Appleby Frodingham Railway - Scunthorpe Steelworks Railtours

22/10/2026

Lighting of the Beast
The cost of the Giant
Steel news October 25th 1979

1979 Saw the lighting of the Furnace at Redcar. one of the Largest Blast furnaces in Europe.

Costing £400million to build , with ore reception, burden, and coke making facilities, investments in steelmaking and the ore terminal, it was the largest ever investment in the UK.

With over 250000 people involved in bringing this great beast to life

At a height of 90 meters, a 14 meter hearth, 36 tuyeres, she was penned at an output of 65000 tonnes per week.

Unfortunately , that all came to an end in 2014, and in 2020 , the furnace was demolished and only the base remained.

Following 4 years later, Tata closed the last 2 blast furnaces in Port Talbot , Wales.
Today, Scunthorpe's 4 Queens stand operating alone, the last Ironmaking furnace's in the UK.

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.

17/10/2026

Off we go again today for a diesel brake van tour

15/10/2026

Additional throwback thursday, some newly scanned images by our friend Paul Fawcett

these are dated 7.7.1990 and it seems that our first rail tour locomotive was used to clear some gas pipework, however non of our current members seem to remember it , can you help?

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.

15/10/2026

Yesterday as part of a special rail tour laid on, former steelworker Peter Burke was invited by the directors to join us for a trip around the works

15/10/2026

October the 4th 1979

A sad time for Scunthorpe, - bidding farewell to the 3 blast furnaces at Redbourn, bringing the end to over a century of ironmaking at the site.

in 1872 Redbourn Iron Hill iron and coal company formed to erect blast furnaces in Scunthorpe to use the local ore to create pig iron. and 2 hand charged furnaces were built

In 1909/10 a third furnace joined them , and a 4th in 1916 due to the great war.

Post WW2 . new furnaces were erected on the site of the old hand charged ones, which were demolished in 1951. and No3 furnace was relined, enlarged and modernised.

They were sent off well by the workers in 1979, the rationalisation of Former Britsh Steel

Today , 2 of our 4 Queens are in operation. the last Bulwark standing of the Ironmaking industry in the UK. we can only hope they have many years ahead of them.

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.

08/10/2026

October 6th 1977

The steel news reports on one of its new 250 Tonne Torpedo barrels being made made ready to move by rail from the Redpath Dorman Long workshops in Scunthorpe , to travel to working to be mounted on its bogies, before returning to Scunthorpe by rail to transport molten iron between the Blast Furnaces and the Basic oxygen steelmaking plant (BOS) , something that can still be seen today from Brigg Road, and of course, from our rail tours !

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.

02/10/2026

01/10/2026

October 2012!

Tata steel in the seat this time with the in site news. and in this issue Scunthorpe and Dalzell we welcoming new apprentices into its training scheme.

4 weeks ago we saw our newest batch of apprentices tour the site with us. it is good news to see the works once again investing in the future of young people.

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.

30/09/2026

A new addition to our little museum !

As part of some of our museum displays, we have model locomotives and rolling stock displaying operations from the past and present.

In our ironstone and coal/coke operations, we have a modern day 60, with the Lima ore hoppers based on the wagons that run to the works.

For the past rake, we have a series of coal, coke and ironstone hoppers and tipplers, however we have not had a locomotive.

Thanks to Accurascale UK , that has now changed ! A fantastic model of No18 in the brilliant Ore mining branch livery has been donated to the museum to complete the display. A big thanks to our friends at Accurascale for helping us out.

24/09/2026

Leavers Round-up
its 1981 , and were looking at all those who took retirement in the September news.
Bill Smith of Messingham road - BBM operator
George Welch - Somervell Road - HSM stocktaker
Dickie Howden - Willoughby Road - Emergency services
Ron Brader - Staindale Road - ES
Arthur Field - Willoughby Road - ES
Jock Michie - Lincoln Gardens - Controller
Eric Goulding - Henry street - Assist Emergency services officer
Allen Gittens - St Johns Road - Planning engineer - formerly electrician Redbourn
Eric Batty - BBM Pipefitter
Joan White - Kingsway House - ashby road - Directors Sectretary
Donald Harvey - Eastholme Gardens - mineral Agent
Thomas G Roughneen - High Santon villas - stores supervisor
Harold Harvey - St Lawrence Place - sinter plant first operator
Dennis Barnett - Newland Avenue - Diesel fitter
Roy Hill - Stradboke Drive - Sheffield - excavator driver
Reg Fletcher - Lindsay Street -
Kenneth Craven - Wendover Road - Rail traffic controller
Iris Steeley - Holmfirth Road - Plate mill
Henry Chappell - Fulbeck Road - HSM burner
Mrs B Gregson
Mrs Doreen Brighton - low leys road
Mrs Doreen Smith - Detuyll Street
Mrs Hazel Clark - enderby road
Mrs M Bell
Kathleen Nora Holley - Saltergate Road - Post van messenger
Mary Kettlewell
Janet Mckay
Dorothy Standerline - Chappleman avenue - post van messenger
Mr Shorten - westwoodside Broughton - field engineers
Bill Sturman - messingham road - engineering training manager
Joe Egan - Cromwell Road - general forman civil
Jack Gillatt - Inglesby Road - Forman - general sections
William Charles Clark
Herbert Goodson - Peveril Avenue - Boilersmith
Fred Bell - Sterne Avenue - BBM Scarfer operator
Bryan Magson - Healey Road - Blowing engine and loco Dept
Sydney John Cadle - rivelin road - CEW
Derrick Harrison - Church Lane - BBM Storekeeper

Do you spot a friend , colleage or Family member

A collection of Steelworks Newspapers thought the ages, photographs and Videos have been donated to our museum collection, and are kindly being scanned by Paul Fawcett and slowly being added to the AFR-S museum collection.