Steetley Magnesite

Steetley Magnesite

One of Hartlepool’s major employers and a staunch supporter of rail transport owed its existence to one man’s bright idea and blue sky thinking as dark storm clouds massed over Europe. This brainwave was followed in the 1970s by another revolutionary development which safeguarded production for another thirty years. For simplicity’s sake I will refer in general terms to Steetley as if it were the company name in perpetuity. Local folk referred to Periclase, then Palliser, Steetley, Britmag and if living directly under the cloud of choking dust effluent, colourful  Anglo-Saxon terms.

Travellers waiting at Seaton Carew station would see the company trains pass through and over the years the single unchanging factor was that the wagons would be cream – dust-covered dirty cream. Not only on Hartlepool station but heard by thousands in shops, offices and colleges would be the four-wheel wagons as their flanges screeched wretchedly around the curvature at either end of the platforms complaining like anthropomorphised characters in a children’s Rev W Awdry Thomas story. Instead of James the Red Engine, during British Railways days Steetley motive power would be nameless, workaday freight locos in shabby all-black paint. Later, the diesels rostered for this ‘trip’ working would be a smart green, then a corporate blue akin to Gordon the Blue Engine, with sectorisation all manner of colour schemes and profit centre vinyls instead of paint and lastly the red and yellow livery of the American owners after privatisation.

Throughout the entreprenurial manoeuvring and name changing, the works itself remained at West View, Hartlepool (yet another name change, West Hartlepool pre-1966 amalgamation). Half the ingredients came from the sea and the dolime from Thrislington quarry in West Durham, and during much of BR’s steam era, a second train from Coxhoe. The rail traffic ended in 2004 and production the following year.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF RISE, DECLINE AND FALL

During the 1930s the situation in Germany became increasingly militaristic and threatening. An alarmed government in Britain began looking to contingencies. One was the vulnerability of magnesium production and its heat-resistant by-product magnesia, which were essential commodities and would be much valued in any conflagration. Sensitive that the UK’s major producer of magnesium, in Manchester, was dependent for its raw material on rail imports from Austria, an independent home source of supply was deemed indispensable.

It was at this point that the Steetley Lime and Building Stone Company pioneered a revolutionary process to produce magnesia – effectively a man-made mineral. Britain had not natural magnesite, required for refractory (furnace) bricks, light alloys and incendiary devices. In 1936 a practical solution to reduce our dependence on imports was found. Company literature explains this historical development. This arose out of a visit to the US by N M Peech, managing director of The Steetley Company Limited, during which he learned that pharmaceutical magnesia was being produced on a small scale from calcined oyster shells and sea water. It occurred to him that dolomite (a form of limestone being a double carbonate of calcium and magnesium) might be used to replace oyster shells, so enabling the company to produce high-quality refractory magnesia in the UK.

Research and development work commenced in 1936, initially using a bath tub as a settling tank a 6ft mild steel tube as a rotary kiln. From this rudimentary equipment refractory magnesia was produced of a very satisfactory quality. Thus encouraged, Steetley acquired the coastal site at Hartlepool, influenced by the undiluted nature of the local sea water and the proximity of high-purity dolomite deposits in County Durham. Despite widespread cynicism, a full-scale plan capable of 10,000 tons annual output was built in 1938. With the first plant of its kind in the world, self-sufficient in the product and after the inevitable teething problems, the plant produced 4,000 tons of magnesia in 1939. The outbreak of war intensified the already urgent demand for magnesia and magnesium for use in incendiary bombs and aircraft light alloys. Indeed, during the war the plant operated as British Periclase under the auspices of the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

By 1958, the annual production rate had reached 150,000 tons, and in 1977 a £3m investment resulted in a plant creating a higher density finished product than the normal ‘Britmag’ grain, resulting in increased capacity of higher-quality refractory magnesia. Britmag was the product’s trade name and the processed magnesia was available in various grades for use in large quantities for steel, glass and non-ferrous metal industries and those companies which employ high temperature melting or sintering processes. The contraction of these traditional heavy industries and global competition would eventually erode Steetley’s market until viability became unsustainable.

EMPLOYMENT AND POLLUTION

Despite employing 400 people in 1988, Hartlepool councillors had spent years trying to persuade the company to take greater precautions over discharging waste. After the deaths of 14 people over recent years in nearby Marine Drive, The Northern Echo dubbed it ‘Death Row’. One Hartlepool councillor claimed to have been handling pollution complaints since 1952 and another for the stench since 1966. A third dared refer to the elephant in the room, the need for jobs but raised the spectre of the plant’s enforced closure if health were to be judged paramount.  In 1961, a 230ft. tall chimney had been erected which dominated the skyline for miles around and was supposed to disperse the effluent harmlessly. The company responded by citing numerous efforts to improve the extraction process and minimise pollution. But by 1991, a slump in sales had led to reduced production and 230 production staff were laid off for the summer and there was a call for mass redundancies.

