by fitter » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:25 pm
Pickersgills yard commenced modernisation in 1956, so the photo predated that, so that narrows it down to about 14 BP tankers, but didn't at least one BP tanker return to Doxfords for crankshaft replacement or have I got that altogether wrong?
Is that not another ship on the port side of the tanker against the fitting out quay? The 100 ton fitting out quay steam crane would be a long way off the taker if not. The berth in the west yard is still in use.
This picture shows how hemmed in the shipyard was. Although the Bridge was built a few years after Doxfords "new" yard, (new in 1901), it limited Doxfords in several ways. Doxfords was built on a steep hillside and even the new, (1970s), yard had to have a hairpin bend in the descending road. The main road to Pallion prevented any development southwards and the stock yard for the 1900 yard was on the other side of that road to and from which a fleet of small steam locomotives hauled steel plates under the road right up to the 1970s. The legendary Steels bank the scene of many haulages of Doxford engine sections by huge Pickfords trucks that had a sharp left turn at the top of the band then Steel (Coles), Cranes, at Low Pallion prevented development westwards as did Shorts yard next site along the river from Doxfords. At its conception the yard would be called on to build smaller ships that it could mange easily, but as time went on it meant that Doxfrods were limited to ships up to about 25,000dwt.The new covered in dock was unsatisfactory in many ways, but it must have been a headache for those charge with designing and building it. Credit to thousands who achieved so much for so long within the limitations.