HM Factory, Gretna: Site 3 (Eastriggs)
Date 18 May 2023
Event ID 1158778
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1158778
GLYCERINE DISTILLERY AND YARDS
This Glycerine Distillery and its Store Yards (NY26NW 92) are located in the W part of the First World War National Factory, Gretna (Site 3: Eastriggs) to the N of a Grillo Oleum plant (NY26SW 38.1) and to the E of Workshops (NY26NW 91). Its function was to produce refined glycerine (dynamite grade glycerine) for the nitroglycerine production process which was carried out on the five Nitroglycerine Hills (NY26SE 16.1-16.5) to the E (MMW 1919, 23-34).
The raw glycerine was refined from soap lye crude and saponification crude, which was obtained from soap makers and oil refiners elsewhere. This was delivered to the factory via the branch of the Glasgow and South Western railway, which entered the site from the N. The iron drums of crude glycerine were unloaded by steam crane, weighed and piled up in the storage ground on the SW side of the distillery. This could hold 10,000 drums. The raw glycerine was sampled to establish its quality before the drums were rolled into the crude glycerine dumping house and emptied into chutes. The empty drums were then steam cleaned and sent to another storage ground situated to the S of the building.
The crude glycerine was pumped from the chutes into twenty storage tanks and then to the Still Feed tanks. These were in the Still House where there were three sets of six stills. This was where the refined glycerine was produced. The residues (known as Sweet Waters and Foots) were run off into tanks below the stills. The Sweet Waters were redistilled to recover glycerine, while the Foots were pumped to a storage tank and treated with ferric sulphate to remove residual impurities. The latter was made on site using acids from the Grillo and the Mannheim Oleum plants (NY26NW 38.1, NY26NW 38.2) situated to the S of the Distillery.
The refined glycerine from the glycerine stills was filtered and pumped to the Refined Storage Tanks situated in a large room on the W side of the building. This contained ten large tanks, each supported on brick piers. All the tanks discharged into a single main from which pipes delivered the glycerine into drums. The filled drums were loaded into special railway wagons, eight drums in each, and conveyed by rail to the Nitroglycerine Hills (NY26SE 16, 16.1-16.5). A sample of the refined glycerine was sent to the Central Laboratory (NY26SW 38.34) to ensure quality.
Apart from the Still House, there was a Boiler Plant attached to the E side of the building which contained three boilers to provide the steam used in the distillation process. The coke used in the boilers was brought from the Coke Crusher plant (NY26NW 93) situated immediately to the N of the distillery. In addition, there was a small laboratory attached to the N side of the building and a large water tank outside it to the SE.
Information from HES Heritage Recording (MMD, ATW), 18 May 2023.
