Dragon Steels, South Wales metals traffic 1990-1992

[d winpenny]

Good idea keep it up

[P.C.M]

Hi Wayne, Nice to see some pics. The layout is looking good.

 

Cheers Peter.

[br2975]

Wayne,

 

Hope this helps - taken at Tremorfa circa 2006

.

Brian

[Worsdell forever]

You need some pipes! 

 

Taken in 2008 near BOC Redcar. 

 

 

[br2975]

And a bit more pipework.

.

Brian R

[Wayne 37901]

Hi Wayne, Nice to see some pics. The layout is looking good.

 

Cheers Peter.

 

Thanks Peter,

 

I'm enjoying the motivation to get this one done, it's really been too long.

 

Wayne,

 

Hope this helps - taken at Tremorfa circa 2006

.

Brian

 

That helps a lot Brian. Just out of interest, what would Liquid Oxygen be used for in a steelworks?

 

You need some pipes! 

 

Taken in 2008 near BOC Redcar. 

 

That's an impressive set up of pipes, the 'crossover' is interesting.

 

And a bit more pipework.

.

Brian R

 

Thanks Brian,

 

That gives a good overall impression for the location of the various pipe runs. It also shows just how big the new Melt Shop is and how it towers over all the other older buildings.

 

Cheers

Edited September 29, 2013 by Wayne 37901

[Arthur]

Oxygen is used in the steel making process to burn out, or oxidise, carbon and other impurities from the melt. Hot metal from the blast furnaces contains 4% carbon and to make steel you need to reduce that to around 0.5% (more or less, depending on the steel specification).

 

Bessemer patented the idea of using oxygen, for use in his convertor, around 1870 but at the time no one knew how to make oxygen in bulk. The tonnage oxygen process, developed in Germany in the 1920's and which became a commercial process in the 1950's, revolutionised steel making. Various methods were used at the time but the process which became the standard for bulk steel making from iron was the Basic Oxygen Process.

 

In electric arc furnaces it performs the same role although there is much less carbon in the scrap which they melt. It helps to rapidly melt large items of scrap in the furnace and it's reactions with impurities like aluminium, phosphorous, silicon and manganese release heat which further helps the steel making process.

 

Large amounts of oxygen are also used in oxyacetylene torches which are used in a variety of in-works applications and it was used, in oxygen lances, to tap open hearth furnaces.

[br2975]

Large amounts of oxygen are also used in oxyacetylene torches which are used in a variety of in-works applications ...................................................

 

Many years ago (circa 1973-74) during my 6th Form work experience at the (then) GKN Castle & Tremorfa Works I was treated to the sight of a 'cobble' on one of the mills.

.

i.e. a red hot billet travelling at speed collided with the mill rolls instead of passing between them, result - the front end of the 'plastic' billet stops dead and the rear end keeps on moving resulting in the red hot billet whipping around the place and 'taking out' anything in its path.

.

With the siren blaring, men set to with oxy-acetylene torches cutting up the billet and removing it from on and around the mill bed ...... as other billets continued to flash by, or between their legs as they worked !

.

If that wasn't 'dengerous' enough - we also visited the pickling shop (?) where coils were dunked into vats containing the most evil smelling liquids your nose could ever encounter. I got the impression that all the men employed there had thin, wispy, white hair and rotten teeth !!!!

.

Then there was the nail factory - who remembers when 'every' box of nails or screws you bought in this country had the GKN 'Castle' logo on the box ? From outside this looked just like anyother low industrial mill building - open the door, and walk in - and the whole structure bounced as the dozens of machines punched and stamped nails and screws of every size and description.

.

Oh ! and I haven't got to the slag tipping on the foreshore yet ...................... ( I know the molten steel was produced 'next door' at East Moors )..

.

Brian R

.

PS

The most terrifying experience was riding the 'tilly' - a Thames min-bus that plied between the Castle & Tremorfa works - bouncing over unmade roads and dodging trains !!!!

Edited September 30, 2013 by br2975

[Wayne 37901]

Thanks for that Arthur. I was aware of the Basic Oxygen Process for works using raw materials to produce steel but not for an EAF plant, interesting indeed.

 

 

Brian,

 

It's always nice to hear stories of your experience there, it just goes to show that Steelworks are dangerous places to work in.

 

Is the nail factory still in production, or does castle works just concentrate on producing wire rod?

 

 

Cheers

[br2975]

Is the nail factory still in production, or does castle works just concentrate on producing wire rod?

 

Wayne

.

The nail factory was located at Tremorfa on the northern edge of the internal sidings (aka 'The Prairie' ) that ran alongside Rover Way. The nail factory closed many years ago, and the site is now mainly beneath the new EAF. 

.

The mill which suffered the 'cobble' was at the Castle Works; and the 'vats' were also at the south end of the Castle Works alongside the former BR Roath Dock stabling point, and what later became Ryan's coal stocking and blending site on the north sides of the Roath Dock.

.

The East Moors / Castle Works complex had originally been constructed by Guest Keen as the 'New' Dowlais works, but came to be known to generations of Cardiffians as 'The Dowlais' or "The Dowluss" (Many of the locals were not Cardiffians by birth, with a large number of Irish and Cornish having moved into Splott, so they found Welsh pronunciations difficult).

.

Successive nationalisations and 'de-nationalisations' saw the steel production at the East Moors plant finally owned by British Steel (BSC) and the adjoining Castle Works and other finishing facilities back within the  Guest Keen empire.

