# The Works, Manchester - July 08



## ThenewMendoza (Jul 28, 2008)

I don't where you've been sat all day but in Manchester the temperature reached a sweat-inducing 34 degress, far too hot for old Mendo, so I sought out some underground cavern of coolness, and The Works is VERY cool.





The outfall to this massive storm sewer overflow was misty as hell when I approached, and I was almost tempted to turn back 'cos I was scared , and it was then I recalled a young nameless whipersnapper (a member on here) had explored this one wearing nought but a pair of white trainers, I felt overdressed in waders...lol









It's a huge beast of a thing, not like the culverts I've been exploring recently, the pipe must be 15ft high, and wide, and brick too!! Ace.

So, after a quick stroll up the pipe you come to a junction, the left hand pipe has been bricked up, one can't help but wonder what lies beyond it, must be something up there...




Then a couple of minutes later the stairs, hugeness abounds and I had great fun racing up and down trying to beat the self-timer on my camera (despite using a 20 seconds, it'll get me fit if nothing else...).




Up the stairs and you're in a chambery thing with another drain running through it (it's Inhospitable, looked interesting but one for another day).

Huge sluice gate, controlled by a manually operated winchy/windy thing, had a play with that, was fun!!









Before heading back down the stairs and to the outfall, it's only a short little thing but packed with features, and it's better than sweating!!









Mendo


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## smileysal (Jul 29, 2008)

ooooooh, this looks excellent. I love all that brickwork, and the curves, and the sluice thingy that you had a play with lol. Love all the colours in there. Those steps look great.

I really, really need to go here, and soon 

Excellent pics Mr M lol.

 Sal


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## phill.d (Jul 29, 2008)

Some excellent pics there. Nice colours in the shots, the stairs look pretty dam good too.
Did you ever post that Halifax thing? Funnily enough I was up there the next day and saw it. It looked a good one to do. I've been looking out for a report.
Nice one mate!


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## ThenewMendoza (Jul 29, 2008)

phill.d said:


> Some excellent pics there. Nice colours in the shots, the stairs look pretty dam good too.
> Did you ever post that Halifax thing? Funnily enough I was up there the next day and saw it. It looked a good one to do. I've been looking out for a report.
> Nice one mate!



Cheers. The Halifax one was the upstream section of Pipemare, I've posted it on here.

M


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## phill.d (Jul 29, 2008)

Cool. I'll check it out!!


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## dsankt (Jul 29, 2008)

Pimping drain attire good sir.


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## Earth Worm Jim (Jul 29, 2008)

Groovy.


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## LittleMike (Jul 29, 2008)

Class man. This is still one of my favs of all time, I was actually considering going down there on Saturday myself. Short, but so chilled out and tons to see and photograph. I love how drains are so cool in the summer and warm in the winter! Always nice and inviting, just in the winter you don't get so many annoying drain flies.

And you got the penstock controls to move?!? I tried last time but it wouldn't budge at all. I always thought it would be so awesome to lower the gate and watch the water crash down the stairs! I must have loosened it for you 

Hmm did you find the scooter?


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## Jondoe_264 (Jul 29, 2008)

LittleMike said:


> I always thought it would be so awesome to lower the gate and watch the water crash down the stairs!



I've often thought exactly the same, would make for a great photo op, though it goes against my natural tendancy to leave stuff well alone. I'd imagine it'd be initially fairly steady to reach a point of overflow but once you start to hit the volumes of water that are going to cause it to overflow I suspect the scenario could much more rapidly become not so much interesting to watch as terryfying to witness! :O Still . . . .


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## BigLoada (Jul 29, 2008)

You guys seem to have stacks of drains down there, thats great. That shirt is pretty groovy for exploring, I gotta get me one!


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## LittleMike (Jul 29, 2008)

Jondoe_264 said:


> I've often thought exactly the same, would make for a great photo op, though it goes against my natural tendancy to leave stuff well alone. I'd imagine it'd be initially fairly steady to reach a point of overflow but once you start to hit the volumes of water that are going to cause it to overflow I suspect the scenario could much more rapidly become not so much interesting to watch as terryfying to witness! :O Still . . . .



Yeah, I've pencilled in trying to find the lid that leads directly the chamber and dropping straight in during a storm. I imagine it would need a fairly ridiculous amount of rain to get it going though.


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## ThenewMendoza (Jul 29, 2008)

dsankt said:


> Pimping drain attire good sir.



It's the in thing this season, smarter drain exploration makes you win.



LittleMike said:


> And you got the penstock controls to move?!? I tried last time but it wouldn't budge at all. I always thought it would be so awesome to lower the gate and watch the water crash down the stairs! I must have loosened it for you
> 
> Hmm did you find the scooter?



Well, I say played with, more heaved and pushed and pulled and swore and sweated and heaved and pushed and it moved....about an inch....think I need to redefine my idea of fun...

The scooter was present and correct, along with a pop bottle and something else (can't remember what though).

I must admit, when I did SSSI I was thinking to myself, that is a sluice I'd LOVE to see in action!!

Cheers.

Mendo


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## Jondoe_264 (Jul 29, 2008)

ThenewMendoza said:


> I must admit, when I did SSSI I was thinking to myself, that is a sluice I'd LOVE to see in action!!



I think you can now officially consider yourself a drainer, LOL! Only a drainer would ever dare utter such a thing on a forum and consider it normal every day conversation


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## ThenewMendoza (Jul 29, 2008)

Jondoe_264 said:


> I think you can now officially consider yourself a drainer, LOL! Only a drainer would ever dare utter such a thing on a forum and consider it normal every day conversation



It sounded so right when I typed it, oh, the folly of words!! lol

M


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## Bunk3r (Jul 30, 2008)

LittleMike said:


> Yeah, I've pencilled in trying to find the lid that leads directly the chamber and dropping straight in during a storm. I imagine it would need a fairly ridiculous amount of rain to get it going though.



Ever since visiting 'bunker' drain Ive thought the same thing about the plughole, in reality I wont get round to it so anybody that does; make sure you show me the pictures!


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