vox Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Pretty obvious by the name what it is for, but why don't you see them all over the place? This one is fixed on a minor pothole so it hasn't been there for long (in the whole scheme of things) Are there lots of them but I've never noticed? I've been looking since I saw this but I've not seen any more. Blair Athol Road. S 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Never seen one of those before. Surely there must have been loads of them ? Well-spotted ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Pretty obvious by the name what it is for, but why don't you see them all over the place? This one is fixed on a minor pothole so it hasn't been there for long (in the whole scheme of things) Are there lots of them but I've never noticed? I've been looking since I saw this but I've not seen any more. Blair Athol Road. S 11 So is it a fixing point for a theodolite tripod so that the exact location can be maintained if the survey is carried out again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 So is it a fixing point for a theodolite tripod so that the exact location can be maintained if the survey is carried out again? That's what I assumed. I would think they set the tripod over it and drop a plumb line between the legs, onto the disc, to get exact center. Anyhow, where are the others and where are the historic ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayleaf Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 So is it a fixing point for a theodolite tripod so that the exact location can be maintained if the survey is carried out again? That's my guess. Usually they just look like a bolt head and washer, never seen a blue one. Perhaps the colour identifies the user, like the different coloured marker sprays the utilities use? Seems odd to put it in a pothole that, who knows, one day might get filled! The gas people are swarming all over that area putting in new mains, and so are Yorkshire Water, so perhaps it's one of theirs that they wont need for long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 That's what I assumed. I would think they set the tripod over it and drop a plumb line between the legs, onto the disc, to get exact center. Anyhow, where are the others and where are the historic ones? I noticed in my steam club days when we could fill a traction engine boiler using a hydrant point in the street and a standpipe that the yellow hydrant point signs, the ones with a big capital letter H and 3 numbers giving the pipe diameter and the distance to it from the sign, are also becoming rare. Can be a problem if the boiler water gauge is low, the water tender is empty and you are desperately looking around for somewhere to grab about 250 gallons of clean water from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 I noticed in my steam club days when we could fill a traction engine boiler using a hydrant point in the street and a standpipe that the yellow hydrant point signs, the ones with a big capital letter H and 3 numbers giving the pipe diameter and the distance to it from the sign, are also becoming rare. Can be a problem if the boiler water gauge is low, the water tender is empty and you are desperately looking around for somewhere to grab about 250 gallons of clean water from. I found a hydrant marker sign on Brimmersfield Road on the railings of my old school Notice that the numbers have been removed. This may be because it is no longer in use or is only a temporary hydrant point in use by the works department while refurbishment is being carried out on the old school site. So just image driving your traction engine down Brimmersfield looking for a water hydrant. The boiler water level is low, your reserve tank is empty but yoyu have a strong fire and a good head of steam ready to inject water into the boiler. No hydrant, - where do you go next? Can you make it to the next hydrant wherever that may be (anybody's guess). Or will the boiler overheat and drop the fusible safety plug leaving you stuck with an engine going nowhere and a tricky repair job replacing the fusible plug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I noticed in my steam club days when we could fill a traction engine boiler using a hydrant point in the street and a standpipe that the yellow hydrant point signs, the ones with a big capital letter H and 3 numbers giving the pipe diameter and the distance to it from the sign, are also becoming rare. Can be a problem if the boiler water gauge is low, the water tender is empty and you are desperately looking around for somewhere to grab about 250 gallons of clean water from. A "modern" water hydrant point (by modern I mean "metric", - not much good if you have an Imperial hydrant to "steal" water for your engines boiler. ) This is the nearest one to our house, it indicates a 100mm diameter water pipe 5 metres in front of the sign. The point is actually in the middle of a road junction and always leaking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 A "modern" water hydrant point (by modern I mean "metric", - not much good if you have an Imperial hydrant to "steal" water for your engines boiler. ) This is the nearest one to our house, it indicates a 100mm diameter water pipe 5 metres in front of the sign. The point is actually in the middle of a road junction and always leaking! Fortunately, if your engine is in desperate need of its tanks replenishing, there is an Imperial one within walking distance less than 5 minutes away. This one indicates a 6" water pipe 23 feet in front of the concrete marker. Once again, there it was, stuck right in the middle of the road. Not leaking this time and probably not been used for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Fortunately, if your engine is in desperate need of its tanks replenishing, there is an Imperial one within walking distance less than 5 minutes away. This one indicates a 6" water pipe 23 feet in front of the concrete marker. Once again, there it was, stuck right in the middle of the road. Not leaking this time and probably not been used for years. Just down the road again