 Sandford bought the ironworks in 1894.The Lithgow Blast Furnace was erected by William Sandford in 1906-1907, a short distance from the Eskbank Colliery which he had purchased outright in 1892.The construction of this later furnace over away from the Colliery was widely criticised, but its proximity to the railway and its size, providing scope for expansion, made it an understandable choice.