I worked here from 1979 until closure and as the guy says the Control Room was modernised when SSI UK bought the Plant in 2011 all controls were operated from the HMI pc's and the panel he shows you is an emergency panel to take the furnace off-line in case the of a failure of the computers.
The 2 bays opposite each other he describes as a mirror image are the Casthouse Floors and machines do not export material out of the ends the runners he shows you just the slag runners going to the slag pits and granulator the Iron (Not Steel as he keeps saying) went down to the rocker bays and into 350 tonne Torpedo's for transportation to the BOS Plant to be turned into Steel. The 4 Big Pipes he mentions are The Hot Blast Stoves which provide the Hot Blast to the Furnace usually at 1,000 - 1,200 deg c
Great video !! but it's obvious that the guys did not have a very good grasp of how blast furnaces operate. If you are interested in these giant pieces of technology there are plenty of RUclips videos that describe in detail how they work. There is a fantastic blast furnace museum in Volklingen, Saarland, Germany. Almost the entire blast furnaces, coke ovens, giant hall containing the air blowers etc. Is accessible and the entire process of iron making is fully explained and interpreted. Well worth a visit if you really want to get an understanding and feel for for these amazing industrial plants.
some info from a blast furnace worker. the valey you saw at the end of those tracks was a slag pit, the liquid slag would flow thru those tracks (in this video they are filled in, usualy they are concrete troughs) into the pit to cool down. the dome topped pipes are cowpers/stoves these are used to heat the blast air up to 1200°c. if you have any questions please do ask
I was brought up in the next village and at 5mins, 25 seconds the majority of the land you can see is actually slag. I remember as a kid I'd see the red hot mounds of 'earth' smouldering. ruclips.net/video/CIeKZTrMmyI/видео.html
and then stick your hand in those pipes to check if temperature is good - that's how britain worked in past century, no safety regulations at all, no instruments to do that safety - like a caveman. Brexit was the right choice - 6 years later Britain feels aftermath of it, lol.
I’ve lived in Redcar my entire life and have always been fascinated by the blast furnace. When the plant was still operational is was amazing to drive past it on the road to south gare, smoke and steam everywhere, seeing the molten steel being poured into the rail torpedos to be taken away to the beam mills and BOS plant. The BOS plant was finally brought down yesterday morning and the blast furnace will be next. It’s very sad to see the demise of this once mighty site and all the history that went with it. I always wanted to look around the blast furnace myself so this video is brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
Great comment Mathew awe inspiring memories of the type of thing we were first at and great at , in the 70s there was a brilliant kids animation on itv called " Chorlton And The Wheelies " btw
@@thomascook8541 Kind of. ICI was/is much further inland but it's a shadow of what it used to be. The whole industrial region was largely classed as ICI but contained many different companies.
Although I never worked there, I lived very close. One thing I can't get over is, how quiet it is there. I should imagine it was deafening when in operation. Thanks for the time and care you took to record this monolithic piece of local history.
Best job I ever had was working there, not on the blast itself but in the labs but got out and about and did lots of exploring, sinter plant, coke ovens, the furnace it was huge
12:39 To provide some detail on the writing where no paper was available, is from Ultrasonic examination looking for surface / sub surface defects in the welds TC = Toe Crack DAC+6 = Distance amplitude curve or Reference level + 6 decibels (highly reflective defect) L20 = Length 20mm H5 = Height 5mm DD 950 = Distance from datum 950mm and so on..
Thanks for this video guys! I worked on 'the Redcar Blast' back in the 80s when it was shiny and new. I was once sent up to the platform seen at around 10:00 with a gang of labourers to CLEAN IT! Apparently some top brass was visiting and the local seniors thought it would be nice :D I knew the original control room well. The consoles were installed with keyboards that ran ABCDEFG... because the designers thought a QWERTY keyboard would be too confusing for steelworkers, hence operating the IBM Green Screens was near impossible. Goosebump attack when you walked down the office corridor, being a 'white hat' that's where I was based. The RBF Manager in charge at that time was mad and posh and yelled "Monsieurs! C'est neuf heure" at the top of his lungs each day for the 9 o'clock meeting and his managers scuttled down the corridor to be shouted at in his office.
This is a surprisingly insightful piece of video. Your narrative over the top and discussion between each other brings it to life. For what I assume are fairly young filmmakers, this is impressive and inspiring.
Worked there for 25 years until 2008,i have been on the very top (bleeder platform) bad investment decisions led too the closure,The works needed an extra "Slab caster" at the steel / concaster plant, as output was restricted to 70/75% of potential, Pity, compared to some foreign works, it's a clean, efficient works.
Fascinating video indeed ! Well done. I was the Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) for this plant from about 2011 until final enclosure. I was helping the restart team. From the video it looks like quite a lot of the building had already been removed. At 25.20 - that instrument is a thermal neutron dose rate monitor, which I recall checking and using - wow what a find! Mark.,
I had a tour of the site back in 2014; just 6 weeks before it finally closed. The site was similarly overgrown and dilapidated then too. Seeing the furnace in operation was very interesting though. Its a very hands on job and we got as close to the taps as you did. Stepping over the exposed rivers of molten iron in the big halls was certainly an experience!
