Bow Creek Wharf. c.1946. S7

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Here's a better view of one of those period derrick steam cranes - this one at Porcra Quay, Aberdeen. Have also found just one photo of a rail mounted steam crane with curved jib similar to those you posted - a Thomas Smith crane but it's a bit younger. If nothing else it may help with scheming out a suitable jib!

Tony
The first image is interesting, looks like all the tripod supports and crane turret are mounted on some sort of large moveable base?
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
This is more representative of the right size and era for BCW in GER days - happens to be a Grafton 5 Ton, but there were so many manufacturers of these. Don't suppose you have any more images of the wharf areas? I found this one of Canning Town, dated 1935.

Interesting that you should have declared your drawing to be in the RICE style - I have to say BCW instantly hooked me, in exactly the same way that almost all Rice's imaginative plans and ramblings did back in the 70s and 80s. Seems like you've captured the magic perfectly!! I trust you're already working on the biography of all those imaginary Bow Street Wharf inhabitants? :)

Grafton 5T.JPGCanning Town Wharf steam cranes, Bow Creek.jpg
 

daifly

Western Thunderer
The fixed crane type is called a Scotch Derreck.
I think that you'll find that it's called a Scotch Derrick.
The Urban Dictionary defines a Derreck as "A Very Handsome guy, but tends to be an Asshole." and we don't want any of that sort of thing around here!
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I think that you'll find that it's called a Scotch Derrick.
The Urban Dictionary defines a Derreck as "A Very Handsome guy, but tends to be an Asshole." and we don't want any of that sort of thing around here!
All our paperwork does say 'Derrick' hence my comment earlier LOL
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Tony,
Thanks for posting those crane photo's, just what I need mate:thumbs:.

ATB, Col.

Glad to help. Looking at your quay photo with the GER pepper store (what is the white stuff the crane's been grabbing?), I guess what you really need is something nicely 1/2 way between that tiddly Porcras Quay derrick and Mick the 1/2 Dane's blue one (if you lowered the jib on that would it contravene the 33 Challenge footprint? :D).

Somewhere I should have a few scale drawings taken from The Engineer and Engineering magazines of the period - will have a dig out at the weekend. If you're not in a rush, I've just been given the address of a safe house in Sudbury - just waiting for a new identity from my handler Peter H (I don't think that's his real name) and could bring along what I have in Feb.
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
I think that you'll find that it's called a Scotch Derrick.
The Urban Dictionary defines a Derreck as "A Very Handsome guy, but tends to be an Asshole." and we don't want any of that sort of thing around here!

rotfl.gif Derreck is now derrick blush.gif
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Richard, Can I Did it have lost wax slidebars/crossheads? They are not included in the kit (etched slide bars and whitemetal crossheads supplied with it) but Ace will supply them and I wonder if Andy's will be more accurate for the prototype for a similar price.

The slidebars and crossheads are brass and £9 for a pair of each.

Bloody lovely they are too - I invested in a set for my model of Southampton Docks shunter (and Guildford shed pilot) 'Ironside'...

Steph
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Glad to help. Looking at your quay photo with the GER pepper store (what is the white stuff the crane's been grabbing?), I guess what you really need is something nicely 1/2 way between that tiddly Porcras Quay derrick and Mick the 1/2 Dane's blue one (if you lowered the jib on that would it contravene the 33 Challenge footprint? :D).

Somewhere I should have a few scale drawings taken from The Engineer and Engineering magazines of the period - will have a dig out at the weekend. If you're not in a rush, I've just been given the address of a safe house in Sudbury - just waiting for a new identity from my handler Peter H (I don't think that's his real name) and could bring along what I have in Feb.
No rush, I'll look forward to it.

Col.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Bloody lovely they are too - I invested in a set for my model of Southampton Docks shunter (and Guildford shed pilot) 'Ironside'...

Steph
Apologies for the thread highjack Colin but I have to agree with Steph. My parcel arrived from Andy Beaton this morning and not only are the slidebars/cross heads lovely so are the springs and reversing lever.:thumbs: Not to mention the speedy service - I only posted the cheque on Sunday night.
 

Crab and Winkle

Active Member
Hi Col

I recently had my Dad visit from Tasmania and I showed him the photos you posted of the various warves. He recognised the one with the Pepper warehouse as Orchard Warf as he had visited it while working on sand barges in the 70s.
He said it was owned by JJ Priors who used to haul sand and gravel there from Fingrinhoe using first sailing then motor barges a close family fried was skipper of one of their barges for about 20 years.
A quick google search of JJ Priors, Orchard Warf and Silvocea Warf (next door) unearthed some interesting info some of which you may have already found.
http://www.eastlondonpostcard.co.uk/POM2002/Nov02.htm
an intersrting photo of a JJ Priors bucket crane being hauled by a traction engine.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/image.aspx?compid=46545&filename=fig257.gif&pubid=369
plan for the pepper warehouse.
https://85020c42-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites...aKIJNocSaPX3p14kXUdpYOiLC00so=&attredirects=0
photo of terraces and factory buildings
https://sites.google.com/site/littlebowcreek/wharves
List of waves and tennants/industries
http://www.jjprior.co.uk/history/
JJ prior history
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46545
history of warves, compaines, goods handeled, the pepper warehouse etc. with details such as....
The Eastern Counties Railway Company was interested in the premises, and by an agreement signed in 1846 it took a 999-year lease of the site, at an annual rent of £2,500. Covenants were framed to prevent the railway company entering into direct competition with the dock company. Thus, it had to agree not to use the premises as general wharfingers and warehouse keepers. Goods landed at the wharf were to be sent on by rail into the country, and goods loaded at the wharf had to be brought there by rail from the country. Only grain, flour, malt, oilcake and guano were exempt from these restrictions. (ref. 100)
The Eastern Counties Railway obtained powers to build a branch line to the warehouses from Canning Town goods station, which was opened in June 1848, crossing the Lea on a single-line drawbridge. (ref. 101) Tracks were laid alongside the warehouses, one track being carried right through the northern range of the quadrangular warehouse.
In 1886 the Great Eastern Railway Company, with which the Eastern Counties Railway had merged, bought the freehold of the pepper warehouse site. The price of £73,263 included the wharf in Leamouth Road immediately to the south of the pepper warehouses, and the whole of the narrow peninsula on the Essex side of the Lea. (ref. 102)
The old warehouses continued to be used by the railway companies and their nationalized successor until the 1960s, the premises being known latterly as Blackwall Goods Yard. A slightly earlier name was the Blackwall and Canning Town Warehouses. Coal and coke consigned to the East India Docks were handled here. The yard closed in 1968 and in 1983 British Rail sold the site to the LDDC
From: 'Leamouth Road and Orchard Place: Individual wharves and sites', Survey of London: volumes 43 and 44: Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs (1994), pp. 655-685. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46545 Date accessed: 19 February 2013.

hope you find this useful probably plenty more stuff out there as this was from half an hour on google.

Cheers

Bill
 
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