1902

Melton Constable had its own gasworks that supplied the station, the railway works and the company's residential properties with light and fuel. The gasworks were built by the Eastern & Midlands Railway and were brought into operation by 1883. The gasholder lower section was 46 ft in diameter and the rising half was 45 ft in diameter, with the maximum height above its base of 23 ft 3 in.

A gasworks had been built in 1881; this was expanded with an oil-gas plant in 1889 to charge the gas cylinders of the carriages and made larger in 1902 to cater for the the new gas-fitted rolling stock purchased from the Joint's partners - previously the line's carriages were lit with oil. Coal was delivered down a chute, the gasworks being at a lower level than the sidings. Gas pipes ran underground to standpipes along the carriage sidings near the Engineer's office to allow simultaneous gassing of several carriages at once. All Eastern Section sets were to be charged with gas at Melton between the hours of 7.00am and 5.00pm, a telegram being sent to the stationmaster at least one hour before the train was due to arrive so that he could make the arrangements.
Nigel Digby

In 1899, tenders were invited to install a new Gas Holder, Cast Iron Tank and two Purifiers.
In 1901, tenders were invited to install a new Gas Tower Scrubber with a diameter of 4 ft and a height of 30 ft.

I think there has been very little published about the gas works at Melton so I will try to rustle up a few memories.
It was a two shift job, 6.0am to 2.0pm, and 2.0pm to 10.0pm. The early two man turn would "pull-out" the retorts, pull-out means taking off the retort lid and with a long iron rake pull out all the contents of the retort, this is all red-hot fire and it all falls onto the iron clad floor in front of the man, you can guess the heat that he is tolerating, having pulled out all the gas extracted fire he then douses it with water and the heap becomes a heap of coke, now the retort has to be refilled again and this job he did without pausing for a breather and it was quite skilful to fill the retort to the right level so that the gases would go on their way unobstructed, the long iron rake would be pushed over the top of the burning coal to ensure a clear passage, the lid is now cleaned and a bedding made up and spread round the edges of the lid to ensure a tight fit. The coke is then barrowed away and the whole process continued to the rest of the retorts, there was of course lots more to the job that I know nothing about such as caring for the gas engine, the purifiers, the oil gas beds etc. On the 2 to 10 shift the man on duty, after dealing with the retorts in the winter months had to go round the village and light up the street lamps. If my memory serves me correct there were seven lamps, these by the way he had to turn out again before going off duty at 10.0pm The gas which was produced apart from the street light provided lights in the houses in Melton Street, Colville Road, the shops and the railway workshops. Astley Terrace and Briston
Road houses had paraffin lamps. There were gas posts situated all over the carriage sidings and yard sidings for the purpose of filling the cylinders on the six-wheeled carriages which were all gas lit, this of course was oil gas but was all produced at the gas works. The two men that I first remember working there were Tom Wright who lived at Barney, the other one was Horace Shaw who lived at Sharrington and later moved into Melton Street.
Frank Morgan - March 1989.
M&GN Circle

Above left photo
A very nice left hand Bracket Signal opposite Melton East Box, with Miniature CBT arms on wooden posts, with tall finials. It applies for setting back in the Down Yard. A 16 ton mineral wagon is in the siding. There is a Gas Lamp on the right on a tall wooden post, which looks like an old second-hand Midland Railway signal post.
Above right photo
The gas works is down the incline with a mineral wagon at the bottom.
M&GN Circle

Gasworks site - c.1964

M&GN Closure map - 29th May 1959

Melton Constable gasworks closed on 3rd March 1962