Fun Fact: the nearest train station to this factory is called British Redcar, and it is the least visited train station in the UK, because it was built for the workers at the factory. Nowadays, you can stop at the station if you like, but you cannot leave it because all the surrounding land is owned by the steel company and it would be tresspassing.
The station is called "British Steel Redcar" and also "Redcar British Steel" depending where you look! Whilst the station is still open, no trains now call there, and as Stereoman says, all the surrounding land is private, and monitored by security. So in theory there will now be no visits to it. It could only happen in Britain - station open, but you cannot get to or from it and no trains stop there! Sounds like something from Monty Python. If there is a plastic chair in the Saltburn bound shelter, I put it there before it closed.
In the early 1960s, my family used the road past this area of Dorman Longs to visit Redcar. You saw the waste slag being tipped in molten form from cradle rail wagons, a massive glow of red and orange in the dusk. To a young boy, this kind of image never fades. Even now, the south side area of the Tees gives an amazing sense of wilderness on a winter afternoon. Thanks for the film, very enjoyable.
I grew up on Teesside and visited British Steel Redcar works in the mid 1980s as part of a tour. It's fascinating to see this but also so sad to see it abandoned.
This is fantastic lads and lasses. People who have lived close by in Redcar have only seen the iconic buildings from the outside. This video is a fantastic insight, I appreciate being able to see it
Bf worker here at Port Talbot, my dad used to do a bit at Redcar. Crazy watch this is and makes me wonder how many years this will be the case here at PT. Thank you for a cracking watch👍🏻
Now I can see where where Ridley Scott got his inspiration from, living in this neck of the woods. There are parts where you look like you are inside the HR Geiger crashed spaceship. All pipes and dark metallic organic looking shapes. The scale of the place is epic.
Well done guys I did a delivery of heat exchangers to Redcar once 2 things have always stayed with me; Firstly, the shear size of the place And secondly, the loco shed no longer connected to the internal rail network (not far from the dedicated Redcar Steelworks railway station on the mainline) that still housed 2 brand new locomotives. They were never used after Corus got into a dispute with the manufacturer during the purchase Excellent work lads
What a phenomenal structure! You had my stomach a-fluttering a few times as you ascended the metal stairs - especially the last section where you reached the top. Wow! Good job, guys! ~ david in Medicine Hat
The amount of time, human effort and raw materials that went into constructing and operating this structure. Wow. And now left abandoned, no longer of use to those who once made huge profits from it.
I was the engineer on the construction of the PCR which when looking from the top is just to the right of the main conveyor, it was under control of the Thais and would send the molten steel by rail in torpedos a couple of miles to Tata. The PCR pulverised coal to dust and blew it into the furnace at low level. The construction was done by a squad from Port Talbot together with myself and local labour........I actually still have my keys on the SSI key strap and store my cryptos on two of the SSI safety induction memory sticks
all those jobs lost not just here but all over working men and women could bring families up on these wages buy houses what a waste and to think we allowed foreign imports to undermine are own production so short sighted
Keep raising steel prices to support artificial wage structures and insulating tariffs to depress imports. Hmmm at some point steel becomes too expensive and the problem solves itself. Nonsense…more on these boards should pay attention in school when economics is taught.
Incredible footage it brought back so many memories from 1979 when i worked on this place as an apprentice welder you even managed to show the gas detectors we fitted back then.....great video
Currently living in Redcar and class to see the small details of the steel works. Well done for getting inside and documenting the reamining features of the place before it's demolished.
A few wrong assumptions to say the least (how else, they are not trained metallurgists nor steelworkers) ... but a brave and valiant effort, had me enthralled, I'm very glad you documented this. I am overwhelmed at the sheer ability of design, manufacture and erection of all this plant. WOW !
You are very brave walking around that building. However this is a great video of a piece of Teesside history. Not many people will have stood at the very top of the Blast furnce as you did at 27:44. I will try and video it this weekend as the demolition is well under way now.
very pleased you have made this video ,thanks a lot ,generations to come can look at what we have lost ,i worked in this industry for some 35 years plus ,i was shift engineer on power station and we use to blow wind up the furnace
Very interesting. I work on a cargo ship and we used to sail to Teesport container terminal. I used to take a bike with me and use the freetime to explore near cities. Harbour workers recommended Redcar, as it was closer than Middlesbrough. I cycled on Trunk Road past this monumental abandoned steel factory and been thinking about it since then. Very cool to finally see what it is like. Quality content!
I can only say, this shows that the “youth” understand and appreciate history, politics and technology both old and new way better than the old gits appreciate (I am officially an old git). Just keep being safe around those massive drops and other scary urbex good stuff. Fantastic channel folks😊
I remember when it was in full swing. From the gare road you could watch the molten steel being poured into what us kids called the torpedo trains. It was like watching the gates of hell being opened. It was like a massive waterfall of fire. Now I've got kids myself, and it's a little bit sad to know they'll never get to see it.
