# The iron works..Scotland.



## Mikeymutt (Nov 3, 2016)

Whilst on my second visit to Scotland I visited this with missy.we had been having a relaxed few days and we decided to get out for a few hours.she suggested this old place.showing me a few pics of some old trains saying it was in a old museum.so off we went for the drive to it.i was not know what to expect.we pulled up and the skies all around were black,and it was chucking it down with rain.we wondered if it would stop at all.so we said we would give it a bit of time to see if it would clear.after about forty mins the crowds started breaking.so we decided to go for it.i was surprised of what was there.there was old buildings and train carriages and kilns.i even had to close my in some buildings so felt like I was on a proper explore.the site is set on a hillside with several buildings and two old chimneys.the trains were part of the steam museum.but to me it looks like it has been shut down for a few yrs now.missy has been a few times and never seen anyone.the iron works was formed in 1848 until 1921 when it shut down through a strike.the furnaces were demolished..but in 1928 a brickworks was formed this continued till 1976 when strong competition from larger companies.in the 90's a heritage centre was set up but was a flop and the the local authority pulled the funding.the blowing engine house still stands and the kills.a continuous 14 chamber one and a later one built in 1935 consisting of 24 chambers.

The old museum site.some of the carraige so had been taken away.but still plenty to see







The gunpowder carraige.i would have thought this would be a solid carraige.







This was an old electrics box.it was absolutely solid.they won't make things like this nowadays.



















This was some sort of drag line.loved the old carriages with this machine.built and constructed in Leeds.

























Moving on to the main site now..this was the first building I went in.not sure what it was though.

























Various outbuildings on the site.










Looking up at the main site..




The 24 kiln chamber building.




Rear of kiln chambers and kiln chamber entrance.







The continuous fourteen chamber kiln.




Up in the top of the kiln block.i am presuming the holes everywhere where some sorts of vent system maybe.













The blowing engine house,this was obviidly once a grand building judging by the enormous pillars in there.the generator plinths are still in situ.i did get to the upper floor by the dodgy stairs but dare not go any further due to the state of the upper floor.


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## The_Derp_Lane (Nov 3, 2016)

This just gets better. A really nice find. Thanks for posting.


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## Sam Haltin (Nov 3, 2016)

That's superb, a nice piece of railway history.


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## jsp77 (Nov 3, 2016)

Looks to be a great mooch with plenty to see, thanks for sharing mikey


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## smiler (Nov 3, 2016)

WOW, That is one of your best Mikey and fair play you've turned in some good stuff, I loved it, Many Thanks


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## cornish_snowdog (Nov 3, 2016)

Wonderful place and excellent pictures; those Romanesque columns and porticoes are beautiful in such a context.


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## krela (Nov 4, 2016)

Might be a temporary thing but the images are broken for me. Waah.


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## Mikeymutt (Nov 4, 2016)

krela said:


> Might be a temporary thing but the images are broken for me. Waah.



Yeah they are broken for me too.it was ok last night.photo bucket has been playing up a bit lately


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## Mikeymutt (Nov 4, 2016)

All my threads are broken.so prob a technical thing


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## HughieD (Nov 4, 2016)

Photobucket down for maintenance apparently...


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## Mikeymutt (Nov 5, 2016)

Photo bucket seems to have resolved there issues now


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## Pilot (Nov 5, 2016)

Outstanding set there. Just love the patina on the old iron buffers. Thank you.


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## krela (Nov 5, 2016)

Well that was totally worth waiting for, cheers MM!


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## Dirus_Strictus (Nov 5, 2016)

Quote - The gunpowder carraige.i would have thought this would be a solid carriage. - Quote

No, explosive wagons were/are constructed in a specific way, especially one's for gunpowder. If one tries to contain any accidental explosion by encasing the explosives in a 'blast proof' enclosure, one runs the risk of a catastrophic explosion. In powder wagons the construction is such that the roof comes off first and then the panel sides of the wagon. Upwards and then a lesser blast outwards - not too bad when only one wagon is in the consist, but could be very different when more than one powder wagon was in the train run.


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