Railways in Worcestershire

RAILWAYS IN WORCESTERSHIRE
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Albright & Wilson Oldbury

ALBRIGHT & WILSON LTD, OLDBURY

Grid Reference: SO 994883

Arthur Albright (1811 to 1900) started producing White Phosphorus for matches at Oldbury in 1851. In 1856 he joined with John Edward Wilson (1834 to 1907) to produce Red Phosphorus. A formal partnership was agreed in 1892 and listing on the London Stock Exchange came in 1948. The company was acquired by Tenneco Inc (Texas, U.S.A.) in 1978 but it became independent again in 1995 only to be taken over again by ISPG PLC in 1999 and then by the Rhodia Group (France) in 2000.

The works was reached by a long siding off the Stourbridge to Birmingham line at Langley Green Station.

This siding was originally part of the GWR branch to Oldbury. There were exchange sidings on the west side of the main line at Rood End Lane. The last rail traffic that consisted of tankers of Chlorine ceased on 22nd December 1995.

The line to Albright & Wilson is the overgrown one on the right hand side with Langley Green station in the background.Photograph taken by Andrew Smith on 1st September 2001.

25257

Class 25 No.25257 has just delivered another load of empty tankers to the loading point at the Albright & Wilson works in August 1982. Photograph taken by Andrew Smith.


LOCOMOTIVE FLEET:

FRENCH 0-4-0ST Manning Wardle 1582 of 1902 (from 3/1917 to gone by 1927)

- 0-4-0ST Peckett 917 of 1902 (from 1930 to sold for preservation 8/1978)

- 0-4-0ST Peckett 1969 of 1940 (from new to sold 3/1956)

- 0-4-0DE Ruston & Hornsby 381753 of 1955 (from 12/1976 to scrapped 21/5/1981)

2 4wDM Hibberd ("Planet") 3686 of 1955 (to new to 3/1993)

1 4wDM Hibberd ("Planet") 3658 of 1953 (from Widnes Works 11/1981 via rebuild at Resco (L112 of 1981) to 3/1993)


Hired Locos:

- 4wPM Fowler 17725 of 1929 (during 9/1949)

KITCHENER 0-4-0ST Manning Wardle 1843 of 1915 (during 1954)

CORNWALL 0-4-0ST Barclay 1386 of 1914 (from 3/1954 to 7/1954)

- 0-4-0ST Peckett 2025 of 1942 (from 7/1954 to 2/1955)

017 SARAH 0-4-0DH Sentinel 10089 of 1962 (from 3/1993 to c/1995)

RFS019 0-4-0DH Sentinel 10120 of 1962 (from 3/1993 to c/1996)

RFS013 EDDIE 0-4-0DH GECT 5576 of 1979 (from c12/1995 to c2/1996)

Langley Green Station

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