.

With the impending closure of East Moors in 1978 (by a Labour Government that included the MP for the area, "Sunny" Jim Callaghan) and the loss of raw steel British Steel and GKN got together and established a new Electric Arc facility at Tremorfa.

.

Eventually, a  management buy-out saw the creation of Allied Steel & Wire; the rest the say, is history..

.

Brian R

Edited September 30, 2013 by br2975

[Arthur]

Cobble? Castle Works?...a search of my archives;

 

Castle Rod and Bar Mill in the 1960's

 

 

and, a very poor image, showing the aftermath of a cobble at Castle Works. As Brian said, the ribbon of high speed, incandescent steel, would wrap itself around anything in it's path and the recommended course of action was a sprint to the brown trousers store. Removal usually involved an overhead crane pulling it free whilst still 'plastic' and teams of burners cutting it up.

 

 

Edit; Looks like the chap on the left favoured bicycle clips over brown trousers.

 

The cobble above looks a bit tame, it could wrap itself around the roof girders in some cases.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Arthur

[marc smith]

Good progress on the layout Wayne,
but please hurry up & finish it..... I'd like to see it

Interesting contributions folks
Nice thread

[br2975]

Cobble? Castle Works?...a search of my archives;

 

Castle Rod and Bar Mill in the 1960's

 

image.jpg

 

and, a very poor image, showing the aftermath of a cobble at Castle Works.

Edit; Looks like the chap on the left favoured bicycle clips over brown trousers.

 

If I remember correctly, the square structure in the background is the reheating furnace - during my visit a chap was sat on a stool reading a paperback, and every so often he'd reach up, pull a lever, the furnace door would open and another hot billet rolled out onto the mill to start its' journey. Obviously an enthralling job !

 

As for the 'cycle clips' - older folk in Cardiff used to refer to string etc tied around the bottom of trouser legs as 'Yorks' - and before anyone asks, I don't know why !!!!!

 

Brian R

[Wayne 37901]

Thanks for the contributions folks, it's all very interesting. Nice to see some archive pictures as well.

 

 

I know you're waiting to see it Marc... It's getting there! 

 

 

Cheers all

[class"66"]

Some nice ideas here!! ive used the pipe work and gantrys on "banks road" on the depot,using knightwing pipe kits...

[naturol]

Cracking, tip top.

[Wayne 37901]

Cracking, tip top.

 

Cheers paul,

 

Won't be as impressive as Castle Works though, but thanks for the kind words.

 

There won't be any updates for a few days as the interweb is down at home. However, the building detailing is coming along so I'll have something to show once I'm able to upload pictures again. I've dug out some vents so I've been adding those along with more raised walkway. One thing that puzzles me is deciding where the pipework runs to/from as I know nothing about this.

 

Another thing I wondered about was the so called 'Power Control panel' in the Knightwing walkway pack. Has anyone found a use for this?

 

 

Cheers

[Guest Dave.C]

I think this is a cracking little layout, it has helped convince me to have a go at something industrial myself. Thanks 

[Wayne 37901]

Afternoon,

 

Well the first bit of building pipework has been assembled and painted, just need to weather and attach it to the building now. I've also been cladding the coil handling building which uses a slightly more modern box cladding compared to the corrugated sheets of the works buildings.

 

 

Should have an update once I'm able to upload pictures again.

 

 

Cheers

[Wayne 37901]

Good evening,

 

Just a quick update to chart what I've been up to since the last post.

 

The first bit of pipework has now been fixed to the building and I'm now looking at where else I can add pipes, raised walkway and/or ducting. This evening has also seen the coil handling warehouse primed after finishing the cladding, this was another building that had to be replaced following the warping of the original.

 

If I get time, I'll take a pic on my day off this week. I can feel this one nearing the end as each area gets completed.

 

Cheers

Edited October 15, 2013 by Wayne 37901

[Wayne 37901]

Good evening,

 

As the other half doesn't finish work till later this evening I've been able to work on few layout bits, mainly the Oxygen compound. It's not an exact replica of the one at Tremorfa which Brian posted a pic of, but I think it looks ok.

 

Here's the current state of play.

 

 

Edit: I should have stated that the tank is only posed to see how it looks and isn't fixed yet.

 

As usual, comments/questions welcome.

 

More soon.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Wayne 37901

[Wayne 37901]

Good morning,

 

Got the day off today so I'll be able to continue with some jobs on the layout.

 

Looking back at the photo of the Oxygen tank compound that Brian posted at the top of this page, I noticed that the 'stand pipe' at the left of the tank seems to take an interesting route. It leads from the bottom of the tank, runs upwards then appears to turn on itself and head underground. Am I correct, or does anyone know better?

 

Cheers

[Wayne 37901]

Good afternoon,

 

Well the weather has been terrible so I've been able to get a little more done, I've finished painting the coil handling warehouse and have added some pipework. I'm going to weather it all in once I decided whether or not to add anything else as I don't want to overdo it.

 

I'm also undecided about the Palisade fence along the back, I have a fair bit of this so wanted to use it up. I think it will look ok but what do others think?

 

Apologies for the poor lighting.

 

 

 

Cheers

Edited October 27, 2013 by Wayne 37901

[d winpenny]

More good work

 

David

[Guest Dave.C]

I personally would leave that bit of fence out