Max GSSR

There are actually two bigger factories that you can get into easily: https://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=SCA and https://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=ST - relics of a previous industrial age.  Well worth a visit and you don't have to leave the province of Granada.

Photos of the inside of this huge sugar factory can be seen here: https://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=AC and here: https://www.gssr.es/slideshow3.php?Ref=AC .

It is now owned by a private company (biochemicals) and may have guard dogs loose inside.  When I took the photos the gates were open so I just walked in...and then got thrown out by a security guard.

The standpipe was made by Mazvar e Hermanos as a copy of that by Cowans Sheldon https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cowans,_Sheldon_and_Co

All of the track was ripped up by Renfe, the national rail company.  

Hijate was the highest point on The GSSR (974m - 3,100ft) and was needed for the change of loco conformation, some of the trains being triple headers. 

Serón was very important to The GSSR as it was the point where millions of tons of iron ore came down from the mountains on cables to be loaded on trains to be taken to Águilas for loading on to steamers.  One can see what is left of the hoppers in some of the photos.  The genius who made all of this happen was Gustave Gillman - an Englishman who made it al happen.  See: http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=ST .  It was he who took the photo above.

The sugar factory was huge and gave work to the area by buying sugar beet.  I managed to sneak in to the factory -it's HUGE!  See http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=AC .

Sugar was a big thing a century ago, with huge factories being built:

http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=SCA

http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=ST

The Caniles factory had its own private line right onto the site.

By the way, all of this was thanks to a brilliant Englishman called Gustave Gillman.  See http://www.gssr.es/ggillman.php

Max

Hi Pete,

Lovely photos as always.

The first part is Los Canos - see http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=LC whereby iron ore was carried down 15km approx from the mines in Bacares and Las Menas.  See http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=BACARES and http://www.gssr.es/las_menas.php .  See attachments.

The building was the main offices where the flow of goods trains was overseen.  These trains went down to El Hornillo (http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=HORN) for the ore to be loaded onto steamers to go to Scotland amongst other countries.  This was never a station, the nearest being Serón and Tíjola, both worth a visit.

There were so many cables at one time, some crossing over others, that, after more than two years of study, I still don't know exactly where they ran.  The construction of the cables was a huge feat considering the topography of the area.

It all slowed down in the '60s after which all of the metalwork was removed, presumably for scrap.

One of the most impressive mines is Gran Coloso.  See 

The factory is the old yeso (plaster) factory.

If you want to see really impressive ruins, there are the two sugar factories in Guadix and Benalúa.  See http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=ST and http://www.gssr.es/slideshow2.php?Ref=SCA

Keep up the great work!

Max

No, don't have one - see my description.  Don't seem to be able to put my photo in the avatar.