we have this one Not sure if it is a 3" pipe 9 feet away (normal way of reading it) or just a general water point 9 feet 3 inches away. In any case, I couldn't see or find the water point and the fact that it has been painted out all yellow probably indicates that it is no longer in use. I suspect any old 3", probably lead, water piping has been replaced with some metric plastic stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 This one on the wall of Ann's Rd school Heeley, has a reference number to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 This one on the wall of Ann's Rd school Heeley, has a reference number to it. ..and the pipe diameter is missing Anyway, its been painted over so its probably no longer in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayleaf Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 To go back to Vox's original post, there's an identical one appeared on the footpath along the dam wall at Shepherd Wheel, that I think must have been put in recently when the dam was surveyed as part of the restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 To go back to Vox's original post, there's an identical one appeared on the footpath along the dam wall at Shepherd Wheel, that I think must have been put in recently when the dam was surveyed as part of the restoration. Well that's a grand total of 2 survey markers in Sheffield up to now. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Well that's a grand total of 2 survey markers in Sheffield up to now. Perhaps the survey markers are like the hydrant signs, - you can't find one when you need one then when you don't you notice them everywhere. Thinking about it, if we knew how the OS triangulated the area (which we could probably find out) and if we knew the relief topography of the area (which some of our members will do) then it shouldn't be that difficult to locate exactly the original position of the markers. After that it will be up to vox in his van to drive around and see if they are still there if they have dissapeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Thinking about it, if we knew how the OS triangulated the area (which we could probably find out) and if we knew the relief topography of the area (which some of our members will do) then it shouldn't be that difficult to locate exactly the original position of the markers. It should be relatively easy to locate some OS markers. Benchmarks (for measuring height above mean sea level) are marked on the large scale OS maps. They are marked with an arrow, the letters 'B M' and the height above sea level of the marker. For instance, according to our 1954 city centre map there should be one on the outside of the south transept of the Cathedral at 256.16 feet above sea level: Some benchmarks are of the flush bracket kind, like this one in Bakewell: Many are just chisel marks that look like this one (I think that this is what the one on the cathedral will look like): Sometimes they are just marked with a bolt in a wall. This website should help in finding more: http://www.bench-marks.org.uk Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 It should be relatively easy to locate some OS markers. Benchmarks (for measuring height above mean sea level) are marked on the large scale OS maps. They are marked with an arrow, the letters 'B M' and the height above sea level of the marker. For instance, according to our 1954 city centre map there should be one on the outside of the south transept of the Cathedral at 256.16 feet above sea level: Nope, didn't know any of that, Thanks Jeremy - and a bonus Medieval find over to the right - who knows what that is all about then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 a bonus Medieval find over to the right - who knows what that is all about then ? According to Wikipedia, citing David Hey's History of Sheffield, during the demolition of old shops to make way for Kemsley House a hoard of old gold and silver coins was discovered behind a cellar wall. The coins dated from 1547 to 1625, a silver pendant was also found with the coins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Some benchmarks are of the flush bracket kind, like this one in Bakewell: A bit more searching suggests that there might be only one of these in central Sheffield. I'm not telling where though :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 A bit more searching suggests that there might be only one of these in central Sheffield. I'm not telling where though Aaaaaargh - Another challenge. Is there a way of finding / working it out or will we have to do an inch by inch search on foot. Edit: Well - that was quicker than I thought it would be. That'll be the old SO469 then Jeremy. I've found it but I'll leave it "hanging" for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Aaaaaargh - Another challenge. Is there a way of finding / working it out or will we have to do an inch by inch search on foot. There is a way to find out. I can also narrow your search area—it's marked on map 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 There is a way to find out. I can also narrow your search area�"it's marked on map 1. Done it again. While I was editing my first reply (see above) you nipped in with a reply. I must do these things more quickly in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Done it again. While I was editing my first reply (see above) you nipped in with a reply. I must do these things more quickly in future. Ooops… anyway, yes, S0469 is the only one (so far as I can tell). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Nope, didn't know any of that, Thanks Jeremy - and a bonus Medieval find over to the right - who knows what that is all about then ? Here is the Benchmark Jeremy mentions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeremy Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Here is the Benchmark Jeremy mentions Right where the map (and database) say it should be. Looks in good condition to say that it's been there over 100 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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