Could actually feel the heat from them as they trundled by ! In winter the ground with a the slag dumped on it towards the beach would steam lol . Magical place.
It got demolished yesterday - really sad to watch, but I'm glad you uploaded this, which has meant that we can all look around it. Also them "4 large pipes" are actually stoves, used to heat up the furnace. They're going to be demolished next month.
It's a shame this blast furnace complex can't be preserved in some part that would leave something against the skyline for future generations to witness. This has been done in the United States such as the 20th century blast furnaces saved in the cities of Pittsburgh and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama. Wonderful, if not sneaky, tour of a shutdown, iron making facility. Thanks for your bravery climbing about and videoing the complex and for sharing!
O.M.G! What a video! (Again) You guys are fearless, but kudos to Theo for going has high as he did... I'll not too keep on hights either, but he probably got further than I ever would, so well done! Great work, great stills, great narration, indepth historical context, amazing vista's and stunning videography. (as always) EVERYONE, please order the new magazine and help these amazing guys out as they truly deserve all of our support.
Absolutely awesome! What a huge bit of kit and it’s sad it wasn’t economically viable. I regularly pass TaTa Port Talbot and wonder how long that similar blast furnace will be operating. Love the industrial/commercial/military explores. Top vid lads.
Great beginning of video in that deteriorating room,this place was massive and great views from high up there,great looking around the blast furnace very informative video thanks for sharing 👍
THANKYOU SO SO MUCH GUYS although you got some of the operational things wrong it was fantastic and very sad to see the furnace in such a state it was once a monster producing nearly 10,000 tonnes of iron a day, spent 34 years working there on frontside the two identical sheds each side, so so sad to see it now RIP mighty girl one of the largest blast furnaces in the world NEVER WILL BE FORGOT an absolute disaster for the local area 180 years of iron and steel making at an end MIDDLESBRO SOUTHBANK REDCAR THE REAL STEEL CITY MILLIONS OF TONS PRODUCED IN THIS AREA ,THE FIRST STEEL CONVERTER AT BRANCE END ESTON AND IRON ORE MINES IN THE HILLS ABOVE SOD BLUDDY SHEFFIELD WITH ITS STAINLESS THIS IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE MIGHTY GOLIETH OF STEEL PRODUCTION nce again THANKYOU LADS ABSOLUTE DIAMOND OF A VIDEO THAT WILL BE WATCHED FOR YEARS AND YEARS GOD BLESS ❤❤
The Blast Furnace is being blown in a couple of weeks...I've worked down there in various stages of its demolition this past year ....I imagine it's very sad for the people of Teeside .
Its criminal how the accountants and politicians have got away with destroying all the imperical knowledge gained over the years. This criminality will come back and haunt the decision makers
What a fantastic and very moving video, you did very well getting in and looking around without been detected as I know even now the security is very tight in there.. It's very say to see the state of the place now, just think how hot it would have been near the blast furnace when it was up and running you would never be able to any of the places you did when it was running. I been a wagon driver most of my life and I used to deliver coal and coke there, although the last couple of time I was on this site was to take coke away to the near by steel site at Scunthorpe, I had to be escorted out by security because of protesters blocking the entrance, they were there because they didn't want the place to close down.. I remember them saying once they turn the furnace off that was it, it would never run again.. it was a very sad day when they did finally turn it off..
Thank goodness somebody is recording this piece of history in the north east before it gets knocked down, i remember walking around the even bigger plant that used to be at Seaton Carew when it was in full production back in 1966, you young people i assume have never seen a plant like this working .......... it was an education that you could never find in a book .
When you look at the sheer size of these places it always amazes me. They are so complex in their design. I work on The Railway and I have been to Llanwern and Margam Steel works in South Wales and its like driving around a strange Town when you get into the site. I also worked at Shotton Steelworks in North Wales, that is still open but it doesn`t produce Steel anymore.
Went to the top of the blast in the mid 80,s when I was on the YTS,worked all over the teesside works,now work up the road,sad times,the blast won't be there much longer.
I've watched explores going through one of the Steel blast furnaces in Pittsburgh Steel and your blast furnace looks to be bigger. Good job for showing what this looked like.
Sat opposite this place many a time in Wilton international tipping wood chips watching the furnace in action just before it closed 👌 was an amazing sight on a dark winters night, awesome video boys👌👍👌👍
great footage and informative seen it when in use fired up many times such a shame like most heavy industries in this country gone but not forgotten !!! was recommended this clip today whilst working on a roof of all places glad its not as high as the buildings in the clip !!
The sadness everyone feels even in such an intimidating monster of a site is because deep down they know this behemoth was the engine of Englands beating heart - it's power - it's energy - it's very industrial soul. Now it sits mothballed, broken, abandoned and beyond redemption, it's only future fate is the day when it's finally reduced to nothing. A part of every Englishman dies with it.
