Cable Street Coal Depot

[dcockling]

Hi All,

On page 42 of ‘Great Eastern in Town and Country’ Vol 1, Irwell Press, there is a picture of Cable Street coal depot.

depot_pic.jpg

Here is a map view of this facility

depot_map.jpg

Does anyone know/guess how this depot would have been worked?

According to the caption there were two sections linked by two traversers and separated by an access road. The section to the left in the picture was linked to the main line and carried three tracks, the separate section a further two.

I imagine that the traversers would have been for wagons only.

So how were the wagons moved around, especially on the separate two track section? Rope and capstan? Pinch bars and brute strength? I can’t see them getting a horse up there . The map shows a trailing siding on to the main three siding section, so would a loco have backed a train of wagons in to the depot and left light engine? And again how would the wagons have been sorted. I can appreciate that they would have had bottom doors emptying by gravity. It all looks very awkward and very hard work.

Also with regard to the traversers, what would have happened to stop people and wagons falling down the big hole left by the traverser table moving over to the other section? Or am I missing something here?

Also are there any other pictures of this facility that anyone knows of?

All the Best
Danny

[smyles]

I believe that on the GER PO coal wagons normally had side doors, some with end doors also. Coal may therefore have been shovelled out of the wagons to drop into the storage bays. Bottom doors were mainly used on other railways where coal drops were common. The GER only had a few coal drops in the London area because of space shortage. The photo shows how cramped the site was.
Mike

[grovenor-2685]

I assume the traversers went across the bridge plainly visible in the photo although not shown on the plan.
Keith

[dcockling]

I assume the traversers went across the bridge plainly visible in the photo although not shown on the plan.
Keith

Hi Keith, yes they did, although the traverser bridges are visible on the original map.

I have added a larger version of both the map and the picture at:
Depot Map and Depot Picture I have arrowed the two traversers.

I believe that on the GER PO coal wagons normally had side doors, some with end doors also. Coal may therefore have been shovelled out of the wagons to drop into the storage bays. Bottom doors were mainly used on other railways where coal drops were common. The GER only had a few coal drops in the London area because of space shortage. The photo shows how cramped the site was.
Mike

Thanks Mike that does make sense, the GER wouldn't have spent a penny that they didn't have to, but see below.

I also posted this query on the GER Society e-mail group and have this response from Bill King on there:

"Journal 86 includes another clearer picture of Cable Street coal depot which JW has captioned: "Cable Street Coal Depot - Charrington, Sell and Dale. A general view of the Cable Street Coal Depot taken during 1911 from
Christian Street signal box which was situated on the south side of the viaduct. Golding Street is in the foreground but was formerly known as Grove Street. The depot was divided into two parts, both at viaduct level; that nearest the running lines into Fenchurch Street comprised three parallel sidings. Each line had a series of apertures between the rails for the discharge of coal from wagons with bottom doors. The coal fell into hoppers from which it was bagged up for distribution by road. Parallel to these sidings was another similar brick structure with two lines, again with drops; this can be seen on the extreme right. The two were linked by a pair of traversers which operated on bridges linking the two structures, one of which can be seen above and slightly to the right of the nearest wagon.
Shunting within the depot was performed by capstan, probably operated by hydraulic power. When opened in the 1870s both sections had the benefit of overall roofs, however, the covering has apparently long since gone leaving a rather eerie skeleton to enliven the local roofscape. Caption by: John Watling. Photograph: Courtesy National Railway Museum (refGE912)."

Journal 74, in the section entitled Just a Minute includes the followin g: "7 February 1893 Locomotive Committee. Cable Street coal depot three wagon traversers order to Ransomes & Rapier for £200."

Thanks for your responses

All the Best
Danny

[dcockling]

Additionally, the spot once occupied by Cable Street Coal depot can still be seen from the DLR and the triangular site can be viewed on Google Earth at: 51° 30' 40.45" N, 0° 03' 43.27" W.

Oh and guess which copy of the Great Eastern Journal appears to be missing from my archives? It's got to be here somewhere

All the Best
Danny

[dcockling]

I have now found GER Journal no86 and have scanned the view mentioned by Bill King. A larger version is at:
Depot 2

It would appear that the traversers did not run across all tracks but just the one furthest from the running lines and that the tracks on the main part were connected by a pair of double slips. The roof structures are also different from one another.

depot_pic2.jpg

All the Best
Danny

[smyles]

Excellent detail photo considering it has been scanned. Health and safety obviously not a problem with the open top drops. I wonder how many workers fell through the holes! Apply wagon brake, step back, trip and ...........!
Mike