23e53: Waggon turntable, Railway St/Wellington St, 1980 - The Old Town
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A railway track ran along Railway Street and across Castle Street to Prince's
Dock. Waggon turntables such as these were used to tranfer wagons along
lengths of line at right angles to this into goods sheds and warehouses.
There were also points which could take waggons or longer trains onto Wellington
St, where a single track across a swing bridge led to the east side of the
dock and along Humber Dock St and on to Queen's Dock. Waggons were probably
turned on these turntables by horses or by ropes or hawsers from capstans
, and possibly theese ropes ran around the stone blocks. Maps show four
of these turntables on the west side of Humber Dock. Some of the tracks
which were under tarmac here have now been reinstated in cobbles and there
is still a waggon turntable on the dockside, with rather newer looking wood
which isn't quite in the correct place, and no stone blocks.