When the Steetley businesses were bought in 1993 for £613m by Redland PLC (a move from which Redland never recovered and led eventually to a takeover by French firm Lafarge), the Hartlepool works began trading as Redland Magnesia and a firm commitment after restructuring on jobs. In 1997, 40 jobs were axed under new Indian owners KHSL Industries. In 1999 another quarter of the workforce joined the dole queue. By 2002 it looked like a lifeline had been thrown when a local management buyout was successful and it was branded CJC Chemicals and Magnesia. Inevitably, however, production ceased a few years later and in 2005 Culford Properties saw the potential in the site for 500 houses and offered to buy from CJC. In 2008, Hartlepool Council gave the go-ahead for a £100m Starford Holdings luxury sea-view development with 484 homes. It took until July mid-2012 for the landmark chimney to be demolished. Clearance work continues.

RAIL TRAFFIC

The plant was sufficiently hungry for raw materials that when I was trainspotting in the 1950s and early 1960s there were two daily trains (including Christmas and New Year’s Days) from Thrislington and Raisby. During the Seventies sources of materials and outgoing products became increasingly complicated and beyond the scope of this introduction. I would refer those deeply interested in the more arcane working practices and others aspects such as originating points, pools, workings, commodities, vehicles and dates of operation to consult David Ratcliffe’s erudite article referenced below. One major change worth mentioning is that until 1966, services from Thrislington quarry were generally routed eastwards via Coxhoe and Wingate, approaching Cemetery North from a northerly direction. That changed radically with the closure of that line following decimation of the inland coal mining in County Durham and trains ran via Stillington, Norton triangle and Billingham, to arrive from the south and requiring reversal. By the 1980s the trains were booked to run Monday – Friday, but in 1992 this was further reduced to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only, reduced again in 2002 to Fridays only. Train operating codes were 6P62, Hartlepool departure 08.40, arrive Thrislington quarry 10.00; 6P63, Thrislington depart 10.50, arrive Hartlepool 12.15

This state of affairs had been dictated by financial and political factors affecting whosoever owned the plant; owners came and went as the workforce shrank. But in 2001 the beleaguered factory cancelled its railborne traffic for a month-long trial whose material was transported to the plant by lorries. West View residents were up in arms over the additional traffic and I guess motorists on the narrow country roads to the quarry were none too pleased either. Commonsense prevailed and rail movements resumed, but this time the storm clouds were not in response to threatened armed hostilities, instead it was gloomy economic prospects and an early casualty were trains, which last ran in 2004. My final recorded sighting was of Class ’60’ 60026 on 27 August and penultimately first of class 66001 of Class ‘66’.

MOTIVE POWER

During the steam era the two daily trains were in the hands of ‘WD’ 2-8-0, ‘K1’ 2-6-0 and ‘Q6’ 0-8-0 classes. When dieselisation dawned, the stabling point at Hartlepool supplied Class ‘37’ freight locos based at Thornaby for the duty. Over subsequent years these would operated alongside more modern and increasingly more powerful representatives of Classes ‘31’ in pairs, ‘47’, ‘20’ in pairs, ‘56’, ‘60’ and ‘66’.

INTERNAL INDUSTRIALS

When the plant closed, among its assets were the two industrial locos used for shunting. They had a two-road shed for protection from the harsh North Sea elements and under-cover maintenance. For shunter buffs they were: Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0DH No. D1346 and Hunslet 0-4-0DE No. 1425.

References:

* The historical notes here are adapted from an explanatory pamphlet of post-1975, Your Guide to the Hartlepool Works of Steetley Refactories Ltd.                                                                                                                                                                     ** Rail traffic information is culled from David Ratcliffe, ‘Steetley rail freight remembered’, Rail Express, No. 121, June 2006.

ANNUAL SUMMARIES

1980. I can only assume this trip working was being monopolised by Thornaby-based locos and the first record of its presence does not appear in my records until Class ‘37’ 37106 on 7 March and only then because I had a day out in Darlington and recorded the sighting. Locos allocated to Thornaby and Gateshead depots appeared in my records only from 1984 onwards.

1981. ‘37’: 37159 (BR)

1982. ‘37’: 37113 (HM). Not even hauling, but assisting the train loco from the rear to the factory up the steep incline to Cemetery North.

