Mystery Tower

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 3:59 pm

To the west of what is now the car park of Leeds Station, on the bank of the river, was a stone built tower-like structure. It's site was just to the east of the recently installed river foot-bridge, roughly where the canal emerges from it's bridge under the railway.The building concerned was in situ until the early 1960s,and the site is now behind mesh fencing and is very overgrown, but some stones can be made out both on the ground and in the river/riverbank. A downward-sloping bridge/ramp led from an upper floor of the east side of the structure to a point at the rear of the large wooden building at the end of the old Wellington Station sidings. I believe this wooden building was once a carriage repair shed, but am open to correction. The more I study the few pictures I have of the tower the more puzzled I become over it's function and siting. Does anyone have knowledge that can identify it's use?The pictures I allude to appear in Pixton and Hooper's "Leeds Termini", but are all aerial shots and thus are lacking in detail. References for closer shots would also be welcome.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 4:01 pm

Anything on Leodis?

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 4:56 pm

Cardiarms wrote: Anything on Leodis? Not talking about the wagon lifting towers here by any chance? Not entirely sure of where is meant but sounds close to these.

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 4:57 pm

Cardiarms wrote: Anything on Leodis? Not talking about the wagon lifting towers here by any chance? Not entirely sure of where is meant but sounds close to these.http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ighLight=1

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:00 pm

Cardiarms, I've tried the following:-Leeds centre--railway station-----pictures 2 & 3show tower in situ very clearly but as a black blob without detail.Globe Road----picture 3 shows a little detail from the west, but nothig to add to what is seen in Leeds Termini. Leeds cente--canal-----lots of pictures but nothing not on station above.I'm not particularly au fait with Leodis, can you suggest other search terms?

Si · Post by Si » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:17 pm

Anything on here, Jim?

jim · Post by **jim** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:18 pm

Chameleon, I am definitely not referring to the three Wagon Towers--I can remember climbing one of those earlier in my railway career to see how they worked. About thirty years later a staff member from the Industrial Museum called at our depot to see if anyone had information on this and our chief foreman referred him to me as the most likely to help. We spent a pleasant hour in conversation, and he told me my description tallied exactly with the remaining evidence. When I climbed the tower everything except the belts was still in place. By the time the Industrial museum got involved all the metalwork had gone and they only had the mounting blocks and holes to go on. The original steam engines and drive shafts under the Central Station arches had gone before my time, so I couldn't help him much on these.No, the tower I refer to was at the west end of the Wellington Station and was only feet from the south bank of the River Aire. If you look up the pictures on the Leodis sites I mention in my previous posting everything regarding siting will (I hope!) become clear.

Si · Post by Si » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:23 pm

...or here? (Leodis pics.)

Si · Post by Si » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:26 pm

Maybe it's one of the many towers/chimneys/spires on here?

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 19 Apr, 2010 5:34 pm

jim wrote: Chameleon, I am definitely not referring to the three Wagon Towers--I can remember climbing one of those earlier in my railway career to see how they worked. About thirty years later a staff member from the Industrial Museum called at our depot to see if anyone had information on this and our chief foreman referred him to me as the most likely to help. We spent a pleasant hour in conversation, and he told me my description tallied exactly with the remaining evidence. When I climbed the tower everything except the belts was still in place. By the time the Industrial museum got involved all the metalwork had gone and they only had the mounting blocks and holes to go on. The original steam engines and drive shafts under the Central Station arches had gone before my time, so I couldn't help him much on these.No, the tower I refer to was at the west end of the Wellington Station and was only feet from the south bank of the River Aire. If you look up the pictures on the Leodis sites I mention in my previous posting everything regarding siting will (I hope!) become clear. I didn't think it was anything that obvious and you do confirm my thought that you are (surprise!!) familliar with them.Back to' maps then