Seen Over Your House Today

[PR19_Kit]

That'll be a gasometer frame I bet.

Not sure how many there are left nowadays but I'm sure some of our London residents will know.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Definitely a gasometer, always a few around large docks/harbours.

Ian

[Hobbes]

Odd that they'd remove the panels but leave the frame intact.

[PR19_Kit]

Not at all, the whole inner shell slides up and down, telescoping into itself, so when they were used regularly you could see them in any state, from 'fully panelled' to just 'scaffolding', depending on how full they were. I'm not sure if they're still in use, but I thought that some were.

[lenny100]

Odd that they'd remove the panels but leave the frame intact.

Gasometers are containers that are used to store natural gas or town gas. The gas enters the bottom of the chamber through pipes at the bottom of the gasometer. As the gas continues to enter, the chambers rise until the holders are full. The excess gas then flows back out through the pipes until the chambers are levelled.
dont know about london but the ones in sunderland are most devently still in use

[Hobbes]

Ah, I see. I was only familiar with the German version, which has a non-telescoping shell. I've been inside this one: http://www.gasometer.de/

[NARSES2]

There are still a few left in working order in London but not many.

[rickshaw]

Gasometer or gas-holder.  A method of storing domestic cooking gas supplies.  Basically a big, expandable bag which is surrounded by a telescoping metal casing which is supported by a circular structure that looks like scaffolding.   

[lancer]

I think there's still one working in Reading. You see it every time you go into Reading on the train. Although I haven't gone into Reading by train for a long time now.

[Rheged]

My dad worked for a while at Carlisle gas works. He tells me that you can estimate the quantity of gas in a gas-holder by counting the number of "lifts" (major sections) "plates"  constituent parts of each lift,  and then "rivets" visible.   The gas holder in the pic appears to be 2 lifts and 2 plates inflated (sorry, can't see how many rivets)

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

As fascinating as gasometers obviously are.... (I was going to write a really smart*rse comment about never having seen one over my house, but y'know, I don't think it would go down too well)...

...Carry on, chaps 

Ian

[Rheged]

As fascinating as gasometers obviously are.... (I was going to write a really smart*rse comment about never having seen one over my house, but y'know, I don't think it would go down too well)...

...Carry on, chaps 

Ian

Should any of us see one of these over our house, I think we can assume that there has been  a catastrophic error made a few moments earlier!

[The Wooksta!]

Or the IRA have kicked off again.

[scooter]

If I see one of those over my house, I'll know to stay away from the Philadelphia/Camden waterfront.

And a bit more on topic, the Federal Aviation Administration has had their Convair buzzing about ACY this past week. 

[Father Ennis]

Here in Oklahoma, we have tank farms for such things. But if I see one flying over my house then it's too late to bend over and hide !!!  LOL !!!  I couldn't figure out what you were talking about at first but now I've learned something new. Always makes for a good day !!!!!!