Like the surrounding canal system, rail freight has been part of the story concerning how toxic chemicals entered and left the Oldbury area by gaining access into the heart of the Trinity Street works.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Trinity Street and surrounding connections<\/p><\/div>\n
1879 saw the creation of a branch line by the by the Great Western Railway company <\/a>to connect Langley Green <\/a>with the L.N.W.R line at Oldbury. Not surprisingly Albright and Wilson benefitted by killing two birds with one stone. A large gypsum<\/a> mound dump, which came from their early phosphorus manufacture was sold by them in 1883. The line cut through the mound with the spoil forming the embankment.\u00a0\u00a0Not surprisingly the Albright and Wilson families\u00a0cemented their fingers in the pie\u00a0of the deal as usual.\u00a0John Wilson, (son of the co-founder and an MP for many years), became a director at\u00a0GWR in 1908 as well as being chairman of the chemical company between 1915-1932.<\/p>\n Alterations were made during the First World war and the private siding was\u00a0updated during the second\u00a0at “MOS Factory Oldbury.” The original estimated cost was \u00a36,875.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This picture from the 1960’s shows a Pecket train engine on the line with the phosphorus acid towers in the background to the top left.<\/p>\n The June 1980<\/strong> edition of Albright World outlines the private railway system going into the works:<\/p>\n \u201cThe old system was laid down partly in the 19th<\/sup> Century and partly in the early years of world war two. It links with a spur from nearby Langley station and hence the British Rail network, and was originally used to deliver phosphate rock when phosphorus was made at Oldbury.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n The article explains that a \u00a3240,000 project to relay the line, half provided for under the 1974 Railways Act <\/a>by the Government grant from the Department of Transport\u00a0would allow the continuation of chemicals like chlorine and caustic soda to continue by rail.<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018We use 500 tons of chlorine a week,\u2019 said traffic manager Don Johnson. \u2018Twice a week, 10 wagon trains arrive from Ellesmere Port and the chlorine is discharged at a special unloading facility.\u2019 “<\/b><\/p>\n The delivery of chlorine into the works is described in a Hazardous substance consent\u00a0application HS\/008 <\/a>applied for in 1992.<\/p>\n \u201cLiquid chlorine is delivered to the site in shipments of 8-12 28 tonne rail cars every 2-3 days. Full tanks awaiting discharge are stored in the North East corner of the works. Tankers are shunted normally in blocks of four to the discharge bay daily where they reside until commencing the offloading into two 193 tonne (147 tonne maximum working capacity) bulk storage tanks. Chlorine is taken continuously from the bulk storage vessels for use in the manufacture of phosphorus trichloride, phosphorus oxychloride and an agrochemical intermediate (Ethyl P.C.T.)\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n From\u00a0 issue 1 of Albright World 1991<\/strong> there is a small\u00a0 reference to an incident\u00a0 \u201cThe fire in a\u00a0 rail siding at the factory early in December was due to a substantial leak from a rail car\u00a0containing phosphorus.\u201d<\/b> \u00a0Rail deliveries of\u00a0 chlorine and phosphorus continued until the\u00a0 mid 1990\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0 with the last chlorine delivery\u00a0\u00a0 made in December 1995.<\/p>\n \u00a0A striking picture of empty Chlorine tankers departing Langley Green Station from Albright and Wilson can be seen HERE.<\/a> Note the large phosphoric acid towers which are now no longer there.<\/p>\n The line is now another derelict artefact of the company\u2019s toxic waste carrying legacy.<\/p>\n Langley Green Station and the spur which fed into the private sidings of Albright and Wilson.<\/p><\/div>\n The railway bridge at Western Road<\/p><\/div>\n The tracks overgrown, on the left the Rhodia fence line<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0COMMENT\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “It is interesting to learn that a chlorine is used in the manufacturing process. My father , who observed the Matty boats on the canals recalls \u201ca smell similar tot hat in a swimming pool\u201d.\u00a0 ”\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TRACKING BACK Like the surrounding canal system, rail freight has been part of the story concerning how toxic chemicals entered and left the Oldbury area by gaining access into the heart of the Trinity Street works. 1879 saw the … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n