Hot Metal Transfer Ladle

While on a wander to peer from the top of the Hownsgill Viaduct in Consett we totally missed this huge red truck. Fortunately we found it on the way back.

This is a Steel Ladle Truck and was used to carry hot metal within the Consett Steelworks.

We found out that the truck was used within the Consett Steelworks and would be loaded up with hot metal from the blast furnaces.

We asked on Facebook and we found someone who used to work at the steelworks. Steve Kay commented:

"The transport was from the blast furnaces to the steel plant which was only a few hundred yards. Once in the steel plant a double jibbed crane wound pick the ladle from its carriage, by hooks either side at top. Once lifted a second jib wound hook onto the bottom lug and lift pouring molten iron into the Bessemer converter. This was quite a spectacle! Then the raw iron would be made into steel with additives and blasted with oxygen via a lance."

This truck lives on the C2C cycleway and once you're done here you can head south west for 500m to the Hownsgill Viaduct and then once you are back at the truck you could walk 900m up to the Terris Novalis.