Alan Sewell's visits to Thurrock Chalk and Whiting...

After some fantastic feedback I'm really pleased that Alan has been happy to share notes from another of his industrial railway visits, this time to Thurrock Chalk and Whiting cement works...

Sentinel 4wDH #2 (10248 of 1966), 25 June 1984 at Lafarge, West Thurrock. Alan Sewell photo.

Situated on the north bank of the Thames, across the river from Dartford. Chalk was dug locally, with clay brought in by barge - both operations requiring an industrial railway to bring the raw material to the works. A number of works belonging to different companies were all located in the same area which can make research a little tricky so do be careful when digging about for prototype information that you make a distinction between the APCM facility (described here), the Tunnel Works site (Tunnel Cement - also later Lafarge) and the original Lafarge works. Alan visited the works on several occasions separated by nearly 20 years and shares his period notes from the notebook. 

Thurrock Chalk & Whiting  Co Ltd / APCM 

Metropolian Works

West Thurrock  

Essex

Gauge: Standard 

June 1965

Viewed from Dartford Tunnel approach road at least two 0-4-0ST in steam one in the works and another shunting wagons

26 June 1965

COMET 0-4-0ST W. Bagnall 2879 of 1948 and PHB 0-4-0ST Hawthorn  Leslie 3760 of 1932 ( painted green lined red ) shunting  rakes on eight wood “Ship Canal” type wagons between the quarry and the works and shed area. Both locos fitted with dumb buffers for use with the low buffers on the quarry wagons. Comet also had “normal” sprung buffers but PHB were dumb buffers for both normal and quarry stock. Both locos had a full hand rail on the front of the footplate to enable the shunter to uncouple wagons. PHB ran out of the works with an empty train and reversed to outside the loco shed to take water and coal the shunter having set the points for the wharf/BR ran down the slowing train to attend to the coaling.

In the shed were two other 0-4-0ST and a rake of old internal user vans stood just outside the works.

1 November 1965

Thurrock Chalk and Whiting and Alpha Cement are operated as two separate companies although both owned by APCM with TC&W operating all the traffic including that for Alpha and the separate Lafarge plant and a small tile works.

An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST ( possibly Planet ) left pulling two bulk cement wagons heading under the road bridge and to the BR connection. Standing in the Alpha Cement works as some bulk cement Presflo wagons were being loaded was SOUTHFLEET 0-4-0ST Peckett 1746 of 1926 which later left light engine toward the quay and BR connection – possibly to collect more Presflo’s. 

Standing by the coaling stage was STAR another 0-4-0ST Barclay of 1927 which later shunted a single flat wagon out of the way to allow SOUTHFLEET to pass.

In the two-road loco shed were three further 0-4-0ST GEORGE  Andrew Barclay 1281 of 1912 with a GWR registration plate, PHB, and SWANSCOMBE Andrew Barclay 699 of 1891 with square builders plate and in a very dusty condition. In the adjoining well equipped workshops was COMET under repair. 

A final movement was THURWIT a Peckett 0-4-0ST 1734 of 1927 which charged past with a couple of flat wagons heading in the direction of the quarry and the works having come from the wharf.

No tipper wagon were seen but standing on a line towards the quarry were ten probably disused wood framed vans

12 February 1966 (BLC-ILIS (pre Industrial Railway Soc) visit)

Diesels have arrived with three brand new 4wDH Sentinels on site. Two were in the works and one (works number 10448) working. Also working was COMET which along with SOUTHFLEET would be spare to the Sentinels ( but for how long)

All other steam locos would be preserved or scrapped. In the shed were GEORGE, PLANET, STAR and PHB.

New steel side tip wagons had also arrived to replace the wooden wagons and were in use. 

Lafarge Aluminous Cement Co Ltd

West Thurrock  

Essex

Gauge: Standard 

25 June 1984

Lafarge have taken over all of the ex-Alpha/APCM site and with it the TC&W system. 

Sentinel 4wDH #2 ( 10248 of 1966) in a grubby and weathered green was hauling a rake of internal user side tipper wagons loaded with bauxite from the pier on the Thames to the works. The pier was once used by Tunnel Portland Cement and when that works closed, and was developed as the Lakeside shopping centre, Lafarge put a new line in.

 

The LAC tracks now runs off the this wharf through a flood gate and then reverses along the river bank  and joins the old TC&W line to their wharf which is now disused. The route then runs south past the BR exchange yard and over BR on a shared road/rail bridge and then drops down a steep grade under the road and into the works.

Within the works the track splits to serve a loading bay for finished product the loco shed and the bauxite unloading tip and other works sidings.

In addition to the side tippers, internal use wagons comprised a number of short wheel base flats from the Alpha works days and a four wheel SR-style brake van. This was lettered LPR ( Lafarge Private Railway) and with painted French and British flags. The brake van was needed for use with Ferry Vans. Two of the latter long wheel base vehicles were being loaded, and a further one stood in the yard.

Thank you to Alan for considering sharing these photos here with us all. I hope you've enjoyed another of his visits, I personally find the combination of period notes, maps and photos paint a wonderful picture of a lost industrial railway system of considerable size and scope. Another with great potential for modellers and historians alike. Until next time, more soon...