West Block

Friday Facts and Fotos – 32 Friday 3 March 2023

West Block

Today we start a series of Friday Facts and Fotos about West Block and its annex at Newport Railway workshops.

West Block WB was constructed between 1886 – 1888 by builder W.Swanson, with the brick chimneys and flues built by R. Bodkin in a separate contract signed in March 1888. The first photo show the original plan for West Block while the second photo shows some of the construction detail.

The dimensions are 143m (east-west) x 91m (north-south) divided into 10 bays, each 91m long. Like east block, the numbering of the tracks above the doorways are confusing because the track between Centre Block and west block is numbered one, so the track in the first bay is numbered two, then connectively going west up to track 11.

Track 12 usually referred to as the ‘Spring Shop Extension’ was added to WB in 1905 and even a quick glance can be seen as an add-on. The front brickwork does not quite match the rest of the north-facing facade, it is only 11m (east-west) 45m long and the west and rear walls are corrugated iron.

The current use of tracks in WB by track numbers are:

* track 2 Steamrail carriage maintenance

* track 3 Elecrail carriage restoration

* track 4, 5, & 6 Steamrail loco & carriage restoration & maintenance

* track 7 & 8 707 locomotive and carriage maintenance

* track 9 DERMPAV railmotor restoration & maintenance

* track 10 old forge, machinery & spare parts storage

* track 11 Steamrail carriage storage

* track 12 old and current usage machine shop

WB right from the start was concerned with metalworking activities such as metal machining and turning, boiler making, blacksmithing, and the construction and maintenance of locomotives.

The ten bays of the original 1888 buildings are all single-storey, but bays 3 – 8 are all higher to accommodate overhead cranes which we will talk about in future FFF’s. Bay 1 has a single track up the centre, while bay 2 has two tracks – the centre track divides just inside the door. Bays 3 – 8 where the overhead cranes are, all have two dead-end tracks either side of the centre track. These are where heavy maintenance is carried our and locomotives are craned across by the two cranes working together to either lift a whole locomotive, or separate the boiler, or lift it off its wheels. Good crane driving requires teamwork!

The floors in bays 1 – 8 all specified timber planks direct on a concrete slab. The timber has now all been removed.

In bays 9 & 10 the floor was originally specified as 1 – 2 ft of ‘Smithy’s Ash’ which has all been replaced over the years with a concrete slab. Under this floor in bay 9 (now track 10) was a system of ceramic pipe flues leading from dozens of blacksmith’s forges into two brick central collective flues which joined to a big chimney. There was also a system of ceramic ducts which distributed air to individual forges. This system did not work satisfactorily and was removed in 1906 in favour of overhead metal pipes which were in use until the closing of the forge operations in the mid 80’s. Much of this machinery is still in situ in WB 10 road (Last photo) and should be made accessible for the public to see.