Electricity Generating Station Buildings. Frederick Road Salford

SALFORD'S PROVISION FOR THE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY - NEW WORKS COMPLETED - The Salford Corporation's electricity works at Frederick Road, Pendleton, have been completed, and the last engine set up will be started by the Mayor of the borough on May 14. …. The scheme which has been brought to a satisfactory end has been some eight years in the making. Although the Provisional Order authorising the Corporation to supply electricity throughout the borough was obtained in 1890, no supply station was provided until 1895. In that year a complete system of single-phase alternating current generation and distribution was inaugurated in Walness Road and plant to the extent of 360 kw., generating electricity at 3,000 volts, installed. ….. Before long, however, it was seen that a considerable extension of the electricity works would be necessary. The tramways within the borough were taken over by the Corporation in 1900, on the expiration of the lease to the Carriage and Tramways Company, and it was decided to work them by electrical power. It, was then found that, the existing electricity works, which contained generating plant of only 360 k.w. output, supplemented by battery sub-stations, to feed a total connection equivalent to over 50,000 eight-candle power lamps, could not profitably be added to on the Walness Road site in such a way as to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for current. The Corporation therefore decided completely to reorganise the undertaking, and at the same time to make due provision for the power required to operate the tramways.

A site for new electricity works in Frederick Road (formerly known as Strawberry Road), and it is to celebrate the completion these works the ceremony of Thursday week has been arranged. The works have been constructed under the directions of Messrs. Lacey, Clirehugh, and Sillar, consulting engineers. A plant of 10,000 h.p. has been provided, this being sufficient to supply the requirements of the tramways and lighting systems for five years to come. A complete cable system for both tramways and private supply has also been established. A loan of £398,275 for the purposes of the scheme have been sanctioned by the Local Government, Board. Most of the plant at the Frederick Road works has been in position for some time, and the station has been at work for considerably over a year, the old Walness Road station having been shut down in May last. The system adopted is the direct-current system, with a declared pressure of 220 volts for lighting, on the three-wires system. Power can be supplied to motors at 440 volts, and to the tramways at 500 to 550 volts. The station is of simple design, consisting mainly of a boiler-house, containing a single row of sixteen boilers, and an engine-room equipped with parallel row of eight generating sets. At each end of the buildings are economiser and pump rooms, and the plant can be divided, in case of need, into two complete and independent, systems. The boiler-house, which is 221 feet in length, contains, as already mentioned, sixteen boilers. These are of the Lancashire pattern, with Galloway tubes (they have been supplied by Messrs Galloway, Limited), and each is 30 feet long by 9 feet in diameter. They are arranged in eight pairs, each pair feeding one engine or supplying steam to the main range, as desired. They are fitted with coking mechanical stokers, which are worked by an overhead shaft, driven by a Westinghouse motor. The coal required for the boilers stored in steel bunkers, which extend the length of the boiler-house. Adjoining the boiler-house is the Bury and Rochdale Canal (sic), and from the barges in the canal the coal is raised by electrically driven cranes, which run on rails Over the bunkers. From bunkers, which have a storage capacity of about 1,600 tons, the coal is fed to the mechanical stokers by means of shoots, each of which is fitted with a measuring device. Similarly, the ashes from the boilers are raked into hoppers. and by means of au automatic ash conveyor and a shoot are deposited in the canal barges without being handled. There are four economisers. two at each end of the boiler-house. They are of the Green type. and comprise 400 tubes each. Feed water is obtained from the canal, with the town mains as an alternative supply. Each of the two pump rooms contains three electrically driven feed pumps. The steam piping consists of steel, with copper bends; the flanges are of steel, riveted and welded. Each pair of boilers is connected with an engine by a pipe 8 inches in diameter. The engine-house has an imposing row of eight generating sets, each of 800 kw. These, as well as the machinery in other parts of the station, have been constructed by manufacturers either in Salford or in Manchester. The lofty engine-room is spanned by a 30-ton single-motor electric travelling crane running on rails at height of 34 feet from the floor level. Along one side and both ends of the room is a gallery, at a height of 15 feet, which renders supervision of the generating plant easy. The gallery communicates with the switch-room at one end and with the stores at the other. The headquarters of the Electricity Department adjoin the generating works, with a frontage into Frederick Road. Here, besides the offices of the borough electrical engineer (Mr. C. D. Taite) and his staff. are committee-rooms for the use of the Electricity Committee of the Corporation. [Manchester Guardian  2 May 1903 page 5]

County Borough of Salford - TO CONTRACTORS - The Electricity Committee of this Corporation require Tenders for the ERECTION of STABLES, SHEDS etc situated in Frederick Street, Pendleton. Bills of quantities and specifications may be obtained and drawings inspected at the offices of John Holt. C.E. 6, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, upon payment of £1 1s, which will be returned up receipt of a bone-fide tender. Tbc Committee do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender.  Sealed tenders, to be endorsed "stables etc Contract" to be delivered to me on or before ten o'clock on Monday the 26thh day of February, 1900. L. C. EVANS, Town Clerk. Town Hall, Salford 9th February 1900. [Manchester Guardian 17 February 1900 page 4]

County Borough of Salford - TO BUILDERS - The Corporation invite Tenders for the ERECTION of the ELECTRICITY GENERATING STATION BUILDINGS on land near Strawberry Road, Pendleton in the said County Borough. The drawings, specifications and conditions of contract can be inspected, and the bills of quantities and form of tender may be obtained at the offices of Mr John Holt. C.E. 6, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, upon payment of five guineas, which will be returned up receipt of a bone-fide tender. Tenders on the printed form supplied endorsed "Tender for Electricity Generating Station” addressed to the Chairman of the Electric Light Committee" must be delivered to the undersigned not later than twelve o'clock noon on the 28th day of April, 1900. Tbc Committee do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender. L. C. EVANS, Town Clerk. Town Hall, Salford 10 April 1900. [Manchester Guardian 14 April 1900 page 1]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 14 April 1900 page 1 - contracts
Reference    Building News 20 April 1900 page 566 – contracts
Reference    Manchester Guardian 2 May 1903 page 5

See also Extension to Salford Electricity Works, 1914, James Archibald Robinson  (qv)
Now Electricity North West offices and Depot.
The original transformers were removed in 2019 as part of a scheme to convert the original buildings into office space