Electricity Generating Station, Stretford

NEW ELECTRICAL GENERATING STATION, STRETFORD, MANCHESTER - This station is for the general supply of electrical energy for lighting, ordinary motive power, and traction within the area of the Stretford Urban District Council. The buildings comprise boiler-house, engine‑room, suite of offices, mess‑room, testing‑room, stores, and battery‑ room. A feature of the design is that although the present capacity of the station is only 800 kilowatts, everything has been designed for an ultimate capacity of 2,000 kilowatts, and the initial scheme is merely an instalment of the larger station. Low‑pressure continuous current is generated for all purposes, and is supplied at a pressure o, 500 volts for traction, and from a three‑wire network with 440 volts across the outers for lighting and ordinary power. Lancashire boilers, producing steam at 160lb per square inch, fitted with superheaters and economisers, supply compound condensing engines directly coupled to the dynamo machines, which are compound wound. A battery controlled by a reversible booster is used to steady the traction load. The engine-room is lined throughout with best ivory‑white glazed brickwork, the floor is tiled, and the building is well lighted from the sides and roof. In the boiler‑house provision has been made by putting in stanchions of sufficient strength and it has the necessary preparations for a large overhead bunker for the storage of coal and for a mechanical conveyor. Incombustible and fire ‑ resisting construction has been most carefully kept in view throughout. The engine-room and boiler‑house contain no wood in their construction. The doors and window frames and roofs are all of steel, the floors are of concrete and steel joists. The switchboard is of unique and quite original design, not a particle of combustible material being used in its construction, and all the connections, including those right up to the mains in the street, are of bare copper, the only cables used being those connecting the dynamos, and these are inclosed in lead without exterior braiding. The battery‑room occupies the whole of the basement under the offices, and is lined throughout with best ivory white‑glazed brickwork. All the steel stanchions are protected from acid fumes by being inclosed in plaster carried on expanded metal. Two fans force air into the room, whence it escapes by shafts provided for the purpose, discharging above the roof level. A mess‑room, fitted with cooking range and hot and cold water, is provided for the men, and bathroom and lavatory accommodation adjoin. The station is situated on the Bridgewater Canal, whence the water is drawn for condensing, and fronts on the main road leading from Manchester to Chester. The coal is brought by boat, one edge of the yard forming a wharf. The elevations are faced with best Ruabon red pressed bricks, and the dressings are of buff terra-cotta. The general contractor was Mr. William Thorpe, of Chester‑road, Combrook, Manchester. The engineer for the whole of the scheme is Mr C H Wordingham, MICE., MIME, MIEE, who selected Mr. Ernest Woodhouse, of Manchester, as architect to supervise the buildings.

Engineer        C H Wordingham, MICE, MIME, MIEE
Terra Cotta        Staffordshire Terra Cotta Company, Hednesford. Tender £550

Reference    British Architect 22 and 29 August 1902 Page viii
Reference    British Architect 3 October 1902 Page x – tenders
Reference    Building News October 1904 page 541 and illustration page 512