On the 3rd July 2010 nine members of the institution and guests visited Torr Quarry and associated railhead at Merehead, near Shepton Mallet in Somerset.
The Quarry is part of the Aggregate Industries portfolio and until 2007 was independently owned and run by the family firm Foster Yeoman Ltd. The site has been an active quarry since 1964. Nowadays it covers some 500 acres with extensive carboniferous limestone reserves. Some 115 people are employed on site with a further 200 at near by Marston House giving administrative and managerial support and acting as Aggregate Industries Regional Head Quarters. Andy Shakeshaft, the Quarry Manager, gave an illuminating tour of the quarry, consisting of a description of the quarry and facilities followed by a bus tour to a viewing area where the group were described the functions of stone collection, crushing, grading and delivery to the distribution network.
Future proposals for the quarry were discussed including a proposal to increase the depth of the quarry substantially and the environmental impact the proposals will have.
The group noted the diversity of wildlife on the site with buzzards swooping below the viewing area and ravens high above. Andy telling the group that deer were often seen on the peripheries during the early mornings and late evenings. The main form of distribution of material from the quarry is by rail with some 85% of material supplied from the quarry being distributed in this manner to locations mainly in the south east of England, including the Olympic site at Stratford.
The quarry has been rail connected since 1971 with significant expansion of the railhead in the mid 70s utilising Section 8 grants available through legislation introduced in the 1968 Transport Act. Andy explained about the environmental levy imposed on all extracted stone products in the UK, which is currently £2 per tonne, going on to say the quarrying industry is now challenged by a diverse recycling market, not attracting the tax, which includes recycling of spent and recovered railway ballast, cleaned and graded for further use!
A positive effect on the industry has for them to review materials which were previously tipped as waste, now graded to recover usable products such as sand products.
The group were taken to examine some of the heavy plant used in the quarry and were able to examine a ten tonne payload excavator at close quarters.
Next, a stop was made at the rail wagon loading facility where three type of loading could be used: mechanical bucket loaders, a fixed loader where the train would be drawn under the drop by a locomotive and an automatic loader where a train would be stabled and a loading drop rig moved to each wagon utilising an overhead railway!
Robin Jacob, Distribution Manager for Mendip Rail Ltd., then took over the tour.
Mendip Rail Ltd. (MRL) was established in 1993 as a joint venture to manage the rail operations of both Foster Yeoman and ARC’s Somerset rail operations, including the rail wagon and locomotive fleets. Starting at the quarry rail weighbridge Robin explained how each wagon entering the quarry loading facility was weighed and its tare electronically recorded. Then, whilst the wagon is being loaded, the weight of material is constantly monitored until the total vehicle weight is reached (usually 102 tonnes for a bogie vehicle). The wagon again being weighed in the train formation as it leaved the loading facility to check accuracy and adjust if necessary. The operation of the yard facility was then described, with three departure roads capable of accommodating a 102 SLU (653 metre) loaded train, where trains are propelled out of the railhead into a siding before gaining access to the East Somerset branch, then joining the main, West of England line, at Witham Friary.
There are also four arrival roads capable of handling two trains each and a maintenance facility where wagon repairs take place. The group were then taken to the locomotive maintenance depot where Robin explained to the group the capabilities of their operation. The depot is a purpose built facility built 25 years ago when Foster Yeoman Ltd. initially bought four Class 59 locomotives from the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors of America to operate their trains.
Nowadays the facility maintains the Aggregate Industries fleet of Class 59/0 and 59/1 locomotives and is contracted to maintain, as required, the DBS Class 59/2 fleet
The South West Area would like to thank Aggregate Industries and Mendip Rail Ltd. for their hospitality on the day.