Gasworks

[Caroline]

By a roundabout route I'm in touch with a Dr Hathaway in Missouri who is an expert on gasworks!
He's interested to know about the Leyland and Lostock Hall gasworks...anyone have any stories/memories for him?
As I'm involved in drawing and painting the urban and the industrial I sent him an image of a gasworks painting which he kindly put up on the Art section of his site!
Some recent work of mine can be seen on www.artistsmock.com
Lots of pics of Manchester!

[Caroline]

Allen Hathaway's had trouble registering and adding to the post, so here's his message.. hopefully he'll be joining the Forum soon. I'll also put this in the 'Newbies' section.


I'm a retired university professor of geological engineering (University of Missouri) and all-around anglophile; family emigrated to the Colonies, from Yorkshire in 1638, and later switched one "a" for an "e". I study gasworks around the world and have just discovered that you folks have not one derelict towne gas plant, but two! Always interested in swaping ideas and informnation, but, for starts, I am interested in the year of establishment of the Lostock gas works. I understanda, from Caroline Johnson, that 1856 is the year for Hough Lane. My website on

[Peter Harris]

I worked at both Lostock Hall gasworks and Leyland gasworks in the 1970's- 80's.

Peterquote:

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Originally posted by Caroline

By a roundabout route I'm in touch with a Dr Hathaway in Missouri who is an expert on gasworks!
He's interested to know about the Leyland and Lostock Hall gasworks...anyone have any stories/memories for him?
As I'm involved in drawing and painting the urban and the industrial I sent him an image of a gasworks painting which he kindly put up on the Art section of his site!
Some recent work of mine can be seen on www.artistsmock.com
Lots of pics of Manchester!

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[noel]

Do you know anything about the history of it Peter?

[Martin]

Caroline, do you know what the problem is?

[Caroline]

Allen said he had problems "deciphering the code and the site would not accept a version of what I saw" - thanks, Martin.

[Martin]

I haven't a clue what that means but if he wants to try again I will look out for his registration.

[Peter Harris]

Dear Noel

When I worked there (Leyland) the gasmaking portion was decommissioned following the UK conversion from Towns Gas to Natural gas. The yard became a depot for gas fitters and mains and servicelayers. The gas holder was still in place and working. I understand that somebody once had to undergo disciplinary action for having a pee off the top of the holder in full view of Leyland roundabout. Lostock Hall was also decommissioned at the time I worked there and for year later asbestos and other nasties were removed.

My Uncle Jack also worked there during the war until he retired in the early 1980's so he would have been there when they were making gas.

When I went to Australia in the late 80's I worked for a company that still made Towns gas through a variety of gas plants (OG/Vickers Zimmer and other steam catalyst LPG reformers and TLP plants. When the plants were subsequently decommissioned all has extensive contaminated land issues. I saw the same issues recently in Queensland where an operation develops partially combusted coal by setting fre to an underground coal seam and then fully combusts the partially combusted gases of coal combustion through a gas turbine. All the usual nasties of gas manufacture were there to see (ammonia liquors/incombustible tars etc).quote:

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Originally posted by noel

Do you know anything about the history of it Peter?

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[Spitfire]

Hi Peter, It`s only a snippit of info, but it`s one small piece of the jig-saw.

The first gasworks were set up in 1849 behind the
Ship Inn, as a result of a donation from the Oddfellows Society of Leyland. In 1863 the
Leyland and Farington Gas Company was incorporated by a special Act of Parliament. The
gasworks were at the corner of Chapel Brow and Hough Lane (Hunt 1990, pp 125-8).

Caroline, Whilst I have no wish to ingratiate myself with you ([][]) may I congratulate you on your web-site and it`s contents. I really enjoyed your Manchester series - especially the first one on the second row. Had I not seen your `Clarance Street` caption, I would have sworn that it was a painting of `Hanging Row` which runs behind the Cathederal. Is it possible that I could be correct? Anyway - wherever it is - it`s brilliant.

[Caroline]

Peter, I missed off Allen Hatheway's website from my post- have a look at www.hatheway.net
Your post is very interesting and I'm sure he'll be delighted! As a non-scientist I found the part of his site about the residues left after decommissioning quite fascinating! Hopefully he'll get onto the site soon and I'll no longer be his mountain-of- misinformation-mouthpiece!

Jim, I keep thanking you! but positive comments keep me going.. well, Al re-affirms it's Clarence St., just off the Town hall Square. I'll send you some newer Manchester images by email..