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Western Road, LEICESTER, LE3 0EA

Originally William Gimson & Sons Ltd, by 1990 the company was Raab Karcher Timber. In 1991 we found two disused Belliss & Morcom inverted vertical compound (enclosed) engines here. This was No. 11157 of 1953. It was installed here secondhand (originally used at timber importers W Scott & Sons Ltd, Leicester) and stopped c1980. It was a V type with cylinders 10" & 16" x 7" and rated at 156 BHP at 500 rpm. It drove an alternator by vee belts from the pulley in the foreground. In the left background is the surface condenser. It is clear that the plumbing has been disconnected. The site appears to have been redeveloped and the position is from Colin Bowden. The engine was scrapped or removed about 1999.

One of two Belliss & Morcom inverted vertical (enclosed) engines installed here secondhand. This is No. 9627 0f 1940 and originally installed in the Swastika Laundry, Ballsbridge, Dublin. It ran here until c1985 and was scrapped or removed c1999. It is a V type with cylinders 11" & 18" x 82 and running at 500 rpm to drive an alternator (in the foreground) by vee belts. In another part of the works there was a duplex non-rotative steam pump used on a tanalising plant and still in use. We were shown this but it wasn't being used on a Saturday morning.

Great Central Way is a shared footpath and cycle path in Leicester. It follows the route of the Great Central Railway, which was closed in 1969. The sloped bank along the left-hand side of the picture is a clue that this was once part of a railway.

The post in the centre of the photo and the brick sheds behind it are relics of a railway yard which once occupied this site. The sheds were the wagon repair shop for the Great Central Railway, which opened in 1899.

More coaches stacked up waiting for cutting in Vic. Berry's scrapyard, Leicester in 1990. Note that the road sign states a connection with the Great Central Railway, which has also passed into oblivion.

This photo was taken at the scrap yard of Vic.Berry Ltd. It shows clearly the enormous number of coaches that were being scrapped by British Railways during the run up to Privatisation of the railways. Several of these stacks could be seen around the yard.

The large building is the Code student accommodation.

The view shows at least 28 coaches stacked waiting for the cutters torch. ref.imageImage

A horizontal duplex non-rotative steam pump on a Tanalising plant in this timber yard. The site has now been redeveloped. The pump was built by Worthington-Simpson Ltd of Newark-on-Trent and was No. D209B with cylinders 7.5" x 4" x 6". This was a standby vacuum pump.