The Lilleshall Company a little known industrial railway

[Norton961]

Having long admired the postings by Arthur on various aspects of steelmaking companies and other postings I thought that I would like to highlight a little known railway system that included steelworks, coal mines and brickmaking all run by the same comapny and all connected by an internal railway system with connections to main lines at a number of places. The colliery section passed to the NCB and was still running until the 1970,s. The name of the comapny was the Lilleshall Comapny in Shropshire and elements could form the basis for a model as having built its own locomotives the Comapny then over the years bought in locomotives from a number of sources.

 

The first photo is of the extensive steelworks and slag reduction plant at Priorslee in what is now Telford. 

The blast furnaces were decommisioned in 1958 and the internal system closed.

 

The locomotives used by the Comapny included some ex mainline companies and included ex Taff Vale Railway and Barry Railway locomotives.

 

The Company also bought some industrial locomotives from Barcley and Pecket but their self built engines continued to work until the 1950,s.

After the closure of the steelworks the only remaining part of the extensive susyen was the 1.5 mile line from Granville Colliery down to the Stafford Wellington line at Donnington which used a mixture of steam untill the early 1970,s. I will post a few more pictures later.  

[avonside1563]

Look forward to seeing more Norton961

[Norton961]

If people are interested in this system then the only book avaiablke is "The Railways and Locomotives of the Lilleshall Company, by Bob Yates. Irwell Press 2008.

After the closure of the steelworks most of the site was cleared but in the 1960,s as a student I worked at what was left, a block making plant, using power station ash.

The first photo shows the ex GWR Pannier tank bought by the company.

 

Some of the locos built by the Lilleshall Company survived for many years working on lighter duties and the next photo shows one of its own built in 1869 and being scrapped in 1950.

 

After the NCB took over the collieries owned by the Company Granville Colliery supplied coal to Buildwas Powere station and the coal trains were worked by a range of locos down the 1.5 miles to Donnington station. Granville Colliery had a decent sized shed and in later years used Austerity 0-6-0tanks but in Lilleshall Company days the bigger engines were the ex TVR and Barry railway engines.

 

I used to live not far from the interchage sidings at Donnington and have had an interest in both Granville and the Lilleshall company for 50 years but it seems not many people bothered to photograph the internal system so photos are thin on the ground. It would be interesting if any "new" photos appear prompted by this thread.

 

david

 

[Arthur]

Interesting thread David, Liileshall were a fascinating company with a long history and some varied activities.

 

Having long admired the postings by Arthur on various aspects of steelmaking companies

Thanks for that , pleased that they were of interest.

 

There's a book on the company itself, rather than the railway system,

 

'The Lilleshall Company Limited; a history 1764-1964 by W.K.V.Gale & C.R.Nicholls, published in 1979 by Moorland Publishing on behalf of the Lilleshall Company.

 

There's a couple of bits of railway interest and some more general bits I could post. I'll wait to see what you have then add anything different which I have.

 

Edit; too many i's and too few l's in one of my Lilleshall's!

Edited December 5, 2014 by Arthur

[MPR]

The first photo shows the ex GWR Pannier tank bought by the company.

Lillershall No 12 15-2-1958..jpg

 

david

I like the non-standard bunker! Edited December 5, 2014 by MPR

[Norton961]

Well spoted, the loco was bought from BR in 1950 and had been number 2794 being built as a Dean 2721 class in 1900. The photo above was taken in 1958 just before the loco was withdrawn and scrapped. The attached photo was taken in June 1954 and shows the original bunker, it had no doubt been modified by the Lilleshall company. The photo was taken within the steelworks complex and shows one of the 3 the blast furnaces in the background.These were quite old having been built in 1908 and the Company could not afford to demolish and re build with new ones hence the closure in 1958. The blast furnaces had originally supplied an Open Hearth Furnace untill this closed in 1925 and from that date the single active blast furnace was in use supplying a rolling mill.

From a modelling perspective a Martin Finney kit could be used as the base for this loco and Lilleshall Co No 11 was a standard Andrew Barcley and High Level do a kit for this loco.