1983.    ---

1984. ‘37’: 37032 (TE), 37038 (SF), 37068/72/96/8 (all TE), 37136 (GD), 37141 (SF), 37194 (TE), 37238 (HM), 37303/6 (both LE). ‘47’: 47006/10 (both SF), 47064 (BS), 47075 (CD), 47156 (GD), 47192 (CD), 47205 (CD), 47215 (GD), 47274 (HA), 47281 (TO), 47301/3/19 (all TE), 47348/57 (both CD), 47360 (TE), 47361 Wilton Endeavour (TE), 47380 (IM). ‘56’: 56009 (TI), 56118 (TI), 56129 (TI), 56132 (GD).

1985. ‘37’: 37004/8/10 (all GD), 37024 (TI), 37029/42 (both TE), 37049 (ED), 37059/62 British Steel Corby /63/6 British Steel Workington /69/76/77 British Steel Shelton /79/95/6 (all TE), 37099 (MR), 37100 (GD), 37101 (TE), 37102/3/5 (all MR), 37153 (IM), 37238 (IM), 37245 (TI), 37248 (CF). ‘47’: 47061 (BR), 47074 (BS), 47109 (HA), 47120 R.A.F. Kinloss, 47137 (CD), 47151 (CD), 47156 (GD), 47209 (ED), 47223 (IM), 47239 (CF), 47275 (TE), 47280 (CD), 47288 (SF), 47289 (TE), 47292/7 (both IM), 47301/3/7/13 (all TE), 47318 (CD), 47319 (TE), 47320/4 (both BS), 47329/33/48/9/55 (all CD), 47359 (TO), 47360/3/8 (all TE), 47369 (TO), 47527/8 (both GD, probably being run-in after attention at Thornaby), ‘56’: 56011 (TI), 56076 Blyth Power (GD), 56108/18 (TI).

1986. ‘31’: 31155 + 31270 (both TO). ‘37’: 37023 (TI), 37032 (TI & TE, observed twice), 37058 (GD), 37066 British Steel Workington and also in tandem with 37095 British Steel Teesside (both TE), 37068, 37069 Thornaby TMD , 37071/4, 37075 British Steel Shotton, 37095 British Steel Teesside (all TE), 37110 (MR), 37125 (ML(, 37142 (TE), 37154 (IM), 37197 (GD), 37202 (IM), 37204 (BR), 37241 (TI), 37242 (GD), 37245 (TI). ‘47’: 47013 (GD), 47049 (HA), 47079 G J Churchward (BR), 47010 (TI), 47113 (BS), 47130 (?), 47202 (BR), 47203 (KD), 47219 (TI), 47220 (BR), 47233/4/6 (all CF), 47247/85 (BR), 47295 (?), 47301-5/19 (all TE), 47330/1/52/3 (CD), 47360/1 Wilton Endeavour /2/ 3 Billingham Enterprise (all TE), 47366 The Institution of Civil Engineers /67 (CD), 47374 (TI), 47379 Total Energy (IM), 47415 (GD), 47515 (OC). ‘56’ 56114/8 (both TI), 56127/30/3 Crewe Locomotive Works (GD).

1987. ‘37’: 37021 (ED), 37063/70/4/7/8 (all TE), 37083 (IM), 37096 (TE), 37101 (TI), 37102/10 (both MR), 37176 (TI), 37505/7/10/5/8 (all TE – refurbished locos). ‘47’: 47012 (ED), 47050 (BS), 47079 G J Churchward (BR), 47097 (TI), 47107 (BS), 47114 (SF), 47115 (KD), 47125 (BR), 47189 (CD), 47206 (ED), 47219 (TI), 47233 (CF), 47284 (TI), 47285/6 (both BR), 47301-5 (all TE), 47340 (CD), 47346 (CD), 47350 British Petroleum (CD), 47361 Wilton Endeavour 2/3 Billingham Enterprise (all TE), 47370/2/3 (all TI), 47522 (GD). ‘56’: 56113 (TO) + 47319 (TE).

1988. ‘20’: Locos in various combinations and all TE. 20008/70, 20118 Saltburn-by-the-Sea, 20122 Cleveland Potash, 20137 Murray B. Hoffmeyer, 20144/56, 20165 Henry Pease, 20174-6. ‘37’: 37074 (TE), 37098 (TE), 37507 Hartlepool Pipe Mill (TE), 37508 Stockton Haulage (TE), 37514 (TE). ‘47’: 47099 (SF), 47107 (TI), 47108 (SF), 47144/5 (TI), 47226/31 The Silcock Express /245/88/97 (all TI), 47301-5 (all TE), 47340 (CD), 47347/61 Wilton Endeavour /2/3 Billingham Enterprise (all TE). ‘56’: 56131 Ellington Colliery.

1989. ‘20’: Locos in various combinations and all TE (names still carried by four; see above). 20008/55/118/9/22/24/37/44/56/65/71/2/8/195. ‘37’: 37009 (TI), 37070/255 (both TE). ‘47’: 47107/120/204/19/25 (all TI), 47226 (IM), 47229 (CD), 47249/90 (both TI), 47301-5/61-3 (two still named, see above, all TE), 47594 TE, a surprise allocation).

1990. ‘20’: single pair of UID locos on 21 April. ‘37’: all TE: 37075, 37507 Hartlepool Pipe Mill, 37512 Thornaby Demon/14. ‘47’: 47123 (IM & later as TI), 47187 (CD), 47212 (IM), 47219 (IM), 47221/4 (both IM), 47236/84/91 The Port of Felixstowe /97 (TI), 47301-5 (TE), 47347 (TI), 47351 (CD), 47359 (TI), 47361-3 (all TE), 47370/4/6 (both TI), 47379 Total Energy (IM). ‘56’: 56116/22 Wilton-Coalpower (both TO).

1991. ‘37’: 37100/10/202/27/41 (all TE), 37419 (new sub-class for depot, TE), 37510/3/5/6 (all TE), 37714/7 (new sub-class for depot, both TE). ‘47’ 47010/85/115 (all IM), 47117/207 Bulmers of Hereford (both TI), 47222 Appleby-Frodingham /24/7 (all IM), 47236 (TI), 47276 (IM), 47314 Transmark /319 Norsk Hydro (TI), 47344 (IM) (s.b. plus 15 wagons at 15.38), 47371 (TI).

1992. ‘37’: 37029 (TI), 37048 (TE), 37066 (IM), 37358 P & O Containers /9 (both TI), 37373 (TE), 37378 (TI), 37417 Highland Region /9 (both TE), 37430 Cwmbran (ED), 37508 (TE). ‘47’: 47196 (TI), 47212 (IM), 47301 (TI).

1993. ‘37’: 37358 P & O Containers /9 /73 (all TI), 37415 (TI), 37508 (TE). ‘47’: 47053 Cory Brothers 1842 – 1992 /204/5/45/94/51 (all TI).

1994. ‘37’: 37053, 37202 (HT) failed, hauled by 47201 (TI), 37285 (HT), 37415, 37519, 37682/97, 37716 British Steel Corby /8 Hartlepool Pipe Mill. ‘47’: 47156/258 (both TI) ‘56’:  56062 Mountsorrel /9 Thornaby TMD.

1995. ‘37’: 37059/330/58, newly-named 37517 St Aidan’s CE Memorial School Hartlepool Railsafe Trophy Winners 1995, 37682/97, 37716 British Steel Corby/ 8 Hartlepool Pipe Mill, 37888. ‘56’: 56065/107/34. 60031 Ben Lui, with double the normal load on 20 May. 60052 Goat Fell.

1996. ‘37’: 37058 (IM) /9/225. ‘56’: 56006 Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station /31 Merehead /62 Mountsorrel /95 Harworth Colliery /108/20/30/4.

1997. ‘37’: 37156/372/419/689/803/84. ‘56’: 56004/7/25/51/4 British Steel Llanwern/ 75 West Yorkshire Enterprise/ 7 Thorpe Marsh Power Station/ 93 The Institution of Mining Engineers/ 9 Fiddlers Ferry Power Station/ 108/16.

1998. ‘37’: 37071/146/263/678/89/895/9. ‘56’: 56025/31/3 Shotton Paper Mill /55/8/9/60/2 Mountsorrel  /5/73 Tremorfa Steelworks /7 Thorpe Marsh Power Station / 93 The Institution of Mining Engineers /103 Stora /9/11/31 Ellington Colliery.

1999. ‘37’: 37219/375/797/9 Sir Dyfed/County of Dyfed. ‘56’: 56029/34 Castell Ogwr/Ogmore Castle / 53 Sir Morgannwg Ganol/County of Mid Glamorgan /4 British Steel Llanwern /89/103 Stora /7.

2000. ‘37’: 37710/2/896. ‘56’: 56031/3 Shotton Paper Mill /7/41/87 ABB Port of Hull /8.96/100/5/12 Stainless Pioneer /4/7/34 Blyth Power. ‘66’: 66104.

2001. ‘56’: 56048/94 Eggborough Power Station.

2002. ‘56’: 56094 Eggborough Power Station. ‘66’: 66093.

2003. ‘56’: 56067 (twice)/71/103 Stora /20.

2004. ‘37’: 37405/707/886 Sir Dyfed/County of Dyfed. ‘’60’: 60026 (last ever Steetley seen on 27 August) /34 Carnedd Llewelyn. ‘66’: 66001/25/9/183/191.

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