The Works were built by Messrs. Peto and Betts, from designs furnished
by Joseph Cubitt, Esq., engineer, and finished in the year 1863, (two
years ago the erecting shop was enlarged). The name, however, is still
retained and the Works are called Long-Hedge Works. These Works are
surrounded with a wall ten feet high. There are six gates, but the
principal entrance to the Works is at the gate by the time-keeper's
office; the other five gates are used for shunting purposes. Within
this enclosure no person is allowed to go except on business, and
this rule is strictly carried out. There are the boiler-shop, the
tender-shop, erecting shop, copper-smiths' shop, fitting-shop,
brass-finishers' shop, pattern-makers' shop, smiths' shop, boiler-house
with three large boilers, which drive the large stationary engine. The
whole of these buildings, which consists of a series of ranges, are
substantially built of brick, with walls of immense thickness. On the
south side is the stores department. At the east-end of the turnery is
the Superintendent's office, clerks' offices, etc. The area between
each shop has an intersection of rails communicating with the line.
The lower turnery is 250 feet long and 44 wide. It has twenty-five
windows on either side; the dimensions of each window is 12 feet by 3,
and a third portion of each window can be opened or closed at pleasure
for ventilation; also three pairs of double doors of the same height as
the windows, and wide enough to admit a truck or carriage. There are
lines of rails laid parallel with the building, both on the outside and
through the centre. Opposite each of the large doors, both inside and
out, are turn tables to connect the shops with any part of the yard.
The floor is laid with blocks of wood about five inches square. Around
large steam-pipes are laid on either side of the shop to add to the
comfort and convenience of the men. The shaft which gives motion to
the machinery passes through the centre of the shop and the machinery
on each side. Towards one extremity of this range of building is the
engine house, in which are two beautifully-finished high and low
pressure horizontal engines of one hundred horse power, which drive all
the machinery and fan-blasts for smiths. There are three boilers, each
thirty feet long, and six feet in diameter, having pressure of forty
pounds upon every square inch. The shaft belonging to the stationary
engine is forty-seven yards high.
In the lower turnery there is a double-headed slot-wheel, three large
wheel lathes, and two small wheel lathes; the small are for carriage
wheels. There are also three fifteen-inch lathes, two crank lathes
for turning crank axles, two twelve-inch lathes, two large boring
machines--one of these is a radial machine for boring tube plates; one
boring machine for cylinders, also one large planing machine for the
same purpose, and one hydraulic press for taking off axles. On the same
basement with the turnery is the Loco. Manager's office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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