# Derby Railway Warehouse, April 08, 1st Floor Tour



## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Went with crashmatt, The_Revolution, TheNewMendoza and SmileySal.

To cut a short story short crashmatt managed the unthinkable and got up to the 1st floor and also helped me up.

Sorry about the amount of similar photos, this place is becoming more damaged every week so i dont know how many more times access to the !st floor will be available so these photos are an archive for people to see in the future. 
















Sorry crashmatt, its not your best side 








The water tower on the roof. this is crashmatts next target.




The view from the "balcony" of the remaining steps.


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

No way? Thats awesome!  Would loved to have been there!


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

NobodyGirl said:


> No way? Thats awesome!  Would loved to have been there!



Oh yes. I did. I needed to 

There was an open invitation, although it was short notice. I/we will be going back as I *need* to get on the roof next 

The others were The_Revolution, TheNewMendoza and SmileySal.


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

crashmatt said:


> I/we will be going back as I *need* to get on the roof next



HAHA! cant get enough


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## thompski (Apr 23, 2008)

Wish I had the balls to climb, nice work folks. Anyone know where I can get a big ladder from cheap?


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## Kaputnik (Apr 23, 2008)

come on then...........
was it ropes?...........ladders?..............jetpack????????


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Kaputnik said:


> come on then...........
> was it ropes?...........ladders?..............jetpack????????



As we cant mention access, all i can say is that it involved two of those.


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## thompski (Apr 23, 2008)

Well it worked for Sean Connery!


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> As we cant mention access, all i can say is that it involved two of those.



Im putting bets on the Rope Jet pack combo


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

NobodyGirl said:


> Im putting bets on the Rope Jet pack combo



Good choice. Not saying it's the right choice, but of the options that's what I'd go for


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

Great pics, it looks WICKED up there!


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Yes it was wicked up there. I was bricking it though, the flooring up there is seriously sketchy in places and access did not put my nerves in a good mood.


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

NobodyGirl said:


> Great pics, it looks WICKED up there!



It is very cool. You coming up next week?


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

crashmatt said:


> It is very cool. You coming up next week?



PM me details and Ill see what I'm doing that day! Thanks for the invite! Need to go back, the underground has been on my mind.


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Did someone mention the basement!




I couldnt help but show this picture. It's my 1st attempt at light painting. Thank you for the people who helped me focus with their torches and also thank you for all the people who previously gave be tips on how to get the darn 400d to focus in the dark


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> Sorry crashmatt, it's not your best side



It certainly isn't!

How about one of me descending?


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## NobodyGirl (Apr 23, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> Did someone mention the basement!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ohmygosh!! AWESOME!!!!! Dont tease!!!!  lol


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

I was unsure whether i could post it as it has our access in plain sight in the background.


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> I was unsure whether i could post it as it has our access in plain sight in the background.



Ah yes, I hadn't thought of that. Can you email them to me please?


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Yeah i will, just PM me your email address. You'll have to bear with me though if it takes me a while to send them you. My internet is dodgy at the mo and that combined with chemistry coursework makes for slow photo sorting.


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> Yeah i will, just PM me your email address. You'll have to bear with me though if it takes me a while to send them you. My internet is dodgy at the mo and that combined with chemistry coursework makes for slow photo sorting.



It's [email protected]

Much appreciated


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## crashmatt (Apr 23, 2008)

As Skaterdrew said, I gained access to the first floor of the warehouse. I almost managed it last week, I got to within a metre of the beam when I discovered I'd got my ropes wrong and I was stuck. Meaning I had to descend without a safety - which was annoying 

So I rethought, and came with a different plan. A slight modification by Skaterdrew, with assistance from The_revolution, and we were set. TheNewMendoza and SmileySal arrived just in time to see me set off upwards.


This was the access to the first floor. Bit blurry. Very rotten.




Oh. Yeah. Baby. I'm up 




You know that wooden structure that sticks out from the first floor? Well this is it from the inside.




Very cool floor beams. I like them, I like them lots.








I love it up here. Just look at that decaying floor, and those roof beams are calling to me 








Skaterdrew very carefully picking his way across the floor.




