Carnforth: the water tower

Summary

Water tower. Part of the modernised Motive Power Depot built for the London Midland Scottish Railway in 1938-44, being the last British Rail depot closed to steam locomotives in 1968.

Reasons for Designation

The water tower at Carnforth is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Efficiency: the London Midland Scottish Railway led the way nationally in improving operating efficiency and developed an ultra-efficient design for their Motive Power Depots, these representing the peak of development for steam traction, the water tower being an important component of the depot;
* Rarity: water towers were once very common features of the railway network, but with the ending of steam traction, most have since been removed;
* Group value: part of a remarkably complete survival of a steam-age Motive Power Depot.

History

In 1846 the first railway station was opened at Carnforth as a simple wayside halt. By 1880 it had become an important junction between the London and North Western Railway's (LNWR) London to Glasgow main line, the Furness Railway to Furness and the joint Furness Midland Railway to Leeds, with all three railway companies having servicing facilities for their locomotives at the junction. With the formation of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923, Carnforth passed into single ownership, remaining an important junction and centre for the servicing and stabling of locomotives. In 1938-44 the LMS, which led the way nationally with improving operational efficiency, modernised the depot to conform to their standard depot layout developed in 1933, designed to efficiently service and stable large numbers of steam locomotives.

Commissioned in 1938, built in 1939 and operational by April 1940, the 175,000 gallon (795,000 litre) water tower stored water drawn from the Lancaster Canal and the local water main. It in turn supplied water to smaller tanks and water columns at the station as well as to a water column sited at the engine running shed to the north.

Carnforth was the last Motive Power Depot in the country to close to British Rail steam locomotives in August 1968, finally closing to all British Rail traffic in March 1969. However from December 1968, Carnforth became a base for steam locomotive preservation, developing into Steamtown (a museum and steam locomotive restoration facility) and from the late 1990s as the base of West Coast Railways which operates private charter trains hauled by both steam and diesel traction. It is not known when the water tank was last operational.

Details

Water tower, operational by April 1940 for the London Midland Scottish Railway.

MATERIALS: welded sheet steel panels supported by a steel girder framework.

DESIGN: the water tank is constructed from steel panels, which are unusually small, welded together to form a shallow, rectangular tank approximately 8m by 16m. This is supported by horizontal steel girders raised up on tall steel posts which are cross braced together. The steel framework for the curved tank roof survives, although the covering is missing. The water tower retains it access ladder and walkways used for maintenance.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

355234

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Philip Grosse, , The Railways of Carnforth, (2014), pp 93-108

End of official list entry

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