Distington Engineering Company (DEC) - source of majority of UK railroad rails

Workington was the home of Distington Engineering Company (DEC) the engineering arm of British Steel Corporation (BSC), which specialised in the design of Continuous Casting equipment. DEC had an engineering design office, engineering workshops and a foundry. In the 1970s as BSC adapted to a more slipstreamed approach to the metals industry the engineering design company was separated from the workshops and foundry and re-designated as Distington Engineering Contracting. Employing some 200 people its primary purpose was the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of continuous casting machines.