Perfectly spoken! - So sad to see. Having worked for British Steel in the Rolling Mill Side as Shift engineer and Shift Manager - Its in the blood, the camaraderie to get the job done - Never experienced it since in any place of work its unique - similar to mining. I'd go back tomorrow and do it all over again if i could. I rem walking around this BOS plant in the early 90's - glorious site and smells!
@@keziasarah Nice words. I've always gone to work and got my hands dirty, noisy workshops etc. Nothing like this though and I've always had lots of respect for the men that did/still do it. The cameraderie you mention, you're never going to get that sat at a desk on a computer are you?
Great video guys, but may I politely ask where you sourced the opening image from? Because I took it, and I don't recall being asked. I spent ten years trying to capture that image. We photographers need support too. Thanks in advance.
The 3 Queens at Sunny Scunny we're half as efficient as Redcar Blast with it's PCR. The biggest ore carriers in the world had to come to Redcar's deep warf to offload enough ore so that the draft of the ship could sail up the Humber ti offload the iron ore for Scunthorpe. Then it was transferred to a train and sent to the steel works 10 to 15 miles away. Very inefficient compared to Redcar. Political suicide
The scenes and images on this video show you why Ridley Scott extracted so much inspiration from this and the surrounding area for the dystopian landscapes of Blade Runnner. Really fascinating. I used to regularly visit the site during my younger years driving trucks. I live locally and this has all but disappeared now. I hope the next generation of businesses to occupy the site provides as much employment to the area as our great Steel making history did.
This was an awe-inspiring video. Thanks for making it. Even watching at home, you can feel the odd energy that lives in these sorts of spaces. It must have been a powerful experience Are you guys aware of the concept of Liminal spaces?
Much respect, and much more jealousy from Balitmore, Maryland, US. I would have had to bring a fold out chair and a 6 pack of Heineken to enjoy at the top of that furnace. What an amazing view. Thank you for sharing
I joined the Michigan Technology University Society for Industrial Archaeology. Because I enjoy understanding what today's ruins still allow a casual visitor. Also because I enjoy climbing man-made structures. Which is why I tented overnight atop the Packard Motors Plant ruins in Detroit.
I worked here from 1979 until closure and as the guy says the Control Room was modernised when SSI UK bought the Plant in 2011 all controls were operated from the HMI pc's and the panel he shows you is an emergency panel to take the furnace off-line in case the of a failure of the computers.
a few of the assumptions the narrator makes about things are wrong but he does a good job of showing a lot of things
The 2 bays opposite each other he describes as a mirror image are the Casthouse Floors and machines do not export material out of the ends the runners he shows you just the slag runners going to the slag pits and granulator the Iron (Not Steel as he keeps saying) went down to the rocker bays and into 350 tonne Torpedo's for transportation to the BOS Plant to be turned into Steel. The 4 Big Pipes he mentions are The Hot Blast Stoves which provide the Hot Blast to the Furnace usually at 1,000 - 1,200 deg c
Great video !! but it's obvious that the guys did not have a very good grasp of how blast furnaces operate. If you are interested in these giant pieces of technology there are plenty of RUclips videos that describe in detail how they work. There is a fantastic blast furnace museum in Volklingen, Saarland, Germany. Almost the entire blast furnaces, coke ovens, giant hall containing the air blowers etc. Is accessible and the entire process of iron making is fully explained and interpreted. Well worth a visit if you really want to get an understanding and feel for for these amazing industrial plants.
@@jackb8682 This place looks absolutely awesome and it is on my to do list.
@@person.X. Yes do it if you possibly can. Make a special trip.... You won't be dissapointed !
some info from a blast furnace worker. the valey you saw at the end of those tracks was a slag pit, the liquid slag would flow thru those tracks (in this video they are filled in, usualy they are concrete troughs) into the pit to cool down. the dome topped pipes are cowpers/stoves these are used to heat the blast air up to 1200°c. if you have any questions please do ask
I was brought up in the next village and at 5mins, 25 seconds the majority of the land you can see is actually slag. I remember as a kid I'd see the red hot mounds of 'earth' smouldering.
ruclips.net/video/CIeKZTrMmyI/видео.html
and then stick your hand in those pipes to check if temperature is good - that's how britain worked in past century, no safety regulations at all, no instruments to do that safety - like a caveman. Brexit was the right choice - 6 years later Britain feels aftermath of it, lol.
@@1sonyzz cope and seeth hahah
I’ve lived in Redcar my entire life and have always been fascinated by the blast furnace. When the plant was still operational is was amazing to drive past it on the road to south gare, smoke and steam everywhere, seeing the molten steel being poured into the rail torpedos to be taken away to the beam mills and BOS plant. The BOS plant was finally brought down yesterday morning and the blast furnace will be next. It’s very sad to see the demise of this once mighty site and all the history that went with it. I always wanted to look around the blast furnace myself so this video is brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
So sorry dude, you'll hopefully move one day.
Is this part of ICI and that whole industrial area running along the cleveland coast?
Now theyve gutted the industry they can build housing on the site for immigrants.
