Launch of New Project for Cleveland Ironstone Mine

Many will be aware that steel has been in the news quite frequently since last year when Teesside Blast Furnace was mothballed. Now SSI Steel Corporation of Thailand have stepped in to save the day and brought steel making back to Teesside.
Similarly Tom Leonard, before he died, had a dream of keeping alive the memory of Ironstone Mining in East Cleveland. Throughout his lifetime he collected numerous mining artefacts and memorabilia, a legacy which eventually formed the core exhibits of the Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, now a thriving charity and museum which opened after Tom Leonard passed away.
Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and Cleveland Model Railway Club have joined forces in a joint venture project to capture the memory of the Loftus Mine and the now famous Zig Zag railway which was used to haul the ironstone up steep gradients to the main Whitby to Middlesbrough railway line for the onward journey to the steel works.
This joint venture will be officially launched by the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Councillor Ray Goddard at 11:00 am on Monday 28th March 2011. All are welcome to attend this free exhibition launch, especially anyone with memories of the area who would be willing to talk to the team and bring along photographs and any other memorabilia to show or loan the project, which will be held at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum in Skinningrove, East Cleveland.