13. Shifting Lobby

Wherever black powder or cartridges were stored there was a danger of explosion caused by metal fittings on a soldier's uniform or boots. Before a soldier could enter a chamber under magazine working regulations he needed to change into a magazine working uniform. He did this in the shifting lobby. He took off his uniform on the dirty side of the barrier and could then pass beyond the barrier into the clean side. There he put on his magazine uniform made of lasting cloth. The process was reversed when leaving the magazine.

The shifting lobby fittings consisted of a boot box on which to store dirty boots, a foot grating to prevent grit from causing a spark, a coir mat on which to wipe shoes and a hinged barrier with lifting board. Either side of the barrier was seat with pegs above on which to hang uniforms.

The shifting lobby was illuminated by lamps in lamp recesses. Only special magazine lamps were permited inside the magazines because of the danger of a spark igniting the black powder. Dampness in magazines was a particular problem and to help prevent this large there were special regulations for airing and venting magazine chambers. Trays of mositure absorbing lime were also used.

14. Shifting Room

Adjacent to the main magazine is a small room with its own shifting lobby. This was first used as a shifting room where powder could be shifted from a damaged barrel into a new one before being safely stored in the main magazine powder store. The room was later adapted to be used as a small laboratory where shells or cartridges could be inspected prior to being placed in the main shell store or main cartridge store. This room was under magazine conditions and a person working within it needed to wear special magazine clothing.