Albert T Smith
18-04-2008, 17:55
When I start work at Brightside Foundry, Eccelsfield in Jan 1953. I can remember a Steam Driven Crane which ran by the side of the railway, if not occasionally on it, though I'm almost sure that it was owned by Brightside Foundry.
Its use was to load ' Iron Pigs ' using a electro-magnetic round flat dish and fed them for melting down into the Cupola. It also unloaded the pigs from rail wagons and stacked them them in neat piles. Where the electric came from to operate the electro-magnetic dish, I haven't a clue. I do hope someone can tell us all.
Does anyone else remember it and/or what happened to it now Brightside Foundry is closed.
Mr Frank Woolhouse was the Engineering Shop Manager. His Assistant Manager being Mr Ridge.
Mr Ward was the Engineering Works Senior Foreman who lived on Hereward Road near Elm Lane, Sheffield Lane Top and the Junior Foreman were Mr Oxspring who lived on the Shiregreen, Sheffield and Mr Freeman who lived on Industry Road, Walkley Sheffield I believe.( But its a long time back to remember the exact details )
During 1955. A Mr Salt who lived either at Grenoside or Eccelsfield was appointed to junior Foreman status after spending a long time working as the Marker Out of the huge casting's prior to machining. The Marker Out had to be responsible and very clever. If he made a mistake on his calculations. Tons of scrap metal was the result costing a few thousand pounds.
It should be remembered that the Managers were expected to have passed the Higher National Certificate Diploma and the Foreman up to the Higher Nation Certificate.
These objectives were a condition of a Engineering Apprenticeship up to the early 1950s and entailed attending evening school four nights per week taking Maths, Science, Technical Drawing and Chemistry. No one was really bothered about English. This subject was for woman to learn in those days, simply because woman were expected to work in a clerical capacity not in a manual one. You attended evening classes four nights per week, the first year was the Prim & Prep, Second year S1. Third S2. When the Nation Certificate was taken. S3 Higher National then the S4. The H.N.C.Diploma. After which you went into the Army to serve your two years conscription.
Attending Day school instead of evening school became standard about 1955 a few years afterwards the student apprenticeship scheme started. I was very pleased to see this introduction, but I felt more direct practical work should have been involved.
Whilst I worked at Brightside we made the Parkgate Steel Mill another that went to Turkey (??????) where a earth quake occurred a few years ago and one which went to India at ( Durg ger per ? ).
I realise that I've wandered off the original posting but it is information that could be forgotten and it would be nice to know if a Forum member is related to the old gaffers who would habitually give the apprentice a clout for not listening!!.
Its use was to load ' Iron Pigs ' using a electro-magnetic round flat dish and fed them for melting down into the Cupola. It also unloaded the pigs from rail wagons and stacked them them in neat piles. Where the electric came from to operate the electro-magnetic dish, I haven't a clue. I do hope someone can tell us all.
Does anyone else remember it and/or what happened to it now Brightside Foundry is closed.
Mr Frank Woolhouse was the Engineering Shop Manager. His Assistant Manager being Mr Ridge.
Mr Ward was the Engineering Works Senior Foreman who lived on Hereward Road near Elm Lane, Sheffield Lane Top and the Junior Foreman were Mr Oxspring who lived on the Shiregreen, Sheffield and Mr Freeman who lived on Industry Road, Walkley Sheffield I believe.( But its a long time back to remember the exact details )
During 1955. A Mr Salt who lived either at Grenoside or Eccelsfield was appointed to junior Foreman status after spending a long time working as the Marker Out of the huge casting's prior to machining. The Marker Out had to be responsible and very clever. If he made a mistake on his calculations. Tons of scrap metal was the result costing a few thousand pounds.
It should be remembered that the Managers were expected to have passed the Higher National Certificate Diploma and the Foreman up to the Higher Nation Certificate.
These objectives were a condition of a Engineering Apprenticeship up to the early 1950s and entailed attending evening school four nights per week taking Maths, Science, Technical Drawing and Chemistry. No one was really bothered about English. This subject was for woman to learn in those days, simply because woman were expected to work in a clerical capacity not in a manual one. You attended evening classes four nights per week, the first year was the Prim & Prep, Second year S1. Third S2. When the Nation Certificate was taken. S3 Higher National then the S4. The H.N.C.Diploma. After which you went into the Army to serve your two years conscription.
Attending Day school instead of evening school became standard about 1955 a few years afterwards the student apprenticeship scheme started. I was very pleased to see this introduction, but I felt more direct practical work should have been involved.
Whilst I worked at Brightside we made the Parkgate Steel Mill another that went to Turkey (??????) where a earth quake occurred a few years ago and one which went to India at ( Durg ger per ? ).
I realise that I've wandered off the original posting but it is information that could be forgotten and it would be nice to know if a Forum member is related to the old gaffers who would habitually give the apprentice a clout for not listening!!.