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Steel Works Locos


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So lets continue with the more normal works fleet, and the Baguley Dewery HiLine locos. These operate fixed to what can only be described as a giant HAA hopper wagon that has a drivers cab at one end. The HiLine is the system that transfers sinter and coke from the bunkers at each end of the elevated railway (it's about 40 foot above ground, you sometimes get there on a brake van tour) to the charging system for the blast furnaces. You don't see these locos very often away from the system as they have their own little workshop at one end of the HiLine that does the routine maintenance.

 

Here's one of those rare occasions as HL2 is on it's way back to the HiLine after having visited the main workshops for repairs,

 

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and HL7 at the workshops awaiting repairs.

 

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That's 81 behind it, 82 is in the left of the picture and I'm on 30 (more on that soon).

 

There's lots of pictures of Janus locos on the web, and on this site, so I'll not bore you too much but some examples of interest.

 

Here's 44 off for a trip to have it's wheels turned, We didn't have a wheel lathe in later years so they had to go off site. The box on the roof is the radio control system, 44 and 51 weren't originally refurbished (and re-numbered when they were done  like the other Janus locos in the 1990's) but was I believe converted to radio control by the workshops later on.

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Now @PeteBrid mentioned 91 earlier  so here it is (again with HL2) with Tata badges,

 

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and a shot of a Janus showing the re-design of the cab layout Peter mentioned. Whilst it might have received 29s front panels and heat shield it definitely isn't 29, I think it's actually 90.

 

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In February 2015, 93 re-entered traffic having had a complete nut and bolt rebuild in the workshops. Here is it just after being moved outside.

 

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When I say " complete nut and bolt rebuild" I really mean it. It was stripped down to just the frames, then it was re-assembled with reconditioned engines, generators, traction motors, a new cab and was totally rewired. I must admit to sucking air through my teeth when I was told how much it had actually cost.

Here's another shot of her a little later.

 

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Another Janus, 29, was in the workshops for the same work when the Di8s arrived which effectively killed the project. It was stripped to just the frames when I last saw it so no doubt is no longer with us. It was the only Janus (excluding preserved No 1) that wasn't radio control fitted. It had been used as a hire loco for external companies at one point. Here's a shot of her outside the workshops, still with her for complement of panels.

 

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Moving on from the Janus locos to the Hunslets, and the eleven (a batch of 10, 70 - 79) supplied 1972/3 and number 80 in 1977. Number 80 is slightly different from the rest as it has thicker frames as the original ones were found to suffer from cracking and twisting in their early lives.

 

This is 70 just after being refurbished and named "Big Keith". Keith was the traffic manager (and a giant of a man) who sadly died far too early (heart attack if I remember correctly). In his memory Hunslet 79 was named after him. When 79 self combusted, the cab with the "Big Keith" name on it sat outside the workshops for a long time before being put on 70 to continue his memory.

 

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A slightly less shiny 71,

 

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and 80.

 

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After 79s demise, 77 felt sorry for it and did the same. It made a right mess of the electrical systems, I had the delight of looking over it. Here it is on it's way to the scrap bay.

 

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As we were then two down, and after the experiences building the Trojans for Port Talbot (more to come), it was decided to rebuild the Hunslets onto new frames. The first frame was built in the Structural Workshops on site and was sent down to the workshops to be assembled.

 

Here's what was to become 30 (the number was chosen apparently because there was a series of 11 numbers onwards that they could use without any other locos and plant being in there) being built.  It carries the Hunslet works number badges from 79.

 

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Eventually she was completed and I got to go out with her on a test run.

 

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There are a number of differences to the other Hunslets. The air tanks are on the footplates (not under the ends), the cab is totally different, the handrails are standard industrial ones, she was designed to run on one engine and there's various other details.  The name "Fusion" was an internal competition (you won nothing) and was supposed to show the fusion of old (refurbished engines, motors etc) with the new (frames, cab etc).

There were another three frames built by outside contractors in the workshops when the Di8s arrived. Another project ended.

 

Fifteen pics is enough for one thread so I'd better start another one.

 

 

 

 

 

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 I've previously mentioned that we had a Teesside GEC at Scunthorpe so here it is. It was obviously one of Teessides better* locos, as apart from repainting it, we also rebuilt brake systems and a few other things before we could try it out. The centre, non-flanged wheels fell off on all the tight bends. It went back north pretty quick.

 

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We also received one of the Moss Bay Hunslet 0-6-0s. It was numbered 58, and spent most of it's time outside the workshops looking like this.

 

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I believe AFRPS persuaded the management to let them fix it, which they did and it looked a lot better for it.

