Demolition firm puts vintage steam engine back to work

source - theconstructionindex

Demolition firm puts vintage steam engine back to work

More steam-powered goodness now, from a time before lock-down (remember those days?  No, me neither), featuring one of this blogger's favourite type of stories - one of the sort that has also been long missing from Eclectic Ephemera's pages: the "vintage-machinery-triumphs-over-modern-equivalent" exploit.

source - theconstructionindex

The vintage machinery in this instance is Avis, a 102-year-old steam traction engine owned by Leicestershire father and son enthusiasts Robert and Richard Holt.  As the accompanying article explains, in a wonderful example of serendipity the son happens to work for a local demolition firm that was in the process of dismantling some disused quarry equipment and which was having difficulty in removing parts of the old conveyor belt using its modern excavators.  Having exhausted all other alternatives and knowing of Avis's existence, the M.D. of the company, clearly a sensible and open-minded fellow, approached the Holts to see if they and their beautifully-restored traction engine could lend a hand.

source - theconstructionindex

The result was a clear demonstration of the lasting power of a steam traction engine, a resounding success for Avis and her owners and proof that these sturdily-built machines are still more than capable of doing jobs they were originally designed for over a century ago.  That once she got up a good head of steam Avis made the pulling of several tonnes of metal up a steep incline "look easy" is a wonderful testament to Edwardian engineering and just a sheer delight to see.

Kudos should also go to the management and owners of AR Demolition for their appreciation of traditional machinery, their attitude towards using it in conjunction with more modern methods and the "out-of-the-box" thinking to get the Holts and Avis involved in the first place - something not many firms, particularly those in the construction industry, would consider doing these days I'll wager.  That they would happily use Avis again if circumstances called for it speaks volumes for both the machine's ability and the company's ethos. 

source - theconstructionindex

A hearty "well done" to all concerned then, but especially to Avis for showing that century-old technology doesn't just belong in a museum and can still be a viable alternative to more modern equipment.  Here's hoping she has many more jobs ahead of her with AR Demolition.

Plans for Crystal Palace replica

The Crystal Palace, newly re-sited on Sydenham Hill, 1854

Plans for Crystal Palace replica

This article from a couple of weeks ago, which I had originally intended to post at the time(!), details the tantalising prospect of a once-major London landmark making a reappearance in its old location.  That landmark?  The Crystal Palace!

The original façade; The Great Exhibition 1851

Built in Hyde Park in 1851 to house the Great Exhibition (a sort of Victorian World's Fair), The Crystal Palace was a symbolically massive 1,851ft long and 128ft high and made out of the then new cast plate glass.  Although originally intended to be a temporary structure, the architect Joseph Paxton's use of innovative materials and modular design - not to mention the vast size of the building - meant that at the end of the 6 month Exhibition it was decided that The Crystal Palace would be dismantled and rebuilt on Penge Common at Sydenham Hill in Bromley, south-east London (eventually lending its name to the park and the surrounding area).  In the event it was not only rebuilt but also substantially extended and redesigned, to become the building we remember today. 

Over the next 82 years The Crystal Palace would play host to many hundreds of expositions, shows, concerts, exhibitions, festivals and meetings; it moonlighted as a Royal Navy training base during the First World War and played host to the original Imperial War Museum from 1920 to 1924.



Having been saved from potential destruction in 1913 when the original owners declared bankruptcy and restored to its 19th century glory in the 1920s, disaster struck on the night of the 30th November 1936 when an explosion in a ladies' cloakroom caused an initially small fire in one of the offices.  A combination of high winds, wooden flooring that ran throughout the building and the many flammable objects - including fireworks - stored within meant that very quickly the whole place was ablaze and despite the best efforts of 400 fireman and 89 fire engines the entire structure burned to the ground in a matter of hours.  Contemporary reports show that the glow from the flames could be seen in eight counties; 100,000 people - including Winston Churchill (who later said "This is the end of an age") - turned up to watch the battling firemen trying to save it.  Unfortunately the building's insurance cover was not enough to meet the proposed cost of rebuilding, which was put at £2,000,000 (£111,000,000 in today's money).  Only the north water tower escaped destruction (the south tower also survived the fire but was dismantled shortly thereafter when it was discovered fire damage had made it structurally unsafe) - at least until 1941 when it was demolished for reasons unknown, although it was thought to possibly offer a handy landmark to German bombers.  The grounds were also used to house radar manufacturing facilities.



Now, in 2013, there seems to be a chance (albeit slight) that an exact copy of The Crystal Palace may rise Phoënix-like, as it were, on the original site thanks to a Chinese developer.  Quite what their angle is in all this (beyond the money) I'm not sure - I'm usually slightly dubious about Far East-backed concepts like this (hence the reason, apart from the somewhat questionable taste of it, that I haven't featured the proposed "Titanic II" replica stories that have been doing the rounds on the Internet in recent months).  Still it would seem that Crystal Palace Park is in need of redevelopment and the glass-and-iron wonder that gave it its name, glinting in the sunlight atop Sydenham Hill once again (I can just imagine it!) might be just the ticket (although it's early days yet, still something to keep an eye on)!

Photographs of Tower Bridge being constructed are found in a skip

Images courtesy of Wikipædia

Photographs of Tower Bridge being constructed are found in a skip

A fantastic find here as previously unseen pictures of the iconic Tower Bridge in the very early stages of its construction are revealed, after laying undiscovered in a London flat for years - including at one point being consigned to a skip!

Some of these photos must date from close to the beginning of the bridge's creation in 1886, as quite apart from the basic amount of progress visible in some of them, according to the accompanying report the "most recent" ones date from 1892 - two years before completion!

It always amazes me how such historically important documents can be lost and even disposed of without a second thought, let alone dismissed - particularly by those who should know better.  More fool that Tower Bridge Museum worker who indifferently claimed "we've got enough of those photographs already"!  How many of us have come into possession of - have saved - really old items that people were going to throw out as rubbish?  I know I have!  Well done to this caretaker, whoever he is, and to City of Westminster tour guide Peter Berthoud, for saving a record of the construction of a beautiful landmark structure and a piece of British history.

Tower Bridge, with its 19th Century Gothic stonework and unique design, has long been one of my favourite London landmarks.  Crossing it is always a thrilling experience and to see it or approach it both up close and from a distance is one of the greatest delights of working in the City.  I'm overjoyed to see these new photos detailing its creation, which was in itself an engineering marvel, and I'm sure they will now take pride of place in a London museum.