The Pannier tank retained its GWR cast number plate all through its Lilleshall existance.

 

David

[Arthur]

 

That last one is a great photo, full of detail and industrial atmosphere.

 

As you say David, though only one was in use, it looks like all three furnaces are still standing, the three charging platforms are clearly visible. According to the Lilleshall book, the cost of relining the furnace in 1958 was estimated at £80,000, a sum which would never be recovered, let alone the millions which a new furnace would have cost.

 

Just a clarification if I may David. After the loss of steel making capacity the blast furnace and rolling mill operated independently, simply speaking, you cannot roll iron from a blast furnace. The furnace produced basic iron for sale to other steel makers and various grades of foundry iron for casting purposes. The rolling mill bought in steel bar and re-rolled it into sections, much of which went into various Lilleshall Company steel erection contracts.

[Norton961]

 

Arthur, thanks for the clarification.

I am attaching a small scale map showing the Lileshall Company,s network of lines, the line showing the connection from Granville down to Donnington is missing at the top of the page, I will try and scan in a better plan later.

I also need to scan in a few more photos, although they are thin on the ground.

 

David

 

[Dava]

This thread is really interesting & thanks to David for the old photos & maps, esp the aerial view. The area today is modern Telford with hardly a trace of the iron & colliery sites. Priorslee is the Wolverhampton Uni campus there. Look forward to seeing more!

 

Dava

[APOLLO]

Interesting railway system. This is a part of the country alas I have never visited.

 

There is reference and a couple of plans / photos of the Lillieshall system, and other nearby industrial / mainlines & branches in the Oakwood Press Book "The Shropshire Union Railway - Stafford to Shrewsbury including the Coalport Branch" by Bob Yate. A really interesting 224 pages for £14.95. 

 

This area would make an interesting layout theme.

 

Brit15

[Norton961]

Another photo to wet the appetite. This shows a couple of Lilleshall locos with a home built loco Florance in the foreground and the ex Barry railway 0-6-2 tank behind at the Priorslee site in 1954 taken by my friend Tim Shuttleworth and also shows some railmounted ladles which I assume are out of use. Typical steelworks bacground with the riveted water tank. 

 

 

This photo also appeared in the Shropshire Union Railways book mentioned above.

 

the Lilleshall Company by Gale and Nicholls mentioned by Arthur is now long out of print and I understand fetches a good price second hand, needless to say I bought my copy when it was published in 1979!

 

 

 

David

[Osgood]

There is also this book from Irwell press:

 

 

[Arthur]

Another lovely image David.

 

I think that the water tank is an early 'egg ended' boiler many of which saw later service as un pressurised water tanks.

 

The ladles are very probably of Dewhurst manufacture, see the image top centre of this ad.

 

 

They are end tipping ladles usually used to extend the length of the slag bank, side tipping ladles building up the width.

 

It's possible that, with their iron casting capacity, Lilleshall cast their own replacement ladle bodies as required.

[Norton961]

Arthur, thanks for adding the info about the ladle suppliers.

 

I am adding another photo taken at the Priorslee ironworks site showing another loco that could be modelled as there are kits avaliable in both 4mm and 7mm, a Pecket 0-4-0 here Lilleshall No 10 P883 of 1901.

. 

 

Some nice background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wagonbasher]

Hi

 

On the point about available peckett kits.....

 

Mercian models cover about 4 peckett sin their range, I have an x class in 4mm.

 

Of other manufacturers that do cover industrial steam kits that I know of

CPT do one Pecket

High level, Judith edge, djh and rt do not have a peckett in the range.

 

On mercians web site they state that their 4mm range will be produced to order in batches only after jan the 1st 2015 and that prices will be adjusted to reflect this.

 

If you have been thinking of buying a Mercian 4mm kit, now is the time as you only have a couple of days left at the current price and availability.

 

Have a read of the web site for the exact detail. The web site is not too freindly but Trevor is...

 

Andy

[Peterb1970]

If people are interested in this system then the only book avaiablke is "The Railways and Locomotives of the Lilleshall Company, by Bob Yates. Irwell Press 2008.