Great comment Mathew awe inspiring memories of the type of thing we were first at and great at , in the 70s there was a brilliant kids animation on itv called " Chorlton And The Wheelies " btw
@@thomascook8541 Kind of. ICI was/is much further inland but it's a shadow of what it used to be. The whole industrial region was largely classed as ICI but contained many different companies.
Although I never worked there, I lived very close. One thing I can't get over is, how quiet it is there. I should imagine it was deafening when in operation. Thanks for the time and care you took to record this monolithic piece of local history.
Lovely stuff lads, balls of steel up that thing
Best job I ever had was working there, not on the blast itself but in the labs but got out and about and did lots of exploring, sinter plant, coke ovens, the furnace it was huge
12:39 To provide some detail on the writing where no paper was available, is from Ultrasonic examination looking for surface / sub surface defects in the welds
TC = Toe Crack
DAC+6 = Distance amplitude curve or Reference level + 6 decibels (highly reflective defect)
L20 = Length 20mm
H5 = Height 5mm
DD 950 = Distance from datum 950mm
and so on..
Thanks for this video guys!
I worked on 'the Redcar Blast' back in the 80s when it was shiny and new. I was once sent up to the platform seen at around 10:00 with a gang of labourers to CLEAN IT! Apparently some top brass was visiting and the local seniors thought it would be nice :D
I knew the original control room well. The consoles were installed with keyboards that ran ABCDEFG... because the designers thought a QWERTY keyboard would be too confusing for steelworkers, hence operating the IBM Green Screens was near impossible.
Goosebump attack when you walked down the office corridor, being a 'white hat' that's where I was based. The RBF Manager in charge at that time was mad and posh and yelled "Monsieurs! C'est neuf heure" at the top of his lungs each day for the 9 o'clock meeting and his managers scuttled down the corridor to be shouted at in his office.
This is a surprisingly insightful piece of video. Your narrative over the top and discussion between each other brings it to life. For what I assume are fairly young filmmakers, this is impressive and inspiring.
Worked there for 25 years until 2008,i have been on the very top (bleeder platform) bad investment decisions led too the closure,The works needed an extra "Slab caster" at the steel / concaster plant, as output was restricted to 70/75% of potential, Pity, compared to some foreign works, it's a clean, efficient works.
Fascinating video indeed ! Well done. I was the Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) for this plant from about 2011 until final enclosure. I was helping the restart team. From the video it looks like quite a lot of the building had already been removed. At 25.20 - that instrument is a thermal neutron dose rate monitor, which I recall checking and using - wow what a find! Mark.,
I had a tour of the site back in 2014; just 6 weeks before it finally closed. The site was similarly overgrown and dilapidated then too. Seeing the furnace in operation was very interesting though. Its a very hands on job and we got as close to the taps as you did. Stepping over the exposed rivers of molten iron in the big halls was certainly an experience!
Fun Fact: the nearest train station to this factory is called British Redcar, and it is the least visited train station in the UK, because it was built for the workers at the factory. Nowadays, you can stop at the station if you like, but you cannot leave it because all the surrounding land is owned by the steel company and it would be tresspassing.
The station is called "British Steel Redcar" and also "Redcar British Steel" depending where you look! Whilst the station is still open, no trains now call there, and as Stereoman says, all the surrounding land is private, and monitored by security. So in theory there will now be no visits to it. It could only happen in Britain - station open, but you cannot get to or from it and no trains stop there! Sounds like something from Monty Python. If there is a plastic chair in the Saltburn bound shelter, I put it there before it closed.
@@MrMikeanthorn Sad to say, the chair is gone: ruclips.net/video/5QCB6UdlnVw/видео.html
In the early 1960s, my family used the road past this area of Dorman Longs to visit Redcar. You saw the waste slag being tipped in molten form from cradle rail wagons, a massive glow of red and orange in the dusk. To a young boy, this kind of image never fades. Even now, the south side area of the Tees gives an amazing sense of wilderness on a winter afternoon. Thanks for the film, very enjoyable.
They use the slag in roads now when mixing with asphalt
I grew up on Teesside and visited British Steel Redcar works in the mid 1980s as part of a tour. It's fascinating to see this but also so sad to see it abandoned.
This is fantastic lads and lasses. People who have lived close by in Redcar have only seen the iconic buildings from the outside. This video is a fantastic insight, I appreciate being able to see it
Great exploring I still work in the steel works and was on blast for 10 years bring back brilliant memories
Fantastic video. I worked in the BOS plant for 16 years very sad after 170 years of iron and steel making
Bf worker here at Port Talbot, my dad used to do a bit at Redcar. Crazy watch this is and makes me wonder how many years this will be the case here at PT. Thank you for a cracking watch👍🏻
We'll this comment didn't age well 😞
@@pauldavies7251 indeed😣
Now I can see where where Ridley Scott got his inspiration from, living in this neck of the woods. There are parts where you look like you are inside the HR Geiger crashed spaceship. All pipes and dark metallic organic looking shapes. The scale of the place is epic.
