Southampton Power Station

Coordinates: 50°54′23″N 1°24′35″W / 50.90648°N 1.40984°W / 50.90648; -1.40984 Southampton Power Station was a coal fired power station built by Southampton corporation that operated between 1904 and 1977.[1]

Construction began in 1902 on reclaimed land near the western end of Southampton Railway Tunnel.[1] The same year a siding was built from the railway to the site of the power plant.[1] The siding was initially used to bring construction materials onto the site but once construction was complete the siding was used to move coal.[1] The siding was worked by an 0-4-0 locomotive built by Southampton Corporation Tramways workshops powered by electric overhead wires.[1]

In 1925 American hard-shelled clams were introduced into the River Test in an area warmed by cooling water discharge of the power station in an attempt to breed them to allow them to be used as eel bait.[2] Since their introduction the clams have spread through Southampton water and into Portsmouth Harbour and Langstone Harbour.[2] The power station expanded in the 1920s.[1] This expansion required an extra train which was purchased in 1931 from Baguley (Engineers) Ltd.[1] Further increase in demand resulted in a third locomotive being purchased in 1939 this time from Greenwood & Batley.[1]

After World War 2 the supply of coal switched to road transport and the siding ceased to be used.[1] The Southampton Corporation Tramways built locomotive was scrapped in 1953 with the remaining two meeting the same fate in 1960.[1] The siding was removed in 1964.[1]

In 1951 extactors were added to the plant to reduce the level of grit in the smoke.[3]

The power station closed in 1977 and was demolished the same year.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Drummond, Ian (2013). Southern Rails On Southampton Docks Including the Industrial Lines of Southampton. Holne Publishing. pp. 155–158. ISBN 9780956331748.
  2. 1 2 "Mercenaria mercenaria". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 25 April 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Hamilton, Keith (15 Jun 2014). "Inside Southampton Power Station". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.