Graham376
Well-known member
Interesting video -
Not one of those useful bits of information that is any use today....cast iron troughs??Cast Iron troughs in fresh water are pretty long lasting!
It just shows that it was a new day yesterdayFor many years I lived almost next door to Walter Wilders 17th Century Iron Foundry in Crowmarsh Gifford. Walter Wilders foundry made the metal bits for Jethro Tull's horse drawn seed drill which started mechanised farming in the early 1700's.
If you go to the Tower of London, plenty of very old drain covers and grids made from cast iron can be easily found in the Tower grounds. Many have 'Walter Wilder, Crowmarsh Gifford' cast into them. Some could easily be 200 years old, are not rusty and are still serving as humble drain grids and inspection covers.
A stark contrast to the cheapo pressed steel inspection covers on my foul sewer at home. One has a corroded hole in the corner after just 40 years, and it is under a car port which keeps the rain off!
Cast iron is a remarkably durable material. Its heavy weight, brittleness and energy requirements for moulding make it unfashionable and expensive these days, plus small local foundries are less common.
The Bridge at Ironbridge is another example of its durability.
How about a tenner of the fact that the ToL drain grids, already 200 years old, are still good when your Tesla Aluminium chassis is scrap...............It just shows that it was a new day yesterday