News at the FCA

Brunel commemorated with replica steam train galvanized by McArthur Group

"Hats off to Brunel: The team at McArthur and blacksmith Nathan Bennett (left-right Nathan Bennett, McArthur Group employees Phil Bingham and Mike Maynard) don stovepipe hats to commemorate the Brunel 200 celebrations in Weston Super Mare with a replica of the North Star train which they galvanized."

13 September 2006

A BRISTOL galvanizing company has commemorated the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel by Hot Dip galvanizing a replica steam train.

The McArthur Group, established in 1839 and the only galvanizing company in the city, has galvanized a replica model of the North Star steam train which will permanently stand at Alexandra Parade, Weston-Super-Mare.

The replica train was made by Weston-Super-Mare-based blacksmith Nathan Bennett over a three month period. The train was then passed to the McArthur Group in 78 individual parts for Hot Dip galvanizing to British Standard EN ISO 1461. The actual dipping took an hour while the complete process lasted five hours. The finished replica train weighed 930kg.

The North Star was designed by George Stephenson in 1833 and was intended for use on the New Orleans Railway, USA, but delivery was never taken. The train was purchased by the Great Western Railway and ran on the line from 1837 to 1870.

Phil Bingham, plant manager at McArthur Group, said: “The North Star has been a very interesting project to work on as we haven’t galvanized a replica steam train before. We feel this is a fitting tribute, since the McArthur Group was founded in 1839 when Brunel was making his mark on Bristol and now the Brunel 200 celebrations coincide with our £350,000 investment plans.”

The McArthur Group has undergone the investment in order to improve on their commitment to their Environmental, Health and Safety Policy. An added benefit is an increase in productivity and improvement in the quality of the Galvanized product.

The train was commissioned by Weston-Super-Mare Town Council. Councillor David Evans said: “The North Star has been very well received by the public and has become a focal point of the town. We are extremely pleased with the result as the train has been made to a very high standard by local companies. We hope that both residents and visitors to Weston Super Mare will enjoy the replica train for many more years to come.”

The project was financed by Kerri Michael, managing director of Regency Insurance, Weston-Super-Mare.

For more information, please contact:
Charlotte Davies at cdavies@freshwater-uk.com or 0117 317 8135
or Lucy Battle at lbattle@freshwater-uk.com or 020 7486 9445

Notes:
1. The McArthur Group is the only galvanizer in Bristol, one of two in the South West. There are only 90 galvanizers in the UK.

2. McArthur has undergone a £350,000 expansion which has increased productivity and improved the quality of the galvanized product. The investment has also had a positive effect with improved environmental, health and safety on the site.

3. McArthur was founded in Bristol in 1839, at the time when Isambard Kingdom Brunel was making a mark on the city.