1846: Construction of the works commenced, including the Canal and Boat maintenance depot.
1848: Construction completed to a stage that the works is now in operation, with the round house in use.
1853: The works now developed to the stage as per the upper sketch on page 9. Richard Peacock leaves
the employ of the MS&L Rly to form his own locomotive construction company along with
Charles Beyer. The new locomotive works will become known locally as "Gorton Foundry".
Consrtruction of new shops is an ongoing thing and the area between the paint shop and locomotive repair shops soon starts to
be developed. The roundhouse was the prominent building in the complex and was architectually quite an attractive building considering
the purpose it was designed for. The Portico and tower being very attractive in design.
1854: Construction of BEYER PEACOCK LTD. (Gorton Foundry) starts.
1854: Gorton Loco works starts to produce it's own gas. Gas is 'exported' to Beyer Peacock's from
Gorton. The gas works is situated to the west of the C & W works. This will have to be moved
at a later date to the canal depot when land becomes needed as the works expands. (to make way for the Wheel Shop - Built 1905)
1855: School built at the canal depot, near the employees cottages for the employees children.
1855: Expansion commences more or less since the works became operational. This expansion first starts in the area between the
original paint shop and original locomotive erecting shop / machine shop / smithy.
1863: A "Rolling Mill" constructed to the East of the paint shop.
1860: From approximately 1860 0nwards, further development went northwards and up to the the complex boundary at
Whitworth street. The shops built here were new wagon shops, timber shops, carriage shops and smithy.
1871: Two Bessemer converters installed in the rolling mill for the manufacture of P/Way rails.
1879: By the end of the 1870s all the major buildings had been completed on the complex as it was then, ( between the main
line to Whitworth Street, and from Cornwall St / Princess St to Wellington St. The only way to expand now was to the
West of Wellington Street. The next expansion was to be the running sheds, on this side of Wellington St.
1879: New 10 road running sheds built to the north west (between 'K & N' on Peacocks map). Access to the works and the
sheds (roundhouse) had been at the west end of the complex from
the main line. A new junction was added on the Western side of the complex (Priory Junction) to
access the new running sheds. The works access was still from the west. Access between the works and running sheds
was by way of tracks laid to the north of the original C & W shops and across wellington Street to the sheds.
1879: The roundhouse becomes "engulfed" in expansion of the works and is converted into the 'smithy'.
The steam hammers in the smithy are the product of RIGBY. Later hammers come from
B & S MASSEY of Openshaw. (Ashton Old Road)...(MASSEY'S are still in business to date).
1880: New carriage and wagon shops built to the extreme west of the complex. Completed in 1881.
1881: The original Carriage and wagon shops are converted on completion of the new shops. The lower
floor becomes the Erecting shop. Most of the upper floor decking is removed, leaving a gallery
all around the upper levels, The gallery houses small machine tools ( lathes etc. ).
1886: Rolling mill shut down, Bessemer converters taken out of commission.
1887: Ballancing table installed
1889: New machine shop and stores built. The machine shop covered the area of the original Peacock
'traverser' that was used between the original carriage shop, loco shops and paint shop.( see upper
map on page 9 - 'G' ) This shop was only 36 ft wide but over 300 ft long.
1891: Running sheds expanded to 20 roads from original 20, Sheds able to accomodate 120 locomotives.
1895: New main offices built in Cornwall Street, On the opposite side of the road are the Barracks.
1889: Childrens' school on the canal maintenance depot expanded.
1894: Childrens' school and library closed down after education was transferred to the Manchester
School Board.
1900: Five bay erecting shops built. Each bay having three roads each. The nature of the land made it
necessary to have the shop on a lower level than the other important shops in the same immediate
complex such as the machine shops and boiler shops, making the movement of boilers from shop
to shop a little difficult, This situation lasted until the works closed in 1963.
Old erecting shop (original C & W shops) converted into machine and fitting shops.
Before the erecting shop could be built a reservoir had to be drained. The resrvoir was the original water supply for the
Ashbury's wagon works.
1900: It must have been about this time that the "Birdcage" was constructed over the joining line of the
new main machine shop (original two story C&W shop) and the new erecting shop.
1903: Former infants school on the canal depot site converted to Engine Mens' Barracks. The barracks consisted of
20 rooms, each with two beds. The Barrack frontage 'facade' on Cornwall Street is still standing though completely
run down and derelict. The roof has collapsed. The 'gable end facing onto Ogden lane is still standing.
1905: Wheel shop built, adjoining the erecting shop on its northen wall. The Gas works had to be moved
to the canal depot as the wheel shop encroached onto the gas plant at it's eastern end.
1910: Construction of the New carriage and wagon works at Duckinfield completed.
1910: Locomotive repair work now being carried out in the ex Carriage and wagon shops now that the
Carriage and Wagon works are in use in Dukinfield..
1934: New mechanical coaling plant and wet ash pits built. Due to the very limited space now left on the complex, the coal and ash
plant was built near the main line to the west of Priory Junction. The LMS 'Bellvue' sheds was directly opposite this facility on
southern side of the main line.
1934: Locomotive weigh house built approximately on site of the old coaling stage which was demolished after the new 'Cenotaph' was built.
All major shops now completed, During all this time, there were many changes to the use for these shops.