Lifting bridge over the chamber of the river lock at the entrance to Gloucester Docks.

Tags:   canal lock bridge docks gloucester gloucestershire

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The recent announcement that the Brunner Mond works of Tata Chemicals at Lostock is to close at the end of January 2025 will bring an end to the production of soda ash in the Northwich area. No longer will the limestone trains run from Tunstead and area every day as they have since, I think, 1878. These massive limekilns will soon be replaced by executive housing or some similar nonsense. Soda ash for bicarbonate of soda production at Winnington will in future be imported from the USA!

Tags:   chemical industry limekiln lostock northwich cheshire

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When the 3.54 mile Totley Tunnel was being built for the Midland Railway between 1888 and 1893 the Duke of Rutland refused permission for more than one excavation and ventilation shaft to be dug on his land.

Four shafts were initially sunk, all fairly close together at the Totley end, but after the line opened a fifth ventilation shaft was deemed necessary. Despite the Duke's previous objections this shaft was sunk from the Totley moors at a surface height of around 1250 feet. This shaft had to be sunk to the side of the existing tunnel and then connected to it at the side. The mounds of spoil associated with the sinking along with the circular engineering brick wall around the top can be seen from quite a distance away across the moors.

Considerable quantities of water enter the shaft and when a train approaches the cross tunnel the air pressure is enough to force some water back up and out of the top, showering the area around with man-made rain.

Tags:   ventilation shaft railway tunnel totley moor sheffield yorkshire

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SY 0959 leads its train back into the pit at Jalainur opencast coal mine. An impervious layer of rock within one of the coal seam meant that water flows erupted from the face at this level and formed a row of ice waterfalls in the bitterly cold conditions.

Tags:   steam railway locomotive train ice jalainur manzhouli nei mongol china coal mining industry

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A peek into the Bramhall fuel distribution depot. This site was at one time rail served but is now supplied direct by pipeline from Stanlow refinery. Lorries work from here supplying filling stations over south Manchester and north-east Cheshire.

Tags:   oil industry depot cheshire fuel petrol diesel bramhall

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