I recall the hoo-ha of Alien 3 being linked to Redcar steelworks! :)
Well done guys
I did a delivery of heat exchangers to Redcar once
2 things have always stayed with me;
Firstly, the shear size of the place
And secondly, the loco shed no longer connected to the internal rail network (not far from the dedicated Redcar Steelworks railway station on the mainline) that still housed 2 brand new locomotives. They were never used after Corus got into a dispute with the manufacturer during the purchase
Excellent work lads
What a phenomenal structure! You had my stomach a-fluttering a few times as you ascended the metal stairs - especially the last section where you reached the top. Wow! Good job, guys! ~ david in Medicine Hat
The amount of time, human effort and raw materials that went into constructing and operating this structure. Wow. And now left abandoned, no longer of use to those who once made huge profits from it.
No huge profits made thats why it closed
I was the engineer on the construction of the PCR which when looking from the top is just to the right of the main conveyor, it was under control of the Thais and would send the molten steel by rail in torpedos a couple of miles to Tata. The PCR pulverised coal to dust and blew it into the furnace at low level. The construction was done by a squad from Port Talbot together with myself and local labour........I actually still have my keys on the SSI key strap and store my cryptos on two of the SSI safety induction memory sticks
Your video is absolutely awesome and you made some history as it came down today .
Well done boys !!!
all those jobs lost not just here but all over working men and women could bring families up on these wages buy houses what a waste and to think we allowed foreign imports to undermine are own production so short sighted
All part of a 100+Yr old plan to destroy western civilization from the inside out.
Keep raising steel prices to support artificial wage structures and insulating tariffs to depress imports. Hmmm at some point steel becomes too expensive and the problem solves itself. Nonsense…more on these boards should pay attention in school when economics is taught.
Protectionism cannot solve the problems UK steel production faces.
This plant was surplus to requirements when Corus was taken over by Tata Steel.
You are absolutely right. Such a disgrace.
A Chinese company Bought British steel does this include redcar site
This takes me back: I went on a tour of the plant as part of a school geography trip in the early 1970s
Brilliant video guys I remember when Redcar steelworks was open it was a huge facility and now it is sadly set to be gone by August.
Incredible footage it brought back so many memories from 1979 when i worked on this place as an apprentice welder you even managed to show the gas detectors we fitted back then.....great video
Thank you guys for taking me with you on your adventure, it was truly fascinating, and brilliantly resurched and wonderfully filmed.❤️❤️👍
Currently living in Redcar and class to see the small details of the steel works. Well done for getting inside and documenting the reamining features of the place before it's demolished.
A few wrong assumptions to say the least (how else, they are not trained metallurgists nor steelworkers) ... but a brave and valiant effort, had me enthralled, I'm very glad you documented this. I am overwhelmed at the sheer ability of design, manufacture and erection of all this plant. WOW !
You are very brave walking around that building. However this is a great video of a piece of Teesside history. Not many people will have stood at the very top of the Blast furnce as you did at 27:44. I will try and video it this weekend as the demolition is well under way now.
very pleased you have made this video ,thanks a lot ,generations to come can look at what we have lost ,i worked in this industry for some 35 years plus ,i was shift engineer on power station and we use to blow wind up the furnace
Very interesting. I work on a cargo ship and we used to sail to Teesport container terminal. I used to take a bike with me and use the freetime to explore near cities. Harbour workers recommended Redcar, as it was closer than Middlesbrough. I cycled on Trunk Road past this monumental abandoned steel factory and been thinking about it since then. Very cool to finally see what it is like. Quality content!
First of yours I’ve seen this, really enjoyed it the production was class, look forward to more abandoned industry stuff
I can only say, this shows that the “youth” understand and appreciate history, politics and technology both old and new way better than the old gits appreciate (I am officially an old git). Just keep being safe around those massive drops and other scary urbex good stuff. Fantastic channel folks😊
I remember when it was in full swing. From the gare road you could watch the molten steel being poured into what us kids called the torpedo trains. It was like watching the gates of hell being opened. It was like a massive waterfall of fire. Now I've got kids myself, and it's a little bit sad to know they'll never get to see it.
I filmed a torpedo being filled in 1998 from the Gare rd. Have a look here. ruclips.net/video/yLj4MOpGbSM/видео.html
I remember this too, used to go and watch the trains with my grandad. sometimes there would be an odd one left on a siding because it was on fire 🔥
Could actually feel the heat from them as they trundled by !
In winter the ground with a the slag dumped on it towards the beach would steam lol .
Magical place.
I worked on many of the control panels for the coking plant which my company Henry Williams of Darlington installed back in the 70s.
Great opening shot of the red sun & the sillouette of the furnace.
An insane location! Great work once again guys!
Well done team ,you have captured some of Britain's history before it's gone ! 👍
Epic! Even less structure now. Soon be all gone but never forgotten.
It got demolished yesterday - really sad to watch, but I'm glad you uploaded this, which has meant that we can all look around it. Also them "4 large pipes" are actually stoves, used to heat up the furnace. They're going to be demolished next month.
