Springwell bankhead
wheelpit

Springwell bankhead wheelpit stands at the top of the mile-long self-acting incline from Springwell down to Wardley. The view here is looking towards the bankhead and the incline, with the tracks curving towards the viewer and to the right, into Springwell Yard. In the centre is the kip road, with two dish roads to right and left of the kip. In this view, the wagons on the left are parked in a shunt, while the wagons on the right are on a storage siding. The rope 'return wheel' for the incline is fixed in the pit.

The cabins on the left are:
1. bankhead shunters' cabin
2. the incline brakeman's cabin

Before describing the wheelpit, the operation of the incline is explained below

(All images © Peter Norman 2006, except where otherwise stated)

The first diagram shows the relationship of the rope return wheel in the wheelpit to the bankhead layout. On the bankhead, sets of six loaded wagons are run into the right and left dishes in turn (numbered 1 and 2 here). The gradient in the dishes is towards the main incline and sets start their journey to Wardley from this point. In the diagram, a loaded set is shown in dish 1 with the haulage rope attached. The rope passes into a conduit just under the surface of the bankhead - in fact, a shallow gulley covered by walkboards - and then onto the return wheel. The rope passes around the return wheel twice (to give good grip on the wheel) and emerges through another conduit under the kip into dish 2. As shown here, the rope continues down to the bottom of the incline where it is attached to a set of six empty wagons.

The kip is a raised structure which creates an 'artificial summit' higher than the land comprising Springwell Yard. As wagons are hauled up the incline onto the kip, they pass over the summit and can then be rolled down into the Yard, against the general gradiaent of the surrounding land.

Once the signals from Wardley (bottom of the incline) and Springwell bankhead have been received, indicating that full and empty sets are both coupled to the rope, the brakes on the full wagons can be released. The set then rolls away down the incline, trailing the rope and hauling the lighter empty set up from Wardley.

The end of this process is shown in the next diagram, where the empty set has arrived on the kip and the full set is at Wardley. As the empties come over the kip summit, the rope slackens enough for it to be slipped ('knocked off') and it falls away into dish 2. The wagons now roll down into a dish in Springwell Yard. From this point, the rope from Blackhams Hill would be attached and the empties hauled up to Blackhams bankhead.

Since the free rope end is now lying in dish 2, the next six full wagons must be brought from the Yard into that dish. The set is coupled up and, when Wardley signals that another set of empties is attached at the bottom, the set from dish 2 is released down the incline.

Finally, the empties are again hauled onto the kip but this time when the rope is slipped it falls the other way into dish 1. From here, the cycle repeats again. A picture of wagons arriving on the kip is also shown below

The next two views show:
(Left) A set of full wagons being moved onto the bankhead, dish 1. A set of empties has just been landed and is running off the kip into the Yard dish.The view is from the bankhead towards Springwell Yard.
(Right) A view from the Yard towards Springwell bankhead. A set of empties waits in the Yard dish for haulage up to Blackhams Hill. A full set is waiting to be run onto the bankhead

(Both images © Stafford M Linsley)

The ascent/descent of the sets on the incline is controlled by a brakeman working from the Springwell brake cabin. This tall cabin gives a clear view of the incline. The large capstan wheel actuates a caliper brake on the rim of the return wheel to slow the sets and control their speed.

The wheelpit:

This view is again looking towards the bankhead. The wheel can be seen supported under the heavy timber frame. The timber was largely replaced as part of the restoration of the bankhead area in the 1990s.

Unfortunately, the wheel is unlikely to see use again as the track on the incline below the bankhead was lifted in 1976. Even if the tracks were in place, demonstration of the incline working would be difficult as there would be no continuously available load for the descending wagons.

A view from a slightly different angle, clearly showing the wheel rim. The grooved part of the wheel rim is nearest the ground. On top of that is bolted the brake drum. The caliper brake pad can be seen around the outside of the brake drum.

This view of the other side of the wheel clearly shows the brake drum, with the caliper brake on the outside. The brake actuating gear can just be seen against the wall

A view from under the timber frame shows the rope wheel with the groove to take the rope. The rope wheel is topped with the brake drum. Here, the caliper brake band can be seen clearly, together with the actuating mechanism. The actuating rod passes out of the pit through a conduit and into the basement of the brake cabin. The brakeman's wheel in the cabin is then linked to the actuating rod.

Note the chains from which the caliper brake band is suspended in position around the brake drum.

This view is from the bankhead end of the pit, taken from the top of the access stairs. Note the small vertical guide wheel in front of the right hand side of the wheel. This guides the rope off the rope wheel and into the conduit leading to the dish on the bankhead. There is a similar vertical guide wheel to the left of the rope wheel.

These two views were taken from the rope wheel towards the bankhead and show two horizontal guide wheels. The rope conduits can be seen beyond. Both conduits are partially obstructed but could easily be opened out for viewing

This page last updated 5th June 2006