top of page

Battersea Power Station 1955

DSC_0508.JPG

A photographic day trip was organised to Battersea Power Station whilst studying at the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts. All parts of the station were open to us to take photographs.

Some of us took plate cameras, but I just took my Ikoflex roll film camera. I have recently had them published as a book by Bob's Books.

Here are a few of them.

Remember those were the days before computers or even calculators. The power station has masses of large panel meters showing what was happening and there were dozens of men with clipboards walking round and writing down all the meter readings.

And the man in charge at the main control desk was sitting there with a slide rule in his hands.

I've done a web search but can't find any photos like these at all.

DSC_0965r.JPG
DSC_0969rr.JPG

The man in charge does it all on a slide rule

DSC_0971.JPG
DSC_0970.JPG

No computers, data logging by pen and paper

DSC_0990.xr.JPG
DSC_0991fr.JPG

There were 4 furnaces, one in each chimney. 2 furnaces were always going driving the turbines. One was being renovated and cleaned whilst the 4th was cooling down. They ran on a monthly cycle.

Left photo shows the ash pit. Ash removal controlled by rotating the hollow cylinders to allow the ash to fall through. The right photo shows the fire bricks in the angled base of the furnace that had to be changed on every renovation.

DSC_0978r.JPG
DSC_0963r.JPG
DSC_0994r.JPG

Engineer on lunch break, the enormous piles of coal and one of the beautiful art deco panel displays

DSC_0961r.JPG
DSC_0964.JPG
DSC_1004r.JPG

Handling the coal, picking up wet coal to avoid dust as it had to be crushed, and the real working steam train

DSC_0995.JPG
DSC_0947r.JPG
DSC_0968.JPG

More workers and the power station cat

bottom of page