After the closure of the steelworks most of the site was cleared but in the 1960,s as a student I worked at what was left, a block making plant, using power station ash.

The first photo shows the ex GWR Pannier tank bought by the company.

Lillershall No 12 15-2-1958..jpg

 

Some of the locos built by the Lilleshall Company survived for many years working on lighter duties and the next photo shows one of its own built in 1869 and being scrapped in 1950Lillershall No 6 built by them 1869, re built 1923. Scrapped 22-4-1950.jpg.

 

After the NCB took over the collieries owned by the Company Granville Colliery supplied coal to Buildwas Powere station and the coal trains were worked by a range of locos down the 1.5 miles to Donnington station. Granville Colliery had a decent sized shed and in later years used Austerity 0-6-0tanks but in Lilleshall Company days the bigger engines were the ex TVR and Barry railway engines.

Granville Colliery shed.Granville No 5 and No 8..jpg

 

I used to live not far from the interchage sidings at Donnington and have had an interest in both Granville and the Lilleshall company for 50 years but it seems not many people bothered to photograph the internal system so photos are thin on the ground. It would be interesting if any "new" photos appear prompted by this thread.

 

david

Hello, Not sure if you will interested my father worked at the Granville Collery on the railways f throughout the steam eara and all the way until the Collery closed, he is away at the moment but I know he has a large collection of photos, for the Collery railways would be happy to share if you would like Edited September 6, 2015 by Peterb1970

[SandyBrook]

Just a few bits of further info.

 

If you go into Priorslee Village itself a section of rail that would have gone to Lawn Colliery was embedded into the new road surface as a 'feature' by the builders, and some of the route of the line can be seen as a footpath between the houses.

 

If you follow the footpath onto Stafford Park Industrial Estate from the bridge over the M54 and then take the left turning which runs alongside Inchcape garage the route of the line to Stafford colliery can be discerned as a low embankment.

 

A strange survival, which I would love to know an answer to, is how the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Trust at Dunaskin, near Dalmellington have one, possibly two, very derelict wooden framed 7 plank PO wagons lettered for Lilleshall. They also have at least one other wagon lettered for the Shrewsbury Co-op.

 

Sandy

[ian@stenochs]

Hi.

The wagons at Dunaskin are the remnants of a training scheme which fell apart when the Heritage trust folded. The Ayrshire Railwsy Preservation Group eas not involved and continues todsy. The wagons are on arpg property but do not actually belong to them. They are slowly mouldering into oblivion as the groups funds are centred on their core aims.

There is a very nice brake van in the group of wagons. Could it be Lilleshall design or LNW?

ARPG have some interesting stuff mostly Barclays with a few of DICo originals and the only working fireless loco in the U K.

Ian.

[5050]

 I know he has a large collection of photos, for the Collery railways would be happy to share if you would like

Welcome!  Do you need to ask!  Photos are ALWAYS welcome so -

 

YES PLEASE!

[Norton961]

I would like also to see any more photos of Granville and its locos. I am not only interested in the Railways of Telford but am building a P4 model of Trench Sidings and have built a model of Granville No 4 which came new to the Lilleshall Co in the 1940,s and passed to the NCB and remained in service until the late 1960,s.

 

David

[Norton961]

 

 

Have come accross another photo of the blast furnaces at the Lilleshall Company. Perhaps Aurthur can fill in some of the details.

 

 

David

 

 

 

[Arthur]

Not too much I can add about the Priorslee furnaces themselves but here are some general notes on what is visible.

 

The blast furnaces are largely by shielded from view by the various hot blast stoves. It's a plant very typical of mid to late 19th. century practice. Fairly small, hot blast with some mechanical aids but largely manually operated. Any gas off takes are below the charging platform and there is little else above it. Later furnaces had mechanical charging gear, platforms, hoists and gas off takes rising above the platform adding considerable height and complexity to them.

