The LNER Encyclopedia

I'm slightly curious if any chemical traffic was conveyed by rail from the chemical plant (famous for the terrible explosion in 1974) in LNER and BR days, if it existed at that time.


This question is more simple curiosity on the matter and not necessarily for my planned layout, but if any such traffic did end up travelling north along the ECML it would be a happy coincidence.

Nova wrote:I'm slightly curious if any chemical traffic was conveyed by rail from the chemical plant (famous for the terrible explosion in 1974) in LNER and BR days, if it existed at that time.

Yes I vaguely remember the 1974 explosion at the chemical plant at Flixborough I was 17 years old at the time of the explosion and I vaguely remember that it was a big news story on the television news and was in all the national newspapers for several days after the explosion with unfortunately 28 people being killed and 36 people being seriously injured.

There is a rough hand drawn map of the chemical plant on the web which shows several railway lines inside the chemical plant complex but there isn't any mention of what sort of railway traffic was using the chemical plant in 1974.

Mickey

Is the chemical plant served by the Flixborough Wharf branch?

if so, there are photos in British Railways Past and Present Part 27 - Lincolnshire showing the wharf in June 1956 and spring 1983. There is no mention of the chemical plant. Nor is it mentioned in my British Railways Rail Atlas 2004 edition.

Flixborough Wharf line was,as far as I know, connected to both the Chemical Plant and Scunthorpe Steel Works.
When the plant blew we felt the blast push us as we walked in Hull.
Was involved in a vessel that discharged on the Wharf in the early 1980's and was told by the wharf people the when the plant blew the door to the wharf brick built office was torn out,frame and all and landed over the other side of the River Trent.
A farmer reported it landed in his field over half a mile away.