Set up in 1977, the North West Film Archive preserves moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria and offers a variety of access services to users in the public, academic and commercial sectors.
This film is part of Free

Lancashire Steel Corporation - Irlam Works
Inside the steel works - come and take a close look at a very heavy industry.
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Overview
This fascinating film records the steelworks at Irlam in Salford, which became part of the Lancashire Steel Corporation in 1930. We see the loading yard, the mine arch plant and foundry, where men carry out their hazardous work in the heat and smoke from the molten steel. Then a respite - a look into the drawing office and template room, before returning to the factory floor and heavy machinery.
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