Barrington quarry and cement works was the last standard gauge quarry railway in the UK. Thanks to the interest of the quarry manager, John Drayton, and the volunteers of the Rutland Railway Museum, enthusiasts were able to experience steam working in a unique setting, courtesy of the Industrial Railway Society and Rugby Cement/RMC/Cemex.
Part one showed steam and diesel operations at the quarry in 2003. It also featured detailed coverage of the 40 year old Ruston-Bucyrus 110-RB shovel and dragline. This second video shows winter operations in 2005 just before the quarry railway line was replaced with clay and chalk hauage by road vehicles. Light snow and a strong wind in February 2005 created demanding conditions (and some unavoidable wind noise on the soundtrack).
After producing cement at Barrington cement works in Cambridgeshire for nearly 80 years CEMEX stopped clinker manufacturing at the plant in 2008. The decision to turn off the cement kiln at the plant was taken as part of a programme to rationalise the company's cement manufacturing in the UK by transferring a significant proportion of Barrington's production capacity to CEMEX's other UK plants at Rugby (Warwickshire) and South Ferriby (North Lincolnshire), where the manufacturing processes are more modern and efficient.
In May 2012 CEMEX UK announced that there was no economic case to re-start production at its cement plant in Barrington and that it would demolish the facility.
Please forward a link to this video to other interested groups. Thanks.