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Steel Making on Teeside


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I've has a look at some references and I can confirm that from its opening in 1950s, hot metal was delivered in 75 ton Kling ladles.  I doubt that this changed during the life of the melting shop, the use of torpedo ladles would have required changes to the handling facilities, and by the mid 60s it was clear the shop had a limited life as the Basic Oxygen Process was the future. 

 

 

Slag was handled in 17 ton capacity pots on 4 wheel carriages slag ladles.

 

Not the best photo, scanned from a grainy original, it shows some slag ladles under one of the 350 ton tilting open hearth furnaces.

 

post-6861-0-22098100-1432409463_thumb.jpeg

 

 

The carriages are similar to those currently available from RT Models though the pots are circular in cross section, and larger, than that supplied with the kit.

 

Tilting furnaces were slagged by tipping them forward, towards the charging stage, over a spout in one or more of the charging doors. This required the slag ladles to be shunted under the charging stage and 4 wheel carriages were better suited to the confined space.  In the plan below you can see the slag ladle lines curving under the charging stage and under the individual furnaces.

 

post-6861-0-42564300-1432410135.jpg

 

 

Fixed frame furnaces were slagged on the pitside (tapping) side and the ladles were shunted in along the casting bay and though space wasn't quite such an issue most shops managed with 4 wheel ladles.

 

So, Kling ladles for hot metal and 4 wheel slag pots at the start and I think it likely that they remained in use until the shop closed in the 1970s.

Edited by Arthur
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Here's some of the Clarke/RT Models slag ladles made up;

 

post-6861-0-93869900-1432413147_thumb.jpg

 

post-6861-0-53287100-1432413228_thumb.jpg

 

They make up very nicely and Robert at RT Models is a very helpful. Alistair (Clarke) based them on a prototype at Stanton Ironworks, they're typical Dewhurst of Sheffield slag ladles.

 

And some Kling Ladles, anglicised from STD models kits of US prototypes.

 

post-6861-0-63573000-1432413454.jpg

 

post-6861-0-09438200-1432413478.jpg

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Hello everyone,I was wondering if anyone knew where I could get old photos or Evan a plan of the old Warrenby works,both of the blast furnace site and the steelplant as these seem to be quite scarce, as I'm planning a 00 gauge layout loosely based on the old works.

Old large scal Ordnance Survey maps detail railways ...50" scale.

Most are available..I used them to trace the tracks around Grosmont and Goathland...those were Ist edition OS maps, hand drawn and works of art!

That was some time ago. I wonder if they are now on line?

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It's a nice kit, here's a couple of mine. Like that STD Kling ladles, they need a few midifications to to anglicise them. In UK context they are more suitable for use at larger, post war, blast furnaces, Clay Lane for example.

 

post-6861-0-60254200-1432577643.jpg

 

post-6861-0-54517300-1432577721.jpg

 

No, they're not vac fitted, the hoses represent the steam or air lines which operated the tipping mechanism.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

 

The BFI have just released a whole raft of new films including this one, 'Steel Strides Ahead',

 

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-steel-strides-ahead-1961/

 

It is two films, total running time 47 minutes, covering the then new iron making, steel making, and rolling facilities at Dorman Longs Clay Lane and Lackenby sites.

 

It's the best step by step description of the facilities and operations of a traditional integrated steelworks I have seen. Railway interest includes glimpses of Fireless 0-6-0's on ingot trains, the big Sentinels, both rigid and articulated, working around the coke ovens and blast furnaces and some frustratingly brief glimpses of the steeple cab electrics. The working of the rope hauled incline to the stocking grounds also features.

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Have watched the first twenty minutes and it's fascinating stuff. Brings back memories of Shelton Bar in Stoke-on-Trent and, although I wasn't old enough to remember the steel making I did get a couple of tours round the rolling mill there along with the steam charters we did in the 90s.

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The BFI have just released a whole raft of new films including this one, 'Steel Strides Ahead',

 

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-steel-strides-ahead-1961/

 

It is two films, total running time 47 minutes, covering the then new iron making, steel making, and rolling facilities at Dorman Longs Clay Lane and Lackenby sites.

 

It's the best step by step description of the facilities and operations of a traditional integrated steelworks I have seen. Railway interest includes glimpses of Fireless 0-6-0's on ingot trains, the big Sentinels, both rigid and articulated, working around the coke ovens and blast furnaces and some frustratingly brief glimpses of the steeple cab electrics. The working of the rope hauled incline to the stocking grounds also features.

Commentator - Bob Danvers Walker .............. I'm showing my age now, who remembers which t,v, programme his voice featured on ?

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After watching that film I wracked my brains trying to recall the answer to that very question Brian, I could hear his name as it was always mentioned in the programme.