 

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The "Trojan" project saw us build four diesel hydraulic Bo-Bo locos for Port Talbot. The frames and bogies were based on the Hunslets and there were intended to be modular; one or two engines, electric or hydraulic, cab at the end or in the middle.  The frames were actually built in Llanwern and sent here. When our welding inspector saw them his description of the welding wasn't repeatable. He had the frames shot blasted, the welds cut out and re-welded by "people who could weld" before they were built. They have CAT engines and Voith transmission driving the bogies via carden shafts. Despite agreeing to the cab design and other items, Port Talbot had Wabco change the layouts. Something was obviously lost in translation! 

 

I had the first one posed here whilst out on a run on it.

 

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I used the picture on an internal report I wrote on it. My phone subsequently rang and it was the project manager. "That photograph you took" he said, "can you send us it so we can use it"!

 

Here's the last one we built and a view from the other end.

 

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We started with a Steelman so when a couple of ex MoD Royale versions appeared from HNRC it was a bit of a surprise. We didn't use them, although we ensured they were run regularly,

 

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and lined up out of use with HNRCs Class 20s.

 

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So that's it for the locos, lets finish with some wagons and a few rail buildings in the hopefully, final post.

 

 

 

Edited by Busmansholiday
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9 hours ago, Busmansholiday said:

the wagons used by Network Rail were air braked and we didn't have anything that could work those. As a result, there was only one easy solution to this and that was to lease some compatible locos, enter the Class 20's.

 I always wondered why 'you lot up North' ;) had Class 20s

 

What a brilliant run through the fleet, thanks for sharing.

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8 hours ago, martyn11post said:

 I always wondered why 'you lot up North' ;) had Class 20s

 

What a brilliant run through the fleet, thanks for sharing.

The 20's were nearly a short term lease. There were plans in 2007 to replace all the Scunie and Teesside locos with a fleet of refurbished EMD switcher lococs via Relco. A Hunslet was fitted with a wooden mockup of the size of these to check clearances. The Scunie ones were to be lower than the Teesside versions (BF clearance) by the simple measure of lopping the cab roof off. Quarter million each, delivered including warrenty, I've a set of the line drawings for them. Tata bought us and spending got reduced.

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On 20/04/2020 at 17:18, Busmansholiday said:

As far as I know just number 30 (ex 79) was done. @gpplumy may know the current situation. 

I'll speak with the others and we will try and come up with a "at the current time " info list. And pleased love to see more of your janus photos 

 

As for no 30 shes currently out of use having more work done. At least 3 hunslets  now have the heavier chassis and 2 or three in the new blue livery 

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On 03/04/2020 at 16:53, Michael Edge said:

I've got drawings for the GECT 6wh shunters but they do present some difficulties in model form. I would need to drive all axles and the compensation gear is rather strange and very visible, it would have to move with the wheels.

Michael, any chance of a copy of the 6w GECT drawing, I understand they had a couple at Port Talbot. 

Cheers

Paul Webb 

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On 18/04/2020 at 10:17, PeteBrid said:

 

My abiding memory of a ride on a Titan was up at Ravenscraig. As I explained, each engine drive the forward/reverse gearbox at the opposiite end of the loco, so the two drive lines passed one another in opposite directions under the cab.  In fact, to prevent the propshafts being too long, they were split into pairs with a plummer block on a  cross stretcher. On this occasion I was on a 'fact-finding' tour of Ravenscraig with the Loco Superintendent and we climbed aboard a Titan about to propel two loads of red hot molten slag up to the tip.  As we set off, the driver grunted at the Loco Super  and moved us to one side so that he could lift an access panel in the cab floor. He drew our attention to what was underneath. There were the two pairs of propshafts, but one of the 4 was bent and in consequence its associated plummer block was no longer secure to the cross stretcher.  Instead it rose half an inch or so and fell back as the propshaft rotated, and each time a flake of metal flew off. The driver was anxious to bring this defect to the Super's notice, and quite rightly, but I suddenly became aware of the surreality of the situation. Here we were, propelling two wagons* full of red hot molten slag at about 5 or 6 mph. There were personnel and rubber-tyred vehicles moving around in the vicinity (there was a level crossing a short way ahead)  and the loco was driving itself as the driver and all of us in the cab were watching  a plummer block rising and falling through a hole in the floor - and they say mobile phones are a distraction.

 

 

Pete Briddon

Peter

Is this a Titan at Ravenscraig? https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ravenscraigsteel/eb65a5fc

 

Paul

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11 hours ago, Paul Webb said:

Michael, any chance of a copy of the 6w GECT drawing, I understand they had a couple at Port Talbot. 

