Steel Making on Teeside

[russ p]

Fascinating map. Take it its from the early 50s ,pre Lackenby grids?

[Arthur]

 

Without checking it's around 1959, post '57, as at the time there were two Clay Lane furnaces, but pre '62 when the third was added.

[russ p]

Did the clay lane furnaces open in 57? I may be wrong here but thought the lackenby grids opened late 50s

[Arthur]

 

Yes, no. 3 in '56, no. 2 in '57 and no. 1 in '62'. Numbering started with 3 because, though they were built west to east as space was cleared, DL wanted to number them from east to west as the long term plan was to build a further three to the west, 4' 5 and 6.

 

In the event, the single new furnace at Redcar was big enough to replace all of them (there were plans to build another two of them at one time).

 

By Lackenby grids, do you mean the extensive new sidings built further east? If so, they were in existence around 1954/55 as part of the new Lackenby open hearth melting shop development.

[russ p]

That's interesting Arthur, I didn't realise they were built separately. 5 grid was actually built with access off the Wilton branch but I don't think it was ever used by BR traffic

[Porcy Mane]

Just spent an hour lurking around flickr. Found this view over ICI wWilton showing the Lackenby works with Redcar and Teesmouth on the horizon.

 

074-28 by Sou'wester, on Flickr

 

Bit more of interest in his County Durham & Cleveland Album.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/sets/72157607428796644

 

P

[Arthur]

That's interesting Arthur, I didn't realise they were built separately. 5 grid was actually built with access off the Wilton branch but I don't think it was ever used by BR traffic

 

 

The Clay Lane furnaces were built by Dorman Long themselves, not unknown, quite a few of the iron and steel makers had done so but it was less common by the 1950's when the furnaces were becoming larger and more technically advanced. By then, contractors like Ashmore, Benson, Pease & Co. and Head Wrightson were usually engaged. The first two were built pretty much together, no 3 being put into blast as soon as it was complete. There was then a gap before work on no. 1 started, partly due to the need to clear away some old plant.

 

They were entirely typical in design for large furnaces of the day, except for the adoption of conveyor belts to distribute raw materials to the hi line bins rather than rail transfer cars.

[russ p]

Think we may be getting confused here, I thought you were talking about the grids (yards) whereas I think you're talking about the blast furnaces

[Arthur]

 

Ah, Sorry Russ!

 

I don't have any specific dates for the grids other than knowing, as I said, that some of them were built when the new Lackenby complex was developed.

[Mark Saunders]

There is the earthwork to connect the BR Wilton line to 5 grid complete with signals to protect the junction, however as far as I know was never had the track installed likewise with 5 grid not built!

 

Mark Saunders

[russ p]

Hi Mark, I'm pretty sure the track was actually installed. There was a plan in the early 90s to relay it but I can't remember what that was in connection with. Something tells me it was about ici getting coal from Redcar mineral

[micmav]

Hello Arthur, looking at post 63 the furnaces in the photograph look like the old cleveland Bessemer plant but i dont ever remember seeing a wagon hoist as shown in front of these,i thought the wagons were shunted up an incline behind the skip hoists to the rear of the furnaces.Could these two be the old warrenby plant before modernisation?

[Arthur]

 

That's an interesting observation micmav, certainly worth some further investigation.

 

The image in post 63 is a fairly new one to me and I saw the two furnaces, with gas off take pipework similar to the Bessemer furnaces, and thought it the Cleveland/Bessemer plant. I do have a photo which is definitely of the same plant described as Cleveland, but that may be wrong. I've never (knowingly) seen a photo of the earlier Warrenby/Redcar furnaces for comparison.

 

Supporting my belief that it was the Cleveland plant, is the fact that I thought the earlier Redcar plant had three furnaces, rebuilt into two, in 1953. If you look at the photo of the rebuilt Redcar furnaces in post 66 you can see three charging gantries, two serving the furnaces and one in the immediate foreground suggesting that the third had not long gone. Having said that, the more I look at that image, the disposition of the stoves and chimneys, it is making me wonder.....