Nice heavy weight door.




Another heavyweight door, this time covering a nice hole in the floor 




Walls with no floor




Room next to the curvy corner room.




The staircase




From the landing, looking down on TheNewMendoza




Part of the water tower. I shall conquer it!




Water valve




Graffiti along the balcony




Rotten floors, roof beams, and fab windows 




Then a quick trip down to the basement to catch up with The_Revolution, TheNewMendoza and SmileySal who had already gone down, whilst we were pratting about upstairs.

A rather nice wheelbarrow




We're going back next week, pm if you want in.


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## johno23 (Apr 23, 2008)

Got to hand it to you,you have got guts of steel to go up there.I have done the ground floors,staircase area and basements of that place but chickened out of venturing up there when I saw the state of the wood.

Brilliant photos from a different angle on the old place,what else can I say just brilliant.

Top work guys


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Slightly edited picture of crashmatt having fun.


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## smileysal (Apr 23, 2008)

Those pics are all great. I thought you were nuts climbing up there, especially as when we'd both walked towards you and looked up at the ceiling with huge holes in it  and you're foot nearly went through on the way up  

After working out there was no way I was climbing up anywhere, i wandered off to get more pics of the ground floor area. Then The_Revolution showed us the way to the Underground vaulted part of the building. With me trying to work out if a climb down, or a wriggle through would be the best way to get to TnM and T_R lol. and going round again 3 times before deciding on the wriggle through approach, nearly getting stuck half way through (no I don't like with heights or tiny gaps  ). 

WOW is all I can say about the underground part. The basement was awesome. Everything about the whole place i loved, was enjoying taking pics with a camera TnM had lent me for the week. Till on the way out, when climbing up a narrow gap, smashed part of the camera, so wrecked the film as i was trying to put it back together.  I definitely have to go back now, and get the pics i lost this time. And I know TnM wants to go back again. 

Excellent pics, and thank you for a brill day.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Skaterdrew (Apr 23, 2008)

Oh, i'm sorry to hear about the loss of the pics. I have to thank everybody who went, as it was my first explore with people i didnt know previously, and i really enjoyed it.

(Oh, part from the bit where someone, who will remain anonymous, jumped out and scared the hell out of me.)


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## **Mudlark** (Apr 24, 2008)

wow, fab pics and sounds like a cracking explore
knew it was only going to be a matter of time till you got up there 

would love to see this place, doesnt look like it has all that much longer left till there is nothing left of it!!

nice one!!!!!


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## krela (Apr 24, 2008)

Posting up how you got up to the 2nd floor of a building you can walk straight into isn't a problem access wise.


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## ThenewMendoza (Apr 24, 2008)

Skaterdrew said:


> (Oh, part from the bit where someone, who will remain anonymous, jumped out and scared the hell out of me.)



Lol.

Anyhoo, thoroughly enjoyed mooching round the basement/undercroft thingy in this place, I won't go on, everything that needs to have been said about this place already has.






























Was good to meet some of the Derby guys too.

TnM


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## thompski (Apr 24, 2008)

Great Northern Railway tore right through Derby and was extremely controversial at the time because it was a wealthy area of town. They went to amazing lengths to appease the local residents, and we have the beautiful friar gate bridge and a fantastic warehouse.

Imagine the same scenario today... modern companies would never go to such lengths, it'd be a half-arsed concrete bridge with a metal tin box if it was built today and if the council would have been forced to approve because of the economic benefits.

From the photos you've shown me its just how I imagined it would be up there, think i'd have to pass on going to the upper floor because I really don't trust the flooring, still want to see the underground as it looks far more interesting!.


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## Foxylady (Apr 24, 2008)

Wow, what a fantastic site. Love all the beams and floorboards upstairs. Cracking photos everyone. Good stuff!


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## The_Revolution (Apr 24, 2008)

Great pictures all round. TnM those basement shots are brilliant – standing in the dark as you took them I amazed how they’ve turned out. Shame about Sal's broken camera though 

I would like to say that I valiantly stayed behind to hold the ladder for the rest of the guys; but no. Having seen the pictures I’m going to have to get myself up there now.


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