TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby teesships » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:15 pm

Having just posted an entry about the BARO at: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=20014
I noted the comment: they (Harkess) used the T.C.C. Graving Dock for sundry repair work, a profitable sideline.
This, I think, explains the presence of the vessels shown in the following photos from old TCC handbooks:

1897 handbook:
0102tccgdx2.jpg

1906 handbook:
0106tccgd.jpg
Ron
teesships
 
Posts: 10530
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 7:47 pm
Location: Middlesbrough

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Hornbeam » Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:23 pm

Looking at the top picture of the Graving Dock it had not changed that much when I saw it in the late 1950's, the only thing missing is the lifting equipment on left hand side of the Dock, the Steam crane on the right hand side looks like the same one that I saw, the machines in the Workshops were all belt driven. It was a very old fashioned place, if you were going alongside the Jetty where the photograph was taken from to collect some stores you had better be sure that the Fireman (on a coal burner) made sure the steam pressure was well below the blood on the boiler, if the Safety's lifted the unforgettable Bob H. (Supt) would be out of his office like a rocket to give you an earful. Nearly all the fleet received there overhauls here.
Hornbeam
 
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Dennis Maccoy » Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:27 pm

Where was (is?) this dock?
Regards, Dennis.
Dennis Maccoy
 
Posts: 2555
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 7:37 pm
Location: South Shields

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Hornbeam » Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:50 pm

Dennis, the Dock was at Cargo Fleet on the South side of the river, I have not been that way for a very long time, as far as I am aware it has been filled in and now has a Workshop on top of it.
Hornbeam
 
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Hornbeam » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:01 pm

Looking at Google it was to the left of Cargo Fleet River view park as far as I can make out.
Hornbeam
 
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby teesships » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:46 pm

Hornbeam may well be right that the old steam crane, which I think is visible in both photos, was still there when he was.

In fact, I suspect it remained in service until 19 March 1968. How can I be so precise? A large slice of my career within the Personnel Department for TCC/THPA was in investigating and dealing with Employers' Libility accident claims agains the Authority. It was on that date that my photograhic skills were first called into use by my boss. Sadly, there was a serious accident at the Graving Dock and the cranedriver was seriously injured - burnt or scalded - while operating the crane. Memory fades but I think the machine had somehow overturned, rather than exploded. The old crane was certainly a write-off!!

Not only is the date of that accident in my shipping notebook, but I amanaged to end that sad morning by taking the photo of the FRANCIS SAMUELSON and the PRIESTMAN DREDGER NO. 2. See: viewtopic.php?f=139&t=367

Ron M
teesships
 
Posts: 10530
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 7:47 pm
Location: Middlesbrough

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Dennis Maccoy » Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:57 am

Thanks Ron & Ron.
Regards, Dennis.
Dennis Maccoy
 
Posts: 2555
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 7:37 pm
Location: South Shields

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby Hornbeam » Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:09 pm

Looking up in my little black book I have some notes in it regarding this place which like some of the vessels was a step back in time and looked like nothing had changed since the place was built in 18?? My time at the Drydock was due to an Inspection by the B.O.T. as the John H (which I was on at the time) was licensed to carry Passengers, the TCC operation was daytime and the John H was the “Picket Boat” for the Crews of the various vessels and then on to moving various Floating Plant about ending up at the end of the day picking up the Crews to return them to the Landing Stage at the Transporter where they made their way home or to the nearest Pub (Bodega springs to mind) and then home.
The Graving Dock was the Main Base for the Fleet where Stores were carried which could be obtained upon production of a Signed Chitty which were carefully monitored by someone higher up the chain of Command I presume, it was also the place where spares were carried for the various vessel including the new/refurbished arms for the Feathering Gear on the John H.
What was of interest to me was the Drydock Pumping Station with a rather large horizontal steam driven pump fed by the original Coal Fired Lancashire Boilers and all kept in superb condition by the Boilerman Jackie M.
Jackie had a feature which was hard to forget in that he spoke in a very high pitched voice but coughed in Deep Bass, the problem was that as he was showing me around my voice started to inadvertently pitch up when talking to him which I felt I should apologise for as he was not the man to get on the wrong side of. He was like a Ships Bosun, nothing went on in the Yard which he didn’t know about and was the man to go to who knew where everything was in the Yard.
The Machinery in the Workshops Drills, Lathes etc was belt driven from a lay shaft in the Rafters.
Hornbeam
 
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: TCC GRAVING DOCK - ship repairs

Postby taximan » Mon Jan 01, 2024 7:57 am

Another couple of pics of the Graving Dock


Men working in the Graving Dock.tif.jpg
Afganistan in the Graving Dock.tif - Copy.jpg
Just one more trip
taximan
 
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2015 7:46 am


Return to T.C.C. craft

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests