tarboat's photos

The former Meiderich works of ThyssenKrupp in Duisburg is now a focal point of the Lanschaftspark Duisburg-Nord. Public access to the blast furnaces and other structures provides a fascinating view of how iron was smelted here until closure in 1985. This view from funace No.5 looks down on what I believe to be part of the hot blast process although these towers look different from the Cowper stoves normally associated with the process.

Below Harboro Rocks in the High Peak of Derbyshire stand the remains of a mill for processing silica sands and iron oxides which were used in the production of paints and the former also for refractory bricks. Little is known about this particular plant and it has been suggested that it never went into production.

Peak class 44 diesel D8 'Penyghent' at rest in the Peak Rail shed at Rowsley. The locomotive, built in 1960, is in full working order and is regularly used on line services here.

Darwen Library and Theatre, Knott Street, Darwen. This is a Carnegie Library and was designed by architect Raymond Harrison. It opened in 1908 and is listed Grade II.

Brunswick mill was built c1872 when it was occupied by a number of cotton processing businesses. Following a disastrous fire in 1883 it was rebuilt and by 1890 was occupied by the Brunswick Mill Co Ltd (cotton spinners and doublers). In 1940 the sweet manufacturers Matlow Bros. Ltd and Swizzels Ltd moved to the mill from London to escape the blitz, and have continued to operate here ever since. In 1970 a major factory extension was added, and since 1975 they have traded as Swizzels-Matlow Ltd. The company is a major employer in the area and produces a wide range of sweets including Love Hearts and Parma Violets.

The long disused stone handling plant at Crich quarry. Opened by The Clay Cross Company in the 19th century and supplying limekilns near Ambergate via a metre gauge railway, the quarry closed in 1958. Reopening for roadstone occurred in the 1960's and it was operated by RMC and Tarmacbefore passing to Aggregate Industries ownership in 2000. Final closure came in 2010.

Jubilee 45596 'Bahamas' departs Darley Dale Station with a Peak Rail train to Matlock. The diesel shunters on the right are outside the works of Pete Briddon Rail Services.

Pannier tank 9681 is just south of Tufts Junction as it heads for Whitecroft and Parkend on the Dean Forest Railway.

This lead mining site near the villlage of Tideswell includes a small area of well preserved hillocks, with a gin circle, dressing floor, ore-dressing pits and water storage pond. This gin circle is a very well preserved example and I think was used for winding ore from the shaft. If it were used for ore crushing there should be significant lead in the soils and consequent effects on the flora and there is no evidence of this. The earliest mention of this mine is in 1765 and in 1848 there were 28 men employed on wage work in addition to those working the ore by bargain. This did not last long and it appears to have closed by 1849.

A drilling rig is prepared for action at a disused wellhead in the Nottinghamshire oilfield at Weston. This site is known as Egmanton 3 and was presumably expected to yield more product at some point.

The coal fired station at West Burton generated 2,000 MW and was the first station of this capacity in Britain.

Mogul 9351 approaches its train after running round at Minehead on the West Somerset Railway. This locomotive was originally built in 1934 as 5101 class 2-6-2T No. 5193 but converted to a 2-6-0 tender engine following its purchase for preservation. 5193 was withdrawn from service June 1962 and sold for scrap to Woodham Brothers and it arrived in the Barry scrapyard in September 1962. 5193 was purchased by the 5193 Fund and moved by road to Steamport at Southport in August 1979. Following the closure of Steamport and the removal of the stock to the newly formed Ribble Steam Railway at Preston 5193 was purchased by the West Somerset Railway (WSR). It was moved to Mineheadin December 1998. In June 2000 at the AGM of the WSR plc it was formally announced that a plan had been drawn up to convert the 2-6-2T to a 2-6-0 tender locomotive which would provide the railway with a operating flexibility due to its larger water and coal capacity. It was rebuilt by the West Somerset Railway into a 2-6-0 resembling a small boilered version of the GWR 4300 class, and numbered 9351. In September 2004 the completed locomotive was moved out of the shed at Minehead and the fire lit pending a visit from the boiler inspector. Shortly afterwards 5193 entered service as a 2-6-0 carrying the number 9351.

On the south side of the Bristol Channel is the construction site for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station which will consist of two pressurised water reactors producing 3,200 megawatts of electricity. When it is finally completed, Hinkley Point C will be the most expensive power station in the world. To pay for it, the British government has entered into a complex financial agreement with Électricité de France (EDF), the energy giant that is 83% owned by the French government, and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), a state-run Chinese energy company. Under this contract, British electricity consumers will pay billions over a 35-year period.

The Norfolk vernacular for limekiln construction seems to involve building a circular, vaulted chamber underground and against a bank, with the pot in the centre. There is all-round access to the draw holes. It has been suggested that this design was better for the area because they were burning chalk rather than limestone and this tended to jam up in the pot. The all-round access to the numerouse poking holes, as seen here, would help free the charge more easily. This example is at Whitlingham, just across the River Yare south of Norwich.

I was recently invited to visit someone who lived in part of a grand house built in the mid-19th century in rural Somerset. The building features a mixture of styles including this wonderful main door and hallway.

A cold, dull day at Lijing colliery on the Hengshan system at Jixi. SY 1018, minus the top of its chimney, prepares its train after loading. Heilongjiang province, China. December 2008.

Manhole cover outside Chester Station. The lettering presumably refers to the Birkenhead Joint Railway which ran from Chester to Birkenhead and was operated by the London and North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway, or maybe it's Birkenhead Junction Railway. I would love to know what is the answer.

Robey & Co Ltd, Canwick Road, Lincoln. The business was renowned for its production of steam road vehicles and stationary engines as well as general engineering. The company was purchased by Babcock International in 1984. In the firm's last years before final closure in February 1988, production was mainly of boilers in oil, gas or solid fuel fired versions which were made in large numbers. This entrance with globe and engineering tools above is thought to date from about 1910.