Whitebirk Power Station

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Grand Wizard Of The Inner Clique
Overlooker
Whitebirk power station was a coal powered station, work was started on it I believe in 1919 and it was in use until the 1970's.
I was just wondering if anyone has any old pics of it and the surrounding area or perhaps an old map showing the layout of the buildings and cooling towers.
 
ive lived here nearly 11 years and i didnt even know whitebirk had had a power station (no i dont live on whitebirk, i live in the better part :D)
 
Doug said:
This might be worth a look Less.


http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?...ation&SearchImageOnly=false&SearchPhrase=true
Click to expand...

Thanks Doug had a look on that site earlier could only find this:-

jb09601.jpg


Which would you believe is supposed to be a view they recommend sending to you friends. Unfortunately I am looking for piccys of when it was working really, but thanks anyway.:p
 
flashytart said:
ive lived here nearly 11 years and i didnt even know whitebirk had had a power station (no i dont live on whitebirk, i live in the better part :D)
Click to expand...

If you take 11 years away from 2007 then you will get back as far as 1996 as I have already said it went out of use in the 1970's which just might make it a little bit before your time.:D
 
Found this if this is any use.

I remember watching those towers being blown up :)

Oh and I live at Whitebirk :D
 

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  • whitebirk cooling towers.jpg
    whitebirk cooling towers.jpg
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I remember them well and also used to call them giant egg cups. In fact, when I go to Ossy I still look out for them.

Did I dream it or did someone at one stage offer them for sale at a pound each?
 
gawd im having vivid memories but cant say wether it was whitebirk or not......still looking at the pics im assuming they were like on the dual carraigeway as we know it ???
 
Yrah they were sold for £1 each and the person who bought them had to knock them down and remove the rubble to claim the land, the retail park is in their place now
 
i used to call them cloud makers :D but not the one's at whitebirk cos i'm OBVIOUSLY to young to remember them :D
 
I worked at the Power Station from 1950 until I left in 1967. It had 12 Simon Carves chain grate boilers, one 30 Mw and three 40Mw turbo generators.. The coal weas delivered by barge and rail, coming from Bank Hall Collery, Burnley and Bickershaw Collery in the Wigan area.
 
Coal was also delivered by road, I took many tons in there from Bank Hall as well as the other pits you mention. We turned down a lane on the left of the Rishton road just after the Whitebirk crossroads to get to the coal stack. Gilbraith and Gilmartin might have had as many as a dozen tippers on the job at once. This was in the late 60's.
 
A few more bits and bobs...

I used to travel on the train to school between Accrington and Blackburn in the late Fifties and much of the Sixties. Coal trains from Yorkshire used to supply the power station, and also barges (I presume from Wigan) on the L&L canal. I remember them being frozen in every winter.

As an aside, though built by Blackburn Corporation, the power station was outwith Blackburn County Borough, and as such provided a huge chunk of rates to the neighbouring local authority - presumably Rishton or Great Harwood.

Closer to Blackburn town centre, on the other side of the so-called arterial road, was a peculiarly evil gasworks. I seem to think it was called Greengate or similar. The industrial / retail park covers it now, but goodness only knows what's in the ground.

Rgds

John45378
 
I think it was called Greenbank, there was a large railway sidings there as well.
I picked up coke from the gas works when I was on a tipper and delivered it to coal merchants.

I think the main central Police Station is there now.
 
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