 

As I had to Google the answer I won't now pretend that I knew.

 

I did recall that he did a lot of Pathe News voice overs.

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As I had to Google the answer I won't now pretend that I knew.

Unfortunately I didn't have to resort to Google!

 

Probably because, as a young kid, I was the original TV remote control. My old granny used to force me to sit next to her whilst she watched anything and every thing on "the Telly".  A quick nudge meant get up and change station. Fortunately there were only two.

 

Michael Miles was one of her favourites. All shout together. "OPEN THE BOX!" "YES/NO"...  "YES/NO"... "YES/NO"...    BONGGGGggggggg.

 

Almost as bad as Hughie Green with Beat the Clock and Double your Money. At least he had Monica to look at.

 

No wonder I threw the telly out all them years ago...

 

Porcy

Going for a lie down as suddenly I have visions of Russ Conway playing Side Saddle on his piano and giving me that silly smile and a wink. (As a three year old, my Grandad once told me he'd found Russ Conways severed finger in a tin of Garden Peas).

Edited by Porcy Mane
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Wasn't 'Beat The Clock' part of Sunday Night at the London Palladium or some such show?

 

I do recall the two game shows of the day, 'Take Your Pick' and 'Double Your Money', Michael Miles and Hughie Greene respectively.

 

Google told me that Michael Miles was apparently earning the astionishing sum of £20,000 a year at the time.

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Wasn't 'Beat The Clock' part of Sunday Night at the London Palladium or some such show?

 

Yep I think you're right, Sunday Night at the London Palladium another programme I had to endure as the Mk 1 TV remote.

Must admit to being pretty impressed at the end of one Sunday Night at the Pally when they got the Mini Cooper S that had just won the Monte Carlo Rally onto the revolving stage. The Car got a bigger cheer than Tommy Cooper and Bruce Forsythe.

Why do I remember such Crap???

P

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I have a CD of Russ Conway that I "inherited" from my parents.

 

Like Slade and Status Quo it is good for playing loudly in the workshop to keep visitors away when I want to get on and work...

 

Les

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The BFI have just released a whole raft of new films including this one, 'Steel Strides Ahead',

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-steel-strides-ahead-1961/

It is two films, total running time 47 minutes, covering the then new iron making, steel making, and rolling facilities at Dorman Longs Clay Lane and Lackenby sites.

It's the best step by step description of the facilities and operations of a traditional integrated steelworks I have seen. Railway interest includes glimpses of Fireless 0-6-0's on ingot trains, the big Sentinels, both rigid and articulated, working around the coke ovens and blast furnaces and some frustratingly brief glimpses of the steeple cab electrics. The working of the rope hauled incline to the stocking grounds also features.

That film should carry an 18 certificate!! Especially the bit round the ore dock with the steeple cab. The loader must have been pretty close to the overheads

 

Thanks for sharing that

Edited by russ p
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Thanks for this Arthur - I never thought that I'd be lucky enough to see film footage of those Sentinels. Really, however, this is just the icing on the cake; the scale and complexity of the operation depicted is fantastic!

 

Adam

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Thanks for this Arthur - I never thought that I'd be lucky enough to see film footage of those Sentinels. Really, however, this is just the icing on the cake; the scale and complexity of the operation depicted is fantastic!

 Adam

 

 

Yes indeed, as soon as Mike Edge releases his Sentinel kits there'll be a couple going under the soldering iron here.

 

Fascinating stuff, Arthur, bringing back the sights and smells of my childhood. How much of the plant at Lackenby remains?

Great film isn't it Brian.

 

All that's in the first film has gone, ore wharf and stocking grounds, coke ovens, sinter plant, blast furnaces and open hearth shop. The soaking pits and heavy rolling mills have gone too though what, if anything, of the finishing mills remains I couldn't say. At the time of the film there were two other open hearth shops at Cleveland works, the Bessemer blast furnaces and a third furnace would be added to Clay Lane in 1962. There were also facilities at Acklam and Redcar, all gone.

 

They were replaced by the new iron making facilities at Redcar and the BOS shop at Lackenby, both still there.

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I have a CD of Russ Conway that I "inherited" from my parents.

 

Like Slade and Status Quo it is good for playing loudly in the workshop to keep visitors away when I want to get on and work...

 

Les

My late brother in law was a Methodist Minister and his musical tastes were mild rather than wild. One Christmas my wife sent him two CDs which never arrived. The envelope containing them did, with Christmas card in it, but he said that it did look like it had been tampered with.

 

I suspect the scrote who took them was a little disappointed with his haul of Daniel O'Donnel and the Salvation Army choir. Maybe the latter put him on the road to righteousness.

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