I worked on the Conveyers, installation and commissioning, from the Barrel reclaimer back in 1979. Babcock-Moxey.
It's a shame this blast furnace complex can't be preserved in some part that would leave something against the skyline for future generations to witness. This has been done in the United States such as the 20th century blast furnaces saved in the cities of Pittsburgh and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama. Wonderful, if not sneaky, tour of a shutdown, iron making facility. Thanks for your bravery climbing about and videoing the complex and for sharing!
There is a place like that in Duisburg (based there for a bit). They turned it into a kind of post-industrial garden.
O.M.G! What a video! (Again) You guys are fearless, but kudos to Theo for going has high as he did... I'll not too keep on hights either, but he probably got further than I ever would, so well done! Great work, great stills, great narration, indepth historical context, amazing vista's and stunning videography. (as always) EVERYONE, please order the new magazine and help these amazing guys out as they truly deserve all of our support.
Absolutely awesome! What a huge bit of kit and it’s sad it wasn’t economically viable. I regularly pass TaTa Port Talbot and wonder how long that similar blast furnace will be operating. Love the industrial/commercial/military explores. Top vid lads.
Class video lads, brilliant production quality. Good luck with the magazine 👍🏻
Great beginning of video in that deteriorating room,this place was massive and great views from high up there,great looking around the blast furnace very informative video thanks for sharing 👍
Thankyou for the continuous brilliant content. Love you boys
THANKYOU SO SO MUCH GUYS although you got some of the operational things wrong it was fantastic and very sad to see the furnace in such a state it was once a monster producing nearly 10,000 tonnes of iron a day, spent 34 years working there on frontside the two identical sheds each side, so so sad to see it now RIP mighty girl one of the largest blast furnaces in the world NEVER WILL BE FORGOT an absolute disaster for the local area 180 years of iron and steel making at an end MIDDLESBRO SOUTHBANK REDCAR THE REAL STEEL CITY MILLIONS OF TONS PRODUCED IN THIS AREA ,THE FIRST STEEL CONVERTER AT BRANCE END ESTON AND IRON ORE MINES IN THE HILLS ABOVE SOD BLUDDY SHEFFIELD WITH ITS STAINLESS THIS IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE MIGHTY GOLIETH OF STEEL PRODUCTION nce again THANKYOU LADS ABSOLUTE DIAMOND OF A VIDEO THAT WILL BE WATCHED FOR YEARS AND YEARS GOD BLESS ❤❤
Well said.! 👍👍
Chris I used to live in South Bank. The closure of the steelworkers both at Cargo Fleet and Redcar was devastating
The Blast Furnace is being blown in a couple of weeks...I've worked down there in various stages of its demolition this past year ....I imagine it's very sad for the people of Teeside .
Its criminal how the accountants and politicians have got away with destroying all the imperical knowledge gained over the years.
This criminality will come back and haunt the decision makers
They're trespassing with no knowledge. But I love the views.
Interesting place guys. I loved the intro in that room too. The curtains looked in really good condition compared to the rest of the room.
Well done Thatcher. You realy did a hatchet job on this country!
Great and interesting video , salute to an era gone by ....
Thanks I wish I could have been there myself
What a fantastic and very moving video, you did very well getting in and looking around without been detected as I know even now the security is very tight in there.. It's very say to see the state of the place now, just think how hot it would have been near the blast furnace when it was up and running you would never be able to any of the places you did when it was running. I been a wagon driver most of my life and I used to deliver coal and coke there, although the last couple of time I was on this site was to take coke away to the near by steel site at Scunthorpe, I had to be escorted out by security because of protesters blocking the entrance, they were there because they didn't want the place to close down.. I remember them saying once they turn the furnace off that was it, it would never run again.. it was a very sad day when they did finally turn it off..
wow its cool to see up there my grandad used to work here and used to climb up the chimneys and the pipes and clean them
Thank goodness somebody is recording this piece of history in the north east before it gets knocked down, i remember walking around the even bigger plant that used to be at Seaton Carew when it was in full production back in 1966, you young people i assume have never seen a plant like this working .......... it was an education that you could never find in a book .
Brilliant film boys and the balls to get to the top, you will have something to tell your grandchildren..
When you look at the sheer size of these places it always amazes me. They are so complex in their design. I work on The Railway and I have been to Llanwern and Margam Steel works in South Wales and its like driving around a strange Town when you get into the site. I also worked at Shotton Steelworks in North Wales, that is still open but it doesn`t produce Steel anymore.
Went to the top of the blast in the mid 80,s when I was on the YTS,worked all over the teesside works,now work up the road,sad times,the blast won't be there much longer.
Wow! That was high! My head was spinning just watching the video 😬 such an interesting place, it’s great when items are left 😀
I've watched explores going through one of the Steel blast furnaces in Pittsburgh Steel and your blast furnace looks to be bigger. Good job for showing what this looked like.
14m hearth and capable of 11,000 tonne a day
Fantastic video lads, well done.
I had no idea of the sheer scale of this plant.
