[andym]

If Pyestock, Fletchers, Inverkip etc are industrial p0rn, then this is the entire Jenna Jameson back catalogue. 2000 acres of old fashioned hardcore industrial win. OK, so this was a legit tour, but to be honest, this place is so vast, the best way to see it is to either get a job there or go on a free train ride round the site.

It's hard to put into words this place, even more so when the guy who was doing the talking was stood inside the brake van, and I was stood outside for the entire duration. I can only describe it as the strangest place I've ever been, it's like some kind of sci-fi writers nightmarish vision of a vast mechanical planet, with massive pipes everywhere, steam hissing from hoses, sirens, banging from the rolling mills, and the weird scarred industrial landscape. Awesome.

Our ride for the 4 hours. There are over 70 miles of railway track on site!!!


Engine sheds I presume














'Torpedo' wagons, full of molten iron straight from the blast furnace, ready for the enormous rolling mills across the site.


At speed. Sort of.




Loads more pics, still sorting through them, might post a few more if people are interested?

[andym]

More stuff, posted on photobox for those who can't use flickr.

I'm not well up on these things, but I think this is a Class f*ckknowswhat loco


All the gantry conveyors you could ever want


More vast buildings


Not entirely sure what these were.


These rolling mills were absolutely vast, it took 5 minutes for the train to trundle down the track between them.


Cooling Towers


Cooling towers, doing a spot of cooling


More conveyors


Close up of the top of a 'torpedo'.


Finally, there was a rainbow. This made me happy, so I went home