Gas Works

[Howardws]

I think that assumption is correct, after all the pressure was very low. The present high pressure system has all been installed since the advent of natural gas. My brother built a steam boat years ago and the boiler barrel was made of a short piece of gas main pipe begged off the men installing the main near his home. The boiler operated at 120psi but the barrel would have been safe for many, many times that pressure.

[Stewie]

Ah! I had always assumed that the concertinaing effect of the collapsing gasometer pressurised the system.

[Howardws]

Possibly, OT, but how is gas stored nowadays?

The gas system is basically a national grid I think you will find. The main pipework is of large diameter and the gas is compressed to a high pressure, so the grid is the storage system. We had huge gasometers because they stored the gas at normal operating pressure.

[Lutonman]

Thank John Walker, very interesting, glad my little bit of knowledge led to opening this up.

[Johnnie Walker]

An interesting web page




Historic Gasholder No8 at King's Cross

[Stewie]

Hi Lutonman, ironically my railway career led to me being involved in the works at St Pancras!

[Lutonman]

Stewie, I am pretty sure your right. Although not my area I was in touch with the company building the Eurostar and had to go to their offices at Euston. Which is where the general discussion took place about gas pipe diversions and their problems. The chat moved on to the holders.

[Stewie]

I believe that the structure(s) was completely taken down, cleaned and reassembled as part of the building programme, because for a few years there was a pieces visible from the train. It was a good use of the structure though to incorporate them into the flats.

[Dave Smith]

John Walker. A most interesting photo' of the flats, well positioned within the old gas HOLDER(LM). It gives a good indication of how robust the framework was. Can you imagine moving that lot- "slightly"!- for the Eurostar lines, & then putting it back.

[Lutonman]

Well there's lot in the previous posts about gas.
As far as I am aware none in Kent have a preservation order on them, the Gas Holders (not meters) although they have long been referred to as such at The Oval and St Pancras do have orders. The ones at Pancras had to be moved slightly to accommodate the Eurostar lines and then returned in place. The three holders here had the only known 3 holder attached to one column. The ones at the Oval have also an order on them and will be built around.


The matter of coal gas (Town gas) production preceded me although my father in law was an electrician at the Gas works in Gillingham. Towns gas indeed operated at lower pressures generally and the new Natural gas came out of the ground in the North sea at very much higher pressures. over 100 bar circa 1500 psi. In order to get that to us high pressure pipelines were built and a stinking agent added at places like Bacton and Easington on the East coast terminals.  The pressures were broken down in various stages to get it to the similar pressures we had with Towns gas. If you look behind the holder at Gillingham yo can see the High pressure tanks (cylinders) which are operated up to 500 psi. There are some at Grain and Eastbourne. Incidentally Grain and many works site also had compressors to allow the "pumping" of gas from one town to another. 


It was not so much the pressures that caused an increase in leakage it was primarily the fact that Natural gas is very dry and town gas was very wet. The old cast iron pipe joint were made using jute or yarn caulked with lead and Natural gas caused this to dry out and so leak at the joint. 


The introduction of PE pipe to replace old cast iron pipe has largely solved that problem on pipes up to 12", replacing above that size has slowed because of the Gas regulator cutting funding allowances.


The problems with emissions will probably see the end of Natural gas but already work is being trialled on hydrogen gas networks to take over.


As far as Maidstone Gas works is concerned, I was at Maidstone area office in 1969 and the holders were just being demolished and the map shown was correct. The works was on the river side because the coal barges would come up the river to be off loaded (at Gillingham it has its own creeks). Whilst one holder was being demolished one guy thought it would be a good idea to "dump" his old car into the rather large hole. That was till the Area Engineer found out and made him get the car out again. The Engineer wanted the hole compacted carefully to avoid future subsidence appearing.


Happy to answer any questions if anyone is interested but I joined SEGB in 1969 so Gasworks really proceeded me.
 

[Johnnie Walker]

Here's one of the three preserved structures at the rear of Kings Cross Station.  There are three in total.  two of then have 'des-res' apartments in the the third has a lawn and seating.  They overlook the Regents Canal.
In my visits to the area over the years, I've seen it transform from a run down industrial backwater area to a very popular canal side visitor/residential/retail/university area.

[Dave Smith]

Lonpockets. If a preservation order is in place, the Gas board are obliged to keep the structure in good condition. Very expensive just painting it every few years. Flats would be ideal to utilise the ground for they don't usually have gardens, so the removal of " nasties" would be sufficient. I suspect there are quite a number with preservation orders throughout the land, as they became landmarks for locals. Are there any in Kent please, anyone?

[MartinR]

Gas and coke have had an interesting partnership over the years.  Coke was needed for industrial purposes, particularly smelting.  The gas was seen as a noxious result to be vented to air.  After a period of being burnt off as waste it was eventually used for lighting and became the more important product.  The people and places involved in this transition read like a who's who of 18C engineering: Boulton, Murdoch, Spedding, Watt, the Carron Ironworks and the Cornish mines.  With the coming of electricity gas value fell whilst demand for coke rose.  The gas companies then pushed gas not only for cooking, but for central heating, and eventually gas again became the dominant factor.  Mixed town/petroleum gas was cheaper in the '60s, then in the '70s natural gas came on stream.  What happens to the gas produced during coke manufacture nowadays I don't know.
I remember coal fires in the Black Country in the early '60s, then in 1965 we moved back to Sheffield and due to the clean air act could not burn coal and had to use coke.  Nothing like as nice to watch and not as good for toast or crumpets.  Later on we lost the coke fires to gas central heating and gas fires.  Still usable for toast but nothing like as good.

[pete.mason]

I think on M/s gas works was on the hobbycraft site. I can remember going thee with Dad late 1950s to get coke as there was some sort of strike on. Had to wait while it cooled and was broken up. What a stench too 1910 map attached

[Longpockets]

Gasometers.

In Maidstone the one/ones by the river and the new bridge has/have been replaced by Wickes' car park or if I have got the geography wrong an ASDA  Home store, car park, Hobby Craft, TK Max and The Range.


Coming into St. Pancras Station by train, to the left, the Gasometer support steel has been preserved and flats have been built inside the structure.