Excellence in Galvanizing
The team at Humber Galvanizing Ltd has played a core role in vital refurbishment works on one of the busiest heritage railways in the UK.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which runs a predominantly tourist steam train service between Pickering and Whitby, required the replacement of a large deteriorating iron railway bridge at Goathland which was suffering from corrosion and beyond repair.
As well as the bridge itself, a large number of point rods within an old North Eastern railway signal box on the north side of the bridge were in need of maintenance – over 200 of them which had had been second-hand when originally installed by the railway in the 1970s.
Craig Donald of North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said: “In order to prolong the life of all of the point rods and to ensure they continue to function effectively for another 40-50 years, we decided to get them galvanized. The rods cross the railway bridge that was due to be replaced, and so this was an ideal time to get this work carried out.
“The point rods are a ‘U’ shape in section with each varying in length up to 5.5 metres. They have two bolt fixing holes at each end and a morse taper finish on the inside for attaching to a tapered fish plate jointing section. Because of such factors, it was imperative that the heat from the galvanising process did not curve the rods or affect the internal tapered surface which may prevent correct joining process when reassembling.
“We also needed to ensure that the galvanising process did not reduce the diameter of the fixing bolt holes, which would have prevented the fixing bolts themselves from being inserted later on.
“Following a trial batch of 20 rods, we were so pleased with the result that we had the main batch of 200 sent away to Humber Galvanizing. The team there turned the whole job around in just four days, which was fantastic.”
The bridge work took approximately two months to complete from dismantling of the old bridge to completion of the new bridge.
Tony Linsley, Sales Manager at Humber Galvanizing Ltd – part of Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd – said: “This was a wonderful project to be involved in and one that will ensure that this historic and much-loved heritage railway will continue to be enjoyed by the area’s visitors for many, many years to come.
“The project was of course not without its challenges, but the team worked exceptionally hard to ensure the very best result. As part of our work with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, we also galvanised a number of parts for a signal at a new carriage shed in Pickering – and we’re delighted with the feedback from the customer.”
Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd is the largest hot-dip galvanizing organisation in the UK with a history dating back over 150 years. With 14 plants strategically placed across the country, the firm offers a truly national galvanizing service. For further information please contact Wedge Group Galvanizing on 01902 630311 or visit www.wedge-galv.co.uk.