Cheers

Paul Webb 

PM sent, I don't know of any of these working at Port Talbot but I think they have been used at Llanwern.

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On 05/10/2020 at 07:35, Michael Edge said:

PM sent, I don't know of any of these working at Port Talbot but I think they have been used at Llanwern.

 

There's at least one currently at Port Talbot - on hire from Ed Murray.  I'm not sure where the loco was orginally from.  As far as I am aware, it has been hired in recently (i.e. in the last 2 years or so) - I'm not aware that they had any of these earlier. 

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Llanwern had quite a few, and still have some - including one which has recently had a very heavy overhaul (see below).  Of course, Llanwern never relied on rail to the same extent as Port Talbot does - if I remember correctly even hot metal traffic (molten iron from blast furnace to steel plant) was road hauled using some huge Kress carriers.

 

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Alastair

 

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I managed to catch one of the Stocksbridge Steel Works Yorkshire Engine Company Janus' in action last week.  Thanks for this thread for making me aware that there are actually two different loco's on site, I always assumed I was seeing the same one. Still going strong after 60+ years this one.Stocksbridgesteel.jpg.380169f1022cc381c18882191d4149d6.jpg

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i'm still working on gathering Port Talbot steelworks photos, it's coming on but information is very thin on hot metal carriers, torpedo, slag ladles etc,. Any further information, photos, specifications, drawings that anyone is willing to share.

cheers

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3 hours ago, Paul Webb said:

i'm still working on gathering Port Talbot steelworks photos, it's coming on but information is very thin on hot metal carriers, torpedo, slag ladles etc,. Any further information, photos, specifications, drawings that anyone is willing to share.

cheers

In the day job I am currently doing some work with Port Talbot and have a lot of info on the torps. But of course there are issues of confidentiality and I cannot share that.

I may be able to put you in touch with one of the engineers in the railway workshops there. They have good knowledge on the present equipment but little historic stuff. 

What sort of info are you after? 

Regards,

Mol

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On 03/04/2020 at 14:10, Busmansholiday said:

So leaving Scunthorpe for the time being, we'll head east to Immingham Bulk Terminal, or IBT as it's known locally. Built as a joint venture between BSC and the NCB, and manned by NCB employees, it was built to export UK mined coal and import iron ore for use at Scunthorpe. The miners strike of 1984/5 and the subsequent colliery closures resulted in it importing coal as well for use at Scunie and total control was eventually transferred to BSC.  You get an impressive view from the cabs of the ship unloaders above the river, trust me.

 

There's no shunters at IBT, coal and iron ore trains are reversed in empty then loaded. Iron ore via a bunker system, coal via mechanical shovels.  When originally opened, the iron ore trains were hauled by a pair of 37's and this continued until the 60's became available. The introduction of these had a benefit for both BR and BSC. For BR it reduced fuel and maintenance cost as they only used one loco, for BSC, the removal of that extra loco meant that an addition ore wagon could be inserted into the rake as the limiting factor in these trains is the length of the head shunt at the FOT (Foreign Ore Terminal) on the works.

 

So a shot of 66075 being loaded with coal whilst a 60 is loaded under the ore bunkers.

 

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The device above the 66 isn't a loading gauge, its where the water / chemical mix that crusts the top of the coal to stop it 'lifting off' on it's journey to Scunie is applied. A lot of work between BSC and BR took place with the old HAA wagons to reduce lift off, somewhere in the BSC archives is a video taken from the back cab of a 47 on it's journey showing the lift off.

I know this is a bit of a dust off an old post, but just to say Ore trains haven't reversed onto the IBT for quite a few years. The run in forwards and run round on site. This is the current set up at Immingham West Jn. box. 

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Edited by Dave-5-5-7
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Came across this on Gordon Edgar's Flickr account, I'd not seen the Thomas Hill 'tridem' before. 
"A remarkable line up of redundant British Steel Corporation diesel locos alongside the River Tees on 28th October 1977, including Thomas Hill articulated 'tridem', Yorkshire Engine and 'Sentinel' locos. The 1969-built Thomas Hill articulated diesel-hydraulic units (Thomas Hill Vanguard Works Nos.in the range 201V-211V) each has a Rolls Royce Type C6TFL power unit delivering 278hp. The driving unit had the provision for attaching a power unit on each end, becoming a 834hp unit. One such unit is in the head of the row, followed by the spare 'single unit' (Works No.211V built in 1969).

 

© Gordon Edgar - photographer Roy Burt - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission"

 

Photo is embedded from Flickr, clicking it will take you to the page.
 

Teesside Derelicts

 

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