Old Powder Pier, Shell Pier, Camber Basin, Portsmouth Harbour By Drone 4K

Описание: In the 1860s, Priddy's Hard ordnance depot had an 18 in (457 mm) gauge manually-propelled tramway installed for moving powder and ammunition from 'C' Magazine through the Laboratory complex. Known as the 'powder line', it grew into a single line system with spurs into all magazines, explosives stores, cartridge filling rooms, and landing sheds. It extended out on the Old Powder Pier in a double line. The rails were made of delta metal, an alloy of copper and zinc, (brass) plus a little iron, as a precaution against sparks; they were grooved rails (set flush with ground level). In 1904 it had 78 trucks. In time it was largely superseded by the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge line; but part continued in use inside some workshops and stores to about 1960.
The 2 ft 6in line, known as the 'shell tramway', was a double line system with steel rails; the line initially linked the shell-filling rooms and associated buildings to the shell stores and it ran along the length of the shell pier. In 1904 it had 30 trucks plus a travelling crane (all with brass wheels to reduce sparks). These were also manually driven until 1929, when for the first time mechanical propulsion was provided within the yard by a battery-driven locomotive (the first of an eventual total of eight to be provided by Greenwood & Batley Ltd). The tramway ceased operation in 1960 following the acquisition of a number of electric road tractors and trailers; much of the rail network was then lifted an the routes concreted over to form roadways.