FFF 41 Friday, Facts & Fotos Friday 5th May 2023
West Block Boiler shop
Boiler making in bays 7 & 8 in WB must have been one of the nosiest places in the whole of the workshops. With lines of new locomotives under construction in bays 3 to 6, and dozens in for major overhauls, these two bays were filled with boilers under construction and for maintenance. The machines bending huge steel plates, and rivet guns and sledge hammers pounding away must have been deafening.
This must have been the scene for 40 years until the new boiler shop was built during the 1930s over near the Williamstown line, which is the one closest to the north Williamstown station. Bays 7 & 8 then were involved with the construction and repair of steam locomotive tenders for a number of decades until steam locomotives were withdrawn and diesel engine overhauls took over.
The photos are from the VR archives c1928 now held by PROV show the activity in what are called roads 8 now occupied by 707 Opps, and 9 road where the DERM society are housed.
These photos also clearly show the twin H beam columns which supported the travelling cranes as well as the roof. These columns are shown on the drawing as two H beams bolted together, but were in fact cast as one with connecting webs at top, centre and bottom. The columns also incorporated cast-in lugs to support the pulleys for the original rope-driven travelling cranes.
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