Thomson's Stockton to cease processing scrap

[mainframe444]

A number of railway items have met their end here over the years.....

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/busine...on-scrap-yard-12586661#ICID=sharebar_facebook

A scrap merchant which has operated from its Stockton site for 85 years has processed its finals metals.

TJ Thomson and Son Ltd has dealt with vast quantities of scrap at its 55 acre Millfield Works complex since 1932.

In the 1970s, it was Western Europe’s largest scrap metal processor.

But now the company has confirmed it has pulled the plug on scrap metal processing and will instead concentrate on trading. Around 10 staff face redundancy and the north Oxbridge site, which is being cleared, is earmarked for housing in the Stockton Local Plan. Only an office will remain.

Director David Turner - whose family bought the firm in 1928 - confirmed no scrap was now being produced but stressed the company wasn’t folding.

He said: “I must emphasise that the company is carrying on trading and has no financial problems.

“But while we are going to carry on trading, we are stopping processing steel scrap because it is uneconomic.

“We’ve been running it down over the past two or three years as the business has got quieter.

“We stopped buying scrap to process in December and the processing equipment on site is now being cut up.

“We will continue trading and we will employ a handful of people - mainly office staff. But there will be a few redundancies, which is very sad - we employ 15 at the moment and we might have five left.”

 

[sprinterguy]

It's a good while since I last recall any rolling stock of note being broken up by Thomson's: I remember seeing a row of redundant class 31s formerly resident at Toton for several years awaiting breaking up in there around the turn of the millennium.

Still sad to see the demise or downscaling of a long established local employer.

 

[najaB]

Still sad to see the demise or downscaling of a long established local employer.

Another victim of Chinese steel overproduction.

 

[AlterEgo]

Interesting to note that the scrap metal cutting equipment is itself being cut up for scrap.

Anyone want a scrap scrap metal plant?

 

[BestWestern]

Interesting to note that the scrap metal cutting equipment is itself being cut up for scrap.

Anyone want a scrap scrap metal plant?

Does industrial scrap metal kit not consist of just a blowtorch and a claw grab!?

 

[najaB]

Does industrial scrap metal kit not consist of just a blowtorch and a claw grab!?

It may include equipment like this (ironically enough this one is in China):
[youtube]tsueJmbnRXs[/youtube]

 

[Railsigns]

Does industrial scrap metal kit not consist of just a blowtorch and a claw grab!?

I don't imagine a blowtorch is much use for processing scrap. An oxyacetylene torch is what you need.

 

[AlterEgo]

There is a lot of machinery at that plant if it's the one I'm thinking of near the station. It has a few quirky shunters and a rail connection.

 

[bearhugger]

There is a lot of machinery at that plant if it's the one I'm thinking of near the station. It has a few quirky shunters and a rail connection.

Yes, you are correct AlterEgo.

I've noticed that you can see a lot more open space in the yard as I passed on the train today. you can clearly see 3 of the shunters they have through gaps in the fence lineside now, and what appears to be the outer shell of a boiler high up on something.

 

[2392]

Whilst yes it is a sad day seeing yet another piece of British industry closing. The big problem for TJ's is/was the closure of Redcar Steelworks just over a year ago or so, by SSI, their biggest "customer" for processed scrap. The N.Y.MR.'s class 24 D5032 Helen Turner arrived on the Moors 41 years ago back in 1976 [the infamous year of the drout] as emergancy "Thunderbird" cover for the steamers due to tinder dry conditions of the Moors and as been there ever since. Just over a year maybe 2 Thomsons' made the Moors an offer for them to buy her, which was taken up.

 

[BestWestern]

I don't imagine a blowtorch is much use for processing scrap. An oxyacetylene torch is what you need.

True that!

 

[D6975]

It's a good while since I last recall any rolling stock of note being broken up by Thomson's: I remember seeing a row of redundant class 31s formerly resident at Toton for several years awaiting breaking up in there around the turn of the millennium.

Still sad to see the demise or downscaling of a long established local employer.

When I went past in the summer of 2010 there was a class 37 cab sitting atop a pile of scrap. Not seen any locos there on subsequent trips to the NE.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

I don't imagine a blowtorch is much use for processing scrap. An oxyacetylene torch is what you need.

Oxy propane is the popular gases for cutting up most scrap.Same torch, different (2 piece) jet. Oxygen jet does the cutting.