Southall Gas holder No 5 - May 2015

[Maniac]

Not posted anything for a while, but I'm going to post up a few things tonight, starting with this for no other reason than it was the first thing to come into my mind.

If you want to see GAS then go do this before they flatten it. I encourage you to, you won't get another chance like this as there's not many of these left of this type. That said, access inside isn't easy and you do need your wits about you, get it wrong and it's a quick fall to your fate at the bottom, but get it right and it really is an amazing space. If you go here, don't be a dick as you're visible for miles around. 

So what is it? Well it's a gas holder of the waterless M.A.N variety, it seals in the gas using oil and tar around the edge of the piston. They were favored in some areas because of their large capacities, low maintenance costs and small footprint. This one is a beast coming in at about 90 metres tall, which is about is high as they come. Built in the early 1930's it could store around 7,500,000 cubic feet of gas, that's a lot!

So on with some photos of what was a really funny day. Visited with Slayaaaaaaaaaaa, Ojay and aem.

I didn't take that many in the end so you have the view from the top.

Inside at the top

How the fuck are we going to get down from here? Props to Slayaaa, he was first down.

Looking down

At the bottom with me for scale

Thanks for looking!

Maniac.

 

[The_Raw]

Yeah man! Everyting irie

 

[skeleton key]

Cool shots and that last shot is awesome.

Plus some very sound advise there

 

[hamtagger]

That's pretty amazing that place, enjoyed the write up too mate

 

[Urbexbandoned]

Cool report and pics, enjoyed this

 

[Curious George]

Those stairs make my palms sweaty. Looks awesome!

 

[Andy]

Wow, great. But would be definitely too high for me.

 

[DirtyJigsaw]

I have always looked at this as ive passed on the train into/out of London. Nicely done. Looks great inside

 

[Hydro]

Looks epic!! Always fancied doing one of these unfortunately they keep knocking the buggers down before i can get there lol!! The last photo really does put the size of the place into perspective, and that stair case looks crazy!! Thanks for sharing

 

[chopper]

Nice. I've always wanted to see inside one of these.

An old bloke told me that in the 60s, when the gas level was really low, the gas company would pay people to sit on top to increase the pressure and squeeze as much out as possible. Madness!

 

[Maniac]

Nice. I've always wanted to see inside one of these.An old bloke told me that in the 60s, when the gas level was really low, the gas company would pay people to sit on top to increase the pressure and squeeze as much out as possible. Madness!

Much as I'd love to believe that was true, these things have tons of concrete weights on them, a few people standing on them would make fuck all difference.