Buried Electric train at South Gosforth

[richard]

Yup. Although now it is a nature reserve, the world supply of curling stones is set to run out in only a few years. (the trivia you learn during a winter olympics!)


Richard

[Bill Bedford]

That would be Ailsa Craig?

But that isn't in the Hebrides.........

[richard]

Well the Outer Clyde, and it is pretty close to Arran. Arran was referred to as one of the Inner Hebrides when I was there and it has similar geology, although I see Wikipedia doesn't include it in the Hebrides.


Richard

[manna]

G'Day Gents
How do you recycle curling stones???
The only thing I can think of is Ballast
manna

[Flamingo]

can not imagine that the people that have houses less than 100 feet away will be happy knowing of a load of asbestos buried there,am i right in thinking that this as abestos came out of dmus as the emus where burnt i believe at tyne dock .
does anyone out there have a list when and where all the various units where scrapped,there was six various types

Asbestos (of any colour you care to name) has saved many more lives than it has claimed. I well remember my student days when in mineralogy lectures we were gived specimens of the raw asbestos minerals, crocidolite amongst them, to examine at close quarters with a hand lens. Harmful? Toxic you may say? Don't mention it - our lecturers never did.

And then, many years later in the course of a professional career, what answer is most appropriate to give to those people with houses less than 100 feet away from an asbestos burial site who ask not about their own safety but 'Is it safe to take my dog for a walk there?' They were only concerned about the risks to little Fido or Rover. I never found out whether dogs can live long enough to develop mesothelioma. I know it takes around 20 years for humans.

Another example - once the asbestos scare had got going, before taking engines away from Mr Woodham' s celebrated premises at Barry, purchasers had to comply with all the hazardous waste notification procedures that were laid down by statute law. I know, I had to do that personally for one loco that I was involved with. I even handled the actual transport of the material ( boiler lagging sheets contaiing blue asbestos) and drove it to a site licensed to receive and dispose of it. And how many years had those engines been there with cladding open to the elements before someone started the scare?

[richard]

Like most things it is a matter of probabilities and exposure. We've both given examples of personal exposure that would give some people a fit (visiting open cast mines, transporting exposed material; and we've both handled hand specimens); but working every day in an mine or processing plant without air breathing equipment is a different matter. Now that is a pretty dangerous occupation - along with being a uranium miner or a regular smoker. The fatality rates speak for themselves.


Richard

[stembok]

'O' Level geology C1962 picking threads off a large piece of white asbestos -chrysotile - with our thumb nails and being told by 'Rocky' Lightfoot to stop vandalising his specimens. No mention of any danger at that time. Or blowing brake dust from the brake drums of my venerable Mini. Again, not a thought of danger. Visits to Darlington North Road scrapyard with the stuff blowing around like snowflakes, ripped off the boilers of withdrawn locos. It is difficult for most people to keep things in perspective regarding risks and exposure ,which is not to say that risks should be ignored. Last week there was a local protest in this area against the installation of a mobile phone mast near to a school. Yet the same parents are apparently quite happy to have young children chatting for hours to their friends on mobiles!!

[Trestrol]

Thanks for all the comments about this interesting survivor. I am sure grants must be available to clean up contaminated industial sites or maybe the B.R.B(residual) will cough up to have them removed, it was they who indirectly put them there. Whatever is down there will probably not be on bogies and i am sure not a lot of care was taken to minamise any damage to the units when they were put in the hole. Who knows one day they may see the light of day again.

[redtoon1892]

Its a possibility that they also have concrete "jackets" around them.