Lithgow S.A.F. Chimney - Lithgow, NSW
S 33° 29.249 E 150° 08.513
56H E 234441 N 6291012
At the front of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory there is the remnants of a chimney, with an interpretative sign.
Waymark Code: WMXARG
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 12/18/2017
Views: 1
This sign is quite close to another Waymark: WM8C1K; SSM 7770 (well, between the entrance to the SAF Museum and the Waymark)
The sign reads:
"Historical Notes on the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Chimneys and Boiler House.
"The brick chimney and boiler house were constructed in 1942 in the push to increase output of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in the early years of the Second World War. The original chimney was designed by Frederick Ratcliffe and was completed in 1912. Another chimney was built in 1942 based on the same design. The World War II chimney reached the same height of 33.5 metres but was slightly larger in diameter than the original. It was attached to the western side of the boiler house.
"The chimney was constructed of durable, well fired and dense dry pressed clay bricks. It was capped with a cast iron collar made up of 10 segments bolted together along their sides. The top of the chimney had some decorative brickwork including fluting and corbels.
"In 1944 fourteen mild steel circular banding straps were installed around the outside of the chimney at regular intervals up the chimney to strengthen it.
"In 1952 the cast iron collar was observed to have cracked. Further structural investigations were carried in the 1990s and again in 2005 and 2007. There were several incidences of fragments from the top of the chimney falling to the ground thus sparking renewed safety concerns amongst staff working on the site.
"A structural report prepared in 2007 found that the chimney had numerous cracks. The report stated that 'the main problems occur at the top of the chimney and in particular the top 2.2 metres of the chimney where there has been dramatic splitting'. The costs associated with repairing the chimney were considered to be excessive and it was decided to demolish the chimney in April 2009."
Visited: 1205, Monday, 3 October, 2016
Age/Event Date: 1912; 1942; 1944; 1952; 2005; 2007; 2009
Type of Historic Marker: If other (please specify)
Type of Historic Marker if other: Plaque, and remnant of Chimney
Related Website: [Web Link]
Historic Resources.:
Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum
|
Visit Instructions:
Please submit your visiting log with a picture of the object. Also include some interesting information about your visit.