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Photos are filed under the crane's CEPS number where this exists. A cross-reference will be found at http://bdca.org.uk/cepsdb.html
330107 on bridgework nr Castleford
The Healey Mills crane bridge building at night, over what was to become the M62. The photo shows the lighting they had at the time, with small floodlights attached to gas bottles, the main lighting coming from the engineers' equipment. This was a heavy lift and the crane was double-packed under the front girder, as can just be seen in the picture.
Les tells us more:
The rear outrigger still has the winding jack standing near it. This was used to lift the slack in the prop so that maximum packing could be put under it before tightening down.
The chap in the flat cap is Jim Walkden, the Healey Mills shed master who was in charge of the breakdown in those days before they appointed regular foremen. The man standing at the end of the girder is Ted Geeson who was the shed master at Holbeck and took the Holbeck breakdown out. Les cannot recall the reason for Ted being on site but it may have been a Holbeck job and their crane capacity was not enough.
The two gang members standing were electrician/boilersmith Joe Snowden on the right and fitter/crane driver Ken Abdy on the left.
[Click on the photo to view full size]
Photo: Les Woad collection
Les tells us more:
The rear outrigger still has the winding jack standing near it. This was used to lift the slack in the prop so that maximum packing could be put under it before tightening down.
The chap in the flat cap is Jim Walkden, the Healey Mills shed master who was in charge of the breakdown in those days before they appointed regular foremen. The man standing at the end of the girder is Ted Geeson who was the shed master at Holbeck and took the Holbeck breakdown out. Les cannot recall the reason for Ted being on site but it may have been a Holbeck job and their crane capacity was not enough.
The two gang members standing were electrician/boilersmith Joe Snowden on the right and fitter/crane driver Ken Abdy on the left.
[Click on the photo to view full size]
Photo: Les Woad collection
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on 2020-Dec-24 10:08:05 Edward Geeson said Was this the bridge at Altofts junction early 1970s?? if so i know that the ted Geeson on site was not Ted Geeson from Holbeck Loco but Ted Geeson ( son of Ted Geeson to confuse matters) from the district civil engineers office at Leeds
I had pinched my fathers coat that night to use at Altofts junction ( as a JTO i was not issued with such good coats?) -
on 2020-Dec-30 08:38:01 David Withers said Many thanks for the correction, Edward.
I expect Les made a note of the attendees at the time but, some 40 years later, had recalled the wrong Ted from it. Perfectly understandable given the abundance of Ted Geesons helping to keep the railway running in the area!
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