Stockport Edgeley shed, Sunday 28th April 1968. Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48745 stands in front of the LNWR water tank. Facilities at this depot were pretty basic to the end; the rusty structure on the right was a conveyor belt lift used to coal the locomotive tenders. The water crane on the left does have one labour saving device - the water valve can be opened & closed from the tender top using that wheel at the top. Normally the fireman would have climb up put the bag in & climb down again to turn the valve, to be repeated to turn it off. This probably explains why you always saw tenders overflowing. It's much easier to stick the bag in and just wait by the column for the water cascading out rather than judging the time to come down and turn the valve off. The shed entrance was a gate in the wall at the top of the embankment to the left and the classic "cinder track" led down to the yard. Over on the right the electric overhead gantries of the Crewe to Manchester main line can be seen. Edgeley station is about half a mile beyond. This was the only time I visited Edgeley before the end of steam there on 4th May 1968. Myself and a friend from Nelson had been to Burnley Rose Grove shed earlier that day & hitched down to Manchester & back to Sheffield via Stockport.

Here is the shot of the St.Vrain head gate workings from the camera memory card. We know that this project was approved by the US. Army Corps of Engineers so we know it is as safe as the street of New Orleans, if not at so low an altitude.Good, now I really feel safe. Wasn't it the army who helped ex-president boy george squander three trillion of the US future on private wars using unfunded money? And all it takes to control mother nature is pouring some concrete and building wood structures to hold the steel control valves. What could be simpler? See, nothing to go wrong but what business is this of the Army and their Military Intelligence? Bad rant? Well, Boy George, Cheyney and Rummy are STILL NOT IN PRISON due to a weak-stomached Obama?