I grew up in Redcar, my dad worked there, don’t remember what part though. Good to see inside.👍👍😎
Excellent video !! Well done and thank you team 👍
Sat opposite this place many a time in Wilton international tipping wood chips watching the furnace in action just before it closed 👌 was an amazing sight on a dark winters night, awesome video boys👌👍👌👍
Wow guys that was awesome what a place thanks for bringing that to us
Thank you for braving this place!! It’s local to where I live and I’d love to have a nosy inside but I’m just not that brave 😂
Rare to see something like this that isn't covered in graffiti and rubbish. Fascinating watch, thanks.
Use to pick trailers up from redcar steel works. Take them to the docks to be transported all over. Was a great day job👍
great footage and informative seen it when in use fired up many times such a shame like most heavy industries in this country gone but not forgotten !!! was recommended this clip today whilst working on a roof of all places glad its not as high as the buildings in the clip !!
Fantastic, thank you so much for posting
Fantastic piece of history captured. This structure is being demolished on Wednesday 23rd November 2022. The skyline changed forever.
This is an epic video, just gained yourself a new sub
brilliant visit, thank you....
Very well presented and thoughtfully narrated. Most impressed.
Wow that place is amazing. You lads are much braver than I, climbing to the top. Great vid, enjoyed it very much thanks.
I live 10 mins from here great to see what it's actually like inside great job guys 👌👍
thank you so much for this episode! i hope you can do more in the north east
Great explore guys! Smashed it.
The sadness everyone feels even in such an intimidating monster of a site is because deep down they know this behemoth was the engine of Englands beating heart - it's power - it's energy - it's very industrial soul.
Now it sits mothballed, broken, abandoned and beyond redemption, it's only future fate is the day when it's finally reduced to nothing. A part of every Englishman dies with it.
Perfectly spoken! - So sad to see. Having worked for British Steel in the Rolling Mill Side as Shift engineer and Shift Manager - Its in the blood, the camaraderie to get the job done - Never experienced it since in any place of work its unique - similar to mining. I'd go back tomorrow and do it all over again if i could. I rem walking around this BOS plant in the early 90's - glorious site and smells!
@@keziasarah Nice words. I've always gone to work and got my hands dirty, noisy workshops etc. Nothing like this though and I've always had lots of respect for the men that did/still do it. The cameraderie you mention, you're never going to get that sat at a desk on a computer are you?
Great video guys, but may I politely ask where you sourced the opening image from? Because I took it, and I don't recall being asked. I spent ten years trying to capture that image. We photographers need support too. Thanks in advance.
They’ve still got blast furnaces in Scunthorpe and Port Talbot making steel. Great video 👍🏼
The 3 Queens at Sunny Scunny we're half as efficient as Redcar Blast with it's PCR.
The biggest ore carriers in the world had to come to Redcar's deep warf to offload enough ore so that the draft of the ship could sail up the Humber ti offload the iron ore for Scunthorpe. Then it was transferred to a train and sent to the steel works 10 to 15 miles away.
Very inefficient compared to Redcar.
Political suicide
The scenes and images on this video show you why Ridley Scott extracted so much inspiration from this and the surrounding area for the dystopian landscapes of Blade Runnner. Really fascinating. I used to regularly visit the site during my younger years driving trucks. I live locally and this has all but disappeared now. I hope the next generation of businesses to occupy the site provides as much employment to the area as our great Steel making history did.
Amazing explore guys took some gut to climb that high.
This was an awe-inspiring video. Thanks for making it. Even watching at home, you can feel the odd energy that lives in these sorts of spaces. It must have been a powerful experience
Are you guys aware of the concept of Liminal spaces?
I worked as a blast furnace man for 6 years on Scunthorpe British steel
A picture of myself at 24:40. Good times at Redcar ♨️
Wow. Beautiful and awe-inspiring.
Well done lads.
Hi lads, the pipes with the dome tops are called the stoves the provided the super heated air for the blast furnace
Fascinating. I worked at llanwern in South Wales. Did you get to see inside thee furnace itself ??
Much respect, and much more jealousy from Balitmore, Maryland, US. I would have had to bring a fold out chair and a 6 pack of Heineken to enjoy at the top of that furnace. What an amazing view. Thank you for sharing
Class video! I always wanted to go there but no one would come with me 😂 and heard the security was 💩 hot
i have been kicked out
Security are usually on the ball must of had a off day 🤣
Full of shit u never been ther
That is awesome!!!! Great job guys
Amazing video guys you see the curvature of the earth too stunning views
(grin) You're not going to see the curvature of the earth when you're only a few hundred feet off the ground. It's the effect of the camera.
Great work guys keep doing what your doing!
This video will go down in history. Thanks
very interesting video to see the workings of the blast furnace
I joined the Michigan Technology University Society for Industrial Archaeology.
Because I enjoy understanding what today's ruins still allow a casual visitor.
Also because I enjoy climbing man-made structures. Which is why I tented
overnight atop the Packard Motors Plant ruins in Detroit.