Our tour started, as usual, from Frodingham Platform at 09.36, with 71 members booked. Everyone who wanted to book had been accommodated, due to the unexpected addition of a fourth brakevan at a late stage.

For those unfamiliar with the site, this description is easiest to follow using the latest version of our Society's Scunthorpe Steelworks map (11 Jan 2025) by Martyn Brailsford, which includes point numbers and is to scale. When logged in to our website, search 'Scunthorpe' on the document archive; there is also a marked up 'red penned' version of the tour route. Both enlarge and print well on A3 size paper.

We headed via Points 512 and 513 on the track avoiding 227 Loop to reach Points 529 at Dawes Lane. Here our train reversed up to The Rail Service Centre and traversed as far as was permissible, to include Bays 5, 4, 3 and 2 West and East. The tour proceeded to Points 606, where it reversed to Corus Rail Sidings Road 2. The headshunt accessed via Points 602 was next, reversing up to said points. Obstructive wagons meant that we could not reach the new rail storage facility (Roads 1 & 2 on the map) this time.

Trent Sidings Road 5 followed. After gaining the required permission from the DBC Person In Charge, we travelled via Points 530 and 'The Angle' to Brick Shed Jn to enter Anchor Exchange Sidings. Roads 5, 4, 2 and 1 were traversed, using Points 452 and 451. It was interesting to see a DBC Class 66 with half a rake of coke wagons from Immingham unloading on the new Coke Unloading Line with its bottom discharge hopper facility. Mills Exchange Sidings followed, via Points 434, to cover Tracks 9 & 8, which involved shunting a row of wagons out of the way, a now common feature of our tours here.

We then traversed Headshunts 7 & 6 using Points 434, 438 & 439.[Thank goodness for point numbers on this extensive industrial railway!] Proceeding via Points 438, we made our way via Loop T9 to The Medium Section Mill Entrance 'C' (MSM C) - now its only rail entrance - traversing both tracks controlled by Points 407 up to the entrance of this massive building. Reversing at Points 404, the train proceeded apace via Points 312, 310 & 311 to Points 206. A reversal allowed travel over a third of the length of the Dead End Road. Moving forward to Points 204, then reversing along The Scrap Loop and Points 205, 203 & 201, we traversed the Right Hand Scrap Bay Road up to the building entrance.

Then, travelling forward to Points 202, a reversal led to coverage of the Left Hand Scrap Bay Road (its official name), again as far as the building entrance. To reach these destinations involved cautiously travelling over track buried in muck. Moving forward over Scrap Main, Points 201, 205, 206 then 209 (where we reversed up to Points 145), it was then forward to Points 140, 159, 158, 116 and 501. Reversing here took us to Points 511, 574 then left at Points 575. Then it was forward to the AFR-S* Appleby Platform. After 17.6 miles, we alighted for a break with an outstanding buffet (included in the fare) provided by the AFR-S Volunteers and a much-needed hot drink and a warm on this very cold day.

[Your Editor's heated thermal electric socks were enjoying their annual outing; each battery lasts four hours so four cover the morning and afternoon sessions. Three of the brakevans had stoves which were kept going, just as well, as there are only a couple of hypothermia foil sheets in the BLS First Aid Kit.]

*AFR-S (Appleby Frodingham Railway - Scunthorpe) is the former AFRPS (Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society). The rebrand, done a few years ago now, is to tell the 'Normals' where it is.

Part 2 of our tour started with a reversal from Frodingham Platform via Points 575 into the headshunt adjacent to the AFR-S Loco Shed. Moving forward over Points 574, we reversed at Points 511. This time the tour used 227 Loop, complementing the morning run, using Points 512 and 513 for a reversal at Points 519. Moving forward, we traversed the Coke Oven Weighbridge Loop at Points 525, 526 and 528, heading via Points 165 and 164 to traverse 65 Road at Point164. Running then via Points 158, 159, 142 and 143, our tour reversed just past Points 145. Then it used Points 209, 210, 141, 134, 130 and 128, halting just short of Points 127 and Queen Victoria Blast Furnace. This Queen had not blasted since early 2024, as a result much trackwork is out of use in this area; she won't ever blast again without relining.

The train retraced the move (only this one route is now in use) to just short of Bridge 44. Reversing, it ran via Points 209, 210, 212, 213, 216, 14 Loop, Points 220 and 222, halting short of the entrance to the Rod Mill. Next, we went forward via Points 215, 15 Loop, Points 214, 301, 311 & 310, proceeding for the length of the train length plus a bit, to clear Points 312 for a reversal to halfway between Points 314 and 365. The excitement continued, forward via Points 315, 360, 368 and 5 Bay Loop. Reversing at Points 337, we passed Points 338 to traverse the right hand line (the furthest south) at the Iron Pits by well over three quarters of its length. For the Scunthorpe hardliners who religiously attend every tour, twice a year (a bit like a regular dental check up), this was undoubtedly the pièce de resistance in the 'we never thought we would do that' category. It was the first time the affable and knowledgeable guard had been there too. After this day with us, he joined our Society (and is hoping for a Toton Depot repeat visit!).

Now in darkness, this memorable tour ended by returning to Frodingham Platform via Points 337, 157, 159, 158, 117, 503, including the loop between Points 509 and 510. Members dispersed to all parts of the Kingdom after another very enjoyable day provided by British Steel, AFR-S and our Society, thanks to everyone concerned. The total Distance for the afternoon session was 10.5 miles, making a grand total of 28.1 miles all day - to put this in perspective, there is still over 100 miles of track at this massive complex. Another member advises that maximum speed was 18.5mph. [To see if you have been paying attention, how many sets of points were traversed in total and which set of points were used the most?]

[Our 4 Jan tour found the steelworks and its internal railway to be much busier than for many years - we have visited regularly for over 14 years now. The previous stockpiles of slabs, blooms and billets were significantly depleted by sales, as were the previous large stockpiles of coke by usage. Of the four blast furnaces, Queen Victoria (dating from 1954) furthest south, shut down in early 2024 and is not expected to work again. At the north, end Queen Mary (1938) is the same and partly dismantled. Queen Bess (1938), second from the north end, was a hive of activity and Queen Anne (1954) to the south is now returning to production, after being shut down in 2024 due to unsuitable imported coke. Deliveries (by rail rather than road) of good quality imported coke appear to have resolved the problem - BLN Ed.]