Steel trains over Woodhead

[Jim76]

I have seen various pictures of both bogie bolsters and BBA steel carrying wagons loaded with what looks like steel bars or rolled slabs westbound over the Woodhead route. Does anyone know what they were and where would have they been heading from / to together with how long this flow lasted for? 

[woodenhead]

2 minutes ago, Jim76 said:

I have seen various pictures of both bogie bolsters and BBA steel carrying wagons loaded with what looks like steel bars or rolled slabs westbound over the Woodhead route. Does anyone know what they were and where would have they been heading from / to together with how long this flow lasted for? 

Depending on when you are talking about I would imagine they were going to Irlam or Brymbo perhaps

 

Edit: depending on what part of the route, also Stocksbridge which still receives steel

Edited June 23, 2020 by woodenhead

[A Murphy]

I can't tell you right now Jim, but I have 2 possible sources that I can check out and will do so.

 

Regards,

 

Alastair

[Jim76]

2 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Depending on when you are talking about I would imagine they were going to Irlam or Brymbo perhaps

 

Edit: depending on what part of the route, also Stocksbridge which still receives steel

Through Woodhead itself.

[woodenhead]

OK a bizarre source for gen but I found a video for train sim 8M40 Monks Hall Steel - that's Warrington.

 

Amazing what you find.

[A Murphy]

I think Woodenhead is correct that Irlam is a highly likely destination - these trains were photographed frequently on the CLC side of Godley, where locos were changed.

 

A

[woodenhead]

Monks Siding

http://www.8dassociation.btck.co.uk/GarstonWarringtonRailwayTheLowLevel/LowLevelSignalBoxes

 

It was on the the line between Arpley and Fiddlers Ferry - would have left the Woodhead route at Godley and gone via Northenden - same route as the MGRs.

[montyburns56]

I didn't realise that there was a steel works in this location until today. You would never have guessed from visiting the place today.

 

Monks Sidings

 

 

 

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

Big ol housing estate now, if it wasn't for Trainsim I'd be none the wiser either.

[Fat Controller]

Wasn't there a rolling mill at Dallam as well?

 

[Michael Edge]

There were regular westbound steel trains on the Worsbrough line as well - presumably from Scunthorpe.

[APOLLO]

3 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Wasn't there a rolling mill at Dallam as well?

 

 

Yes, there was once a big steelworks there on the Dallam branch. The Pearson & Knowles Dallam Forge.

I'm not sure when it closed, certainly before 1974 when I started to work in Warrington, very little of it left by then.

 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Pearson_and_Knowles_Coal_and_Iron_Co

 

Edited to add - it closed in 1980

 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Dallam_Forge

 

Brit15

 

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by APOLLO

[GC&Mid]

For pics of steel on bogie bolsters etc see often quoted article on Motram yard, sorry not got article to hand at moment. I believe article also covered Dewsnap too.

GC&Mid

[GC&Mid]

For pics of steel on bogie bolsters etc see often quoted article on Motram yard in Trains Annual 1966 pages 74 - 81 by G Richard Parker = The Hazards of Shunting. From memory one photo is of a bogie bolster with a steel load that is too long so a 'match wagon' is provided at each end to protect the overhang.

GC&Mid

[Busmansholiday]

On 23/06/2020 at 17:52, Michael Edge said:

There were regular westbound steel trains on the Worsbrough line as well - presumably from Scunthorpe.

Back in the late 70's one of the many British Steel re-organisations resulted in the "Scunthorpe and Lancashire Group".

Monks Hall definitely came under Scunthorpe, I remember a colleague going there and his description of the rolling mill as "it being kept open solely so they could use it for filming 1930's working environments".