the base of a loading crane, those sorts of things still exist :

http://c8.alamy.com/comp/BF5BP4/container-crane-loading-containers-onto-an-ocean-freight-liner-lianyungang-BF5BP4.jpg

Although much bigger these days.

 

[MarkyT]

It's probably the base of a loading crane

There was once (up until the 1980s or 90s) a small wharf on the Thames at Reading Berks that had some broad gauge track embedded in it. It was near Reading Bridge but the rails were removed when the adjacent former Thames Water headquarters was built. I doubt it, or the one at Brentford, were ever connected to the greater broad gauge network in their vicinity, but it's possible wharf operators acquired redundant broad gauge rail cranes from the nearby GWR or at least rolling wagon chassis on which they could mount movable cranes, hence the gauge.

 

[John Webb]

I don't know the size of the setts used on this surface, but if 10inches long that would give a gauge of 100 inches (the tracks are 10 setts apart). The rails also appear to be standard 'tramway' track as would be used for insert rails. I am pretty certain they were used for supporting a mobile crane for loading/unloading boats at the quayside.

 

[JamesGraham]

This is the friend here. Thanks for the responses. Using my shoe as a measure (as I did not have a tape measure on my body) I calculate that the gauge of this short stretch is 7 ft 1/4 in. At no time did it connect with the dock system. It runs up to the entrance of the dock so unlikely I would have thought to be a loading crane. Suspect it to be just decorative.

 

[30907]

This is the friend here. Thanks for the responses. Using my shoe as a measure (as I did not have a tape measure on my body) I calculate that the gauge of this short stretch is 7 ft 1/4 in. At no time did it connect with the dock system. It runs up to the entrance of the dock so unlikely I would have thought to be a loading crane. Suspect it to be just decorative.

Coincidentally the same as Brunel's gauge, though wouldn't true tram rail be slightly narrow to gauge. I wouldn't trust my shoe as a measure to the nearest 1/4in TBH!

 

[Dr_Paul]

Is it the track shown starting here at 1181-7746 on Ferry Wharf? However, that does seem to be two parallel narrow-gauge lines rather than one broad-gauge line.

 

[coppercapped]

There was once (up until the 1980s or 90s) a small wharf on the Thames at Reading Berks that had some broad gauge track embedded in it. It was near Reading Bridge but the rails were removed when the adjacent former Thames Water headquarters was built. I doubt it, or the one at Brentford, were ever connected to the greater broad gauge network in their vicinity, but it's possible wharf operators acquired redundant broad gauge rail cranes from the nearby GWR or at least rolling wagon chassis on which they could mount movable cranes, hence the gauge.

The site of the Thames Water headquarters at Reading Bridge originally belonged to the Thames Conservancy - the body tasked with the upkeep of the Thames and its tributaries - and was a workshop and maintenance depot. The crane was used to load materials into barges for maintenance of the locks and weirs. The crane's control cabin was made out of corrugated iron - it always looked as if it was about to collapse but never did. My grandfather was an engineer with the TC and as a small child in the early 1950s I sat in it. I never was allowed to drive it unfortunately...!

 

[MarkyT]

The site of the Thames Water headquarters at Reading Bridge originally belonged to the Thames Conservancy - the body tasked with the upkeep of the Thames and its tributaries - and was a workshop and maintenance depot. The crane was used to load materials into barges for maintenance of the locks and weirs. The crane's control cabin was made out of corrugated iron - it always looked as if it was about to collapse but never did. My grandfather was an engineer with the TC and as a small child in the early 1950s I sat in it. I never was allowed to drive it unfortunately...!

Fascinating thanks. I have not been able to find any photos of this. Do you know of any?

Back to Brentford, this 1960 OS view refers to the site as Ferry Wharf

http://maps.nls.uk/view/102896137#zoom=4&lat=7226&lon=2309&layers=BT

Looking at older maps, rails are shown and labelled "Travelling Crane" in this 1915 edition

http://maps.nls.uk/view/103658366#zoom=5&lat=4085&lon=15577&layers=BT

Absent however in this 1897 map

http://maps.nls.uk/view/101919843#zoom=6&lat=4208&lon=15706&layers=BT

A new footbridge over the Thames has been proposed from the end of this wharf to Kew Gardens:

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/eye-catching-new-10m-spinal-11804775

 

[John Webb]

This is the friend here. Thanks for the responses. Using my shoe as a measure (as I did not have a tape measure on my body) I calculate that the gauge of this short stretch is 7 ft 1/4 in. At no time did it connect with the dock system. It runs up to the entrance of the dock so unlikely I would have thought to be a loading crane. Suspect it to be just decorative.

Track like this would never have been put in as decoration by our forefathers. The maps linked to by others clearly show this to have been a wharf, so what else would you need but a crane to load/unload goods?

Re the map which Dr_Paul links to, I believe the track as shown indicates an inset track rather than two narrow-gauge lines.

 

[JamesGraham]

Thanks to all, and those that dug out maps. It turned out to be an interesting puzzle.