Charitable Side Of Pilkington On Track For Railway Trust
31 August 2007Pilkington has donated Pilkington Pyrodur™ fire-resistant glass to the Middleton Railway Trust for its Engine House headquarters in Leeds.
Pilkington donated four, two metre high panes of Pilkington Pyrodur™, which were installed between the office administration and café areas on the ground and first floors to provide protection for the engines on display in the building. The first floor window is double glazed incorporating 10mm Pilkington Pyrodur™ 30-201, and the ground floor is single glazed with the same product.
David Monckton is the chairman of the Middleton Railway Trust and was also the architect and project manager for the construction of the Engine House. He says: “We’re very grateful that Pilkington has kindly donated its glass to help with the building’s makeover. We’ve been pleased with the performance as it provides integrity as well as some insulation.”
The Middleton Railway Trust is a museum and registered charity dedicated to preserving the Middleton Railway and the products of the Leeds locomotive building industry. The Trust received a £750,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create the building and with it they replaced all passenger facilities and built a display hall for their vintage engines.
This donation is not the first time Pilkington has helped the Trust. They have ties stretching back to the 1960s when Pilkington donated an engine called “Windle” from its St Helens office to be displayed in the Engine House. David continues: “It’s quite fitting that the relationship between us has been renewed with this charitable donation. I hope that it will remain strong for the future as well.”
Pilkington Pyrodur™ has a purpose built interlayer which, in case of fire, reacts to heat and foams to form an opaque barrier which restricts the spread of flames and hot gases. It is also one of the first fire-resistant glass products to meet the current European fire and impact test standards.