Smithywood coking plant and the Ecclesfield branch.

[Carl. H.]

Hello everyone,

 

I've been doing a bit of photo searching on Flickr of Smithywood coking plant near Sheffield.  I spent my very early childhood nearby and have a few memories of it. Anyway, to the questions. There was a departure from Smithywood of coke loaded in HAA hoppers , does anyone know where it went to and what the coke was used for, considering the expense of installing MGR discharge equipment in a given location.  The only places I can think of would be power stations or cement works, like Northfleet but can't think of what you would use coke in either of those places for. 

Secondly, any other workings from Smithywood. I noticed from photos, coke being loaded into 16 ton opens and 21 ton hoppers , where did it go to? 

Thirdly, any other workings on the Ecclesfield branch. I know it had other connections to it for freight; an oil terminal and wasn't an IZAL factory or warehouse connected too? Any info on these or other freight workings would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read. 

 

Carl

[Fat Controller]

Neither power stations nor cement works would have used coke on a regular basis. Coke is largely used in the iron and steel industry; from small foundries (taking a wagon or two at a time) to large integrated plants such as Scunthorpe or Lackenby. Whilst the latter two had their own coke ovens, they also took in coke from other locations, such as Orgreave; hence the importance of this plant during the miners' strike in the 1980s. 

Incidentally, the presence of the IZAL factory was directly connected to the coking plant ; the 'medicated' component was derived from coal tar produced when coal is heated to produce coke.                                                                            

[Flying Pig]

The 1980 Baker Atlas shows only scrapyards apart from the coking plant.  The Ecclesfield oil terminal is shown on the nearby Chapeltown loop, not connected to the branch.

[Rivercider]

2 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

The 1980 Baker Atlas shows only scrapyards apart from the coking plant.  The Ecclesfield oil terminal is shown on the nearby Chapeltown loop, not connected to the branch.

I have the 2nd edition Baker Rail Atlas dated 1978. It also shows just the oil terminal on the Chapeltown loop. On the freight only branch there are two scrapyards and Smithywood Coking Plant, also BSC Meadowhall and another scrapyard south of Meadow Hall Junction.

 

The TOPS 1977 location lists gives the following TOPS locations:-

25305 Ecclesfield West                      BP Oil                                         25010 TRA (Rotherham Masboro Sidings)

25312 Smithywood Coke Ovens      National Smokeless Fuels      25010 TRA

25313 Ecclesfield East                        Smith W F                                 25010 TRA

 

cheers

[Duncan.]

A great question Carl. 

Pictured here is a Smithywood (Chapletown nr Sheffield) to Tinsley working. I wonder if this working was regular or a one off.  And where indeed would it be unloaded, I don't think I've ever seen coke in HAA mgr wagons before. 

I assume that the wagons could only be unloaded by the fixed equipment at power stations. Does anyone know the final destination of this train?

Cheers

Duncan 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Duncan.
addition

[Walter Whigham XIV]

Various internet local history sources come out wth the unsurprising comment that the coke went to steelworks in Sheffield. I think (but am not sure) that the coke was tripped to Tinsley in the first instance.

 

The oil terminal was at Ecclesfield West on the MR line. It was never connnected to the GC(Smithywood) line. It wasn't in the 1956 Clearing House handbook of stations, so must postdate that. It shut about 1995, I think. Its existence requireed the survival of Ecclesfield signal box until that date.

 

The Newton Chambers complex at Chapeltown had been connected to both the GC and Midland lines. Izal was a subsidiary of NC but I'm not aware it ever had a rail connection- it was a 1930s build by the look of the architecture. In any case the line north of Smithywood closed in March 1966, partly because the M1 was about to be constructed across its path.

 

There was some other traffic on the surviving section apart from coke. At Grange Lane British Acheson Electrodes and Roe Bros scrap merchants had sidings. There is a photo of these (and some of Smithywood in the steam era) still in use in 1971 in Bob Pixton's misnamed Pen and Sword book 'Great Central Sheffield Main Line services'  (Pen and Sword 2020) which covers just about everything GC in the area except the main line!

[Carl. H.]

Thanks for the information everyone. I found out from my Dad, whose just got a copy of David Monk-Steel's book on MGR hoppers today, that the the train of coke from Smithywood went on to Scunthorpe for the steel works. Incidentally my family moved to Treeton, very near Orgreave, in January 1987. I remember the sulphurous smell that hanged in the air, along with the distant roar of coke being quenched during a push, and many happy hours by the lineside with Dad watching the trains go by, along with a flurry of activity at the exchange sidings when the coke was pushed and loaded into HTV's or HEA's. Treeton would make a good layout.