 

Like many older plants, the stoves are arranged in a somewhat random pattern around the furnaces and are of different heights/sizes. Why that should be I've no idea unless it's just that these plants developed piecemeal over many years with bits added where they could. More modern plants had stoves in line, generally three per furnace, and of the same size.

 

The wheel and top of the skip hoist are visible. These are small, hand charged, furnaces. Wheeled skips are filled with ore/coke/ limestone at ground level, wheeled to the base of the hoist and raised to the charging platform. From there they are pushed along the platform to the furnace and tipped onto the top bell. Six or so skip fulls, evenly distributed around the top bell, the bell is dropped and the furnace can be charged. These furnaces were often built with a single bell, second bells being sometimes added later.

 

Here's some images showing the operation, not at Priorslee but it gives the idea.

 

A typical skip being handled at Brymbo.

 

 

 

The top of the hand charged furnace at Brymbo, The mechanism in the foreground operates, 'dumps' the bell and drops the charge into the furnace. The skips are tipped onto the bell in the centre. This furnace differs from those at Priorslee in that the blast furnace gas is being collected by that large diameter pipe over the furnace centreline.

 

 

 

A drawing showing an arrangement similar to Priorslee. The furnace has a cylindrical shield or tunnel head providing the operatives with some protection from the heat, flame and poisonous blast furnace gas (carbon monoxide) which escapes from the furnace when the bell us operated. The conical bell is visible within the tunnel head.

 

 

 

 

 

There is, however, something of greater interest in the image of the Priorslee plant than the blast furnaces and I'll post some more in the next day or so.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Arthur

[wagonbasher]

Not too much I can add about the Priorslee furnaces themselves but here are some general notes on what is visible.

The blast furnaces are largely by shielded from view by the various hot blast stoves. It's a plant very typical of mid to late 19th. century practice. Fairly small, hot blast with some mechanical aids but largely manually operated. Any gas off takes are below the charging platform and there is little else above it. Later furnaces had mechanical charging gear, platforms, hoists and gas off takes rising above the platform adding considerable height and complexity to them.

Like many older plants, the stoves are arranged in a somewhat random pattern around the furnaces and are of different heights/sizes. Why that should be I've no idea unless it's just that these plants developed piecemeal over many years with bits added where they could. More modern plants had stoves in line, generally three per furnace, and of the same size.

The wheel and top of the skip hoist are visible. These are small, hand charged, furnaces. Wheeled skips are filled with ore/coke/ limestone at ground level, wheeled to the base of the hoist and raised to the charging platform. From there they are pushed along the platform to the furnace and tipped onto the top bell. Six or so skip fulls, evenly distributed around the top bell, the bell is dropped and the furnace can be charged. These furnaces were often built with a single bell, second bells being sometimes added later.

Here's some images showing the operation, not at Priorslee but it gives the idea.

A typical skip being handled at Brymbo.

image.jpg

The top of the hand charged furnace at Brymbo, The mechanism in the foreground operates, 'dumps' the bell and drops the charge into the furnace. The skips are tipped onto the bell in the centre. This furnace differs from those at Priorslee in that the blast furnace gas is being collected by that large diameter pipe over the furnace centreline.

image.jpg

A drawing showing an arrangement similar to Priorslee. The furnace has a cylindrical shield or tunnel head providing the operatives with some protection from the heat, flame and poisonous blast furnace gas (carbon monoxide) which escapes from the furnace when the bell us operated. The conical bell is visible within the tunnel head.

image.jpg

There is, however, something of greater interest in the image of the Priorslee plant than the blast furnaces and I'll post some more in the next day or so.

 

Your teasing us.....

 

Is it something to do with the three low capacity mineral wagons bottom left.... Or.... Maybe that small shiny cylindrical thingy at the foot of the second small chimney from the left?

 

Andy

[Norton961]

Arthur,

Thanks again for the info posted. Am I correct in thinking that the row of small chimmneys in the foreground are coking ovens? 

 

David

[Norton961]

 

Another photo of the Granville section in NCB days. A lovely photo and emphasises the rural nature of much of the old Lilleshall Company lines.

A P J Shoesmith photo taken in 1964.