 

However, I take your point about the wagon hoist and I'll have a look at some older images/plans and try to find whether there ever was one at Cleveland. At some works, Irlam for example, wagon hoists were later replaced by more modern 'hi lines'. The plant also looks a bit spacious for Cleveland though that may be the angle of the shot.

 

I'm away from home until Monday, I'll see what else I can find, but you may well be right.

[Porcy Mane]

That phot in post 63 certainly matches the Warrenby site well when compared to the 1953 1:1,1250 map @oldmaps.co.uk.

All the chimneys can be seen and the two wagon hoists are clearly indicated.

This (much earlier?)view looks to have been taken from somewhere on the top of the funaces/gantries and looks North East showing the mineral wool works with the community of Warrenby on the coast.

 

Porcy

 

Edit; To get my directions correct.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Porcy Mane

[Beatty 139]

Hi Porcy

 

On the original print can you make out any furher detail of the loco in the middle of the scene?

[Porcy Mane]

Hi Porcy

 

On the original print can you make out any furher detail of the loco in the middle of the scene?

I wish I could. My main interest was the wagons in the photo of which studying under a glass not much detail can be made out . I suspect the copy I have is a copy of a copy.

P

 

Edit: You'll have seen this page...

http://www.image-archive.org.uk/?cat=12&paged=18

Edited December 11, 2014 by Porcy Mane

[Beatty 139]

Hi Porcy

The loco is of interest to me as it appears to be a 0-4-0 with no cab, my own full size loco I am restoring just happens to be Beatty, Bolckow Vaughan running number 139 (number retained by Dorman Long) (HL 3240/1917) at some time ran with no cab, looking at the photo the loco appears to have a short tank and the rear block buffers are the same as Beatty's other than being withdrawn from Vulcan st in the early 70's and the fact that she had work there for as long as anyone can recall certainly since the 1950's. Other than the one photo I have found of the loco at Vulcan St poking its nose out of the shed I have not found anything else or a reason why she was cut down at sometime and had the cab removed.

So that photo is of great interest, Who operated the furnaces at the time of that photo and do we know a date for the image?

 

Kind regards

[Porcy Mane]

From: http://www.redcar.org/1900s-timeline/

"12/02/1916. Messrs Dorman Long & Co purchased Redcar Iron Works. They intend to provide labour and material for the building of 6 furnaces during 1916. "

 

Works built for  Messrs. Walker, Maynard & Co.

 

I bought the photograph at Stafford Collectors Event. It is very poor quality and by the feel of the photographic paper it is a photograph of a computer print. There was no info. on the back,  hence no date but I recognised the housing as Warrenby. I would imagine the wool works used the steel works locos and if it is your loco then the phot would be after DL took over BV.

Can't be much more help, I'm afraid.

P

[micmav]

Hello All,

               Im looking for any information anyone might have about the type of rolling stock used at the old Lackenby open hearth plant, i.e did the bring the iron from the blast furnaces by Kling ladle or torpedo , and what type of slag cars were used?

[Arthur]

 

The 1950s built Lackenby open hearth plant was served by Kling type ladles for hot metal at the start. There are photos of them in use. Torpedo ladles may have been introduced later.

 

I'm away from home until Friday, I'll check some references.

 

Slag ladles could have been either four wheeled, or bogie, or both. Steel plants produce relatively less slag than blast furnaces and many open hearth shops managed with four wheeled ladle cars until closure in the 1970's. Again, I'll check some references.

[micmav]

Thanks very much Arthur for the info.

[Mark Saunders]

This shot is of the surviving Pollock Ladle at South Bank, having originally been at Kirklevington!

 

Mark Saunders

 

[Waveydavey]

Do you mean Kirkleatham Mark?

[Mark Saunders]

Do you mean Kirkleatham Mark?

 

Well spotted Dave!

[micmav]

Thanks for the picture Mark,I remember seeing rakes of those slag cars at clay lane and at Bessemer,just a bit too young to have seen the old open hearth furnaces at lackenby.I do remember walking through there though many a morning to get to the mobile tools garage at the skullbreaker end of the plant.