Anyone worked at Firth Browns?

Great photos, even including a moving train! English Pewter moved to Petre Street because of flood damage and if it matters . wasn't Brown-Firth laboratories (the 1965-1966 version) in that area ? (and why the reverse name ?)

The Brown-Firth labs (1966 version) were where the English Pewter Co. was , the same building! They moved to the "new" building on Atterclifffe Road as soon as it was finished.

About the reverse name.....in 1908 the 2 Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Thomas Firth exchanged some shares, formed a working agreement and formed the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories.The 2 companies didn't formally merge until 1930 when the company Firth Brown Ltd was formed.

---------- Post added 09-06-2016 at 23:49 ----------

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Hi Peter, The building on the right was Firth Browns joiners shop

i spent lots of time getting wooden wedges made so we could lay cold steel bars on them.

You can just see Corner Pin Pub then an Heat Treatement Shop next door

and belonged to Forgemasters Carlisle St.

The secone picture was Vac Melt Shop but not sure what gate number it was,

i think you was around when that nasty accident happen in that shop when a chap

lost his life by hot melting it think it was in the 80s. Brian

 

 

Hi Brian.

The second picture is still the Vac Melt shop...it's just not Firth Browns any more but now American owned.

The Brown-Firth labs (1966 version) were where the English Pewter Co. was , the same building! They moved to the "new" building on Atterclifffe Road as soon as it was finished.

About the reverse name.....in 1908 the 2 Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Thomas Firth exchanged some shares, formed a working agreement and formed the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories.The 2 companies didn't formally merge until 1930 when the company Firth Brown Ltd was formed.

 

---------- Post added 09-06-2016 at 23:49 ----------

 

Hi Brian.

The second picture is still the Vac Melt shop...it's just not Firth Browns any more but now American owned.

Yes second photo looking along Carlisle Street East from Carwood Road (with former 'Corner Pin' at Lyons Street on right.) .The 'AllVac' building is where my dad worked but farther down near Atlas Street. Is that the same building where the 'molten accident' happened ?

The Brown-Firth labs (1966 version) were where the English Pewter Co. was , the same building! They moved to the "new" building on Atterclifffe Road as soon as it was finished.

About the reverse name.....in 1908 the 2 Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Thomas Firth exchanged some shares, formed a working agreement and formed the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories.The 2 companies didn't formally merge until 1930 when the company Firth Brown Ltd was formed.

 

---------- Post added 09-06-2016 at 23:49 ----------

 

Hi Brian.

The second picture is still the Vac Melt shop...it's just not Firth Browns any more but now American owned.

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Hi Meltman, Just curious what number gate it was. Brian.

Yes second photo looking along Carlisle Street East from Carwood Road (with former 'Corner Pin' at Lyons Street on right.) .The 'AllVac' building is where my dad worked but farther down near Atlas Street. Is that the same building where the 'molten accident' happened ?

Yes it is the same building.

---------- Post added 10-06-2016 at 21:41 ----------

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Hi Meltman, Just curious what number gate it was. Brian.

Hi Brian. I don't know the gate number, when I first worked at Firth Browns (1965 onwards) I visited this shop rarely and it was not the vac melt dept then but it was a machine shop. The entire length of the building was filled with a giant lathe, originally used for turning gun barrels for the huge destroyers we had in our navy during the wars. I would get to the building by going through the works, down the internal railway line and not through the gate onto Carlisle street where the gate number would be.

Yes it is the same building.

 

---------- Post added 10-06-2016 at 21:41 ----------

 

 

Hi Brian. I don't know the gate number, when I first worked at Firth Browns (1965 onwards) I visited this shop rarely and it was not the vac melt dept then but it was a machine shop. The entire length of the building was filled with a giant lathe, originally used for turning gun barrels for the huge destroyers we had in our navy during the wars. I would get to the building by going through the works, down the internal railway line and not through the gate onto Carlisle street where the gate number would be.

If it helps the gate opposite the bottom of Atlas Street (where my dad worked) was No.8, however my uncle worked opposite the 'Alexandra Hotel' (near Newhall Road) in gate 30 something but I don't think there were 20 odd gates between them.

If it helps the gate opposite the bottom of Atlas Street (where my dad worked) was No.8, however my uncle worked opposite the 'Alexandra Hotel' (near Newhall Road) in gate 30 something but I don't think there were 20 odd gates between them.

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Hi Stpetre, When i lived in Grimesthorpe i use to walk down

crown hill and through that gate to get to other side of the line track.

Where your dad worked it was a bar mill, i use to stand and watch

red hot bars going through the roll mill.

I think i have a picture on a small scale what a bar mill looked like.

Hope this make sence. Brian.

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Hi Stpetre, When i lived in Grimesthorpe i use to walk down

crown hill and through that gate to get to other side of the line track.

Where your dad worked it was a bar mill, i use to stand and watch

red hot bars going through the roll mill.

I think i have a picture on a small scale what a bar mill looked like.

Hope this make sence. Brian.

Thank you Brian, was this the same bar mill? as 'Crown Hill' (Carlisle Road) is a bit of a stretch to Atlas Street/ Harleston Street where gate No8 was.

Thank you Brian, was this the same bar mill? as 'Crown Hill' (Carlisle Road) is a bit of a stretch to Atlas Street/ Harleston Street where gate No8 was.

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Hi Stpetre, Yes it was the crown hill end the gate was opposite Alex Pub.

1st pic just gives you an idea of the tool in the middle but the machine its

only on a small scale. Take a look at next picture.

2nd pic, this is how a hot ingot bar went through the mill, Billet Mill.

Hope this helps best i can do for you. Brian.

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Hi Stpetre, Yes it was the crown hill end the gate was opposite Alex Pub.

1st pic just gives you an idea of the tool in the middle but the machine its

only on a small scale. Take a look at next picture.

 

 

2nd pic, this is how a hot ingot bar went through the mill, Billet Mill.

Hope this helps best i can do for you. Brian.

Hi Brian,

If you compare these two pics closely, it seems that both the pics are in the same shop (Siemens) although it doesn't give a location on the first one....

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s02964&pos=1&action=zoom&id=6574

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s10039&pos=1&action=zoom&id=13128

The 'Queen Mary' was built around the time of the above pics. and according to a 1954 FB brochure which I have, boiler and machinery forgings were completed at Firth Browns in 1934. Here's a link to 'Picture Sheffield'...

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y04541&pos=1&action=zoom&id=92911

and a pic I snapped when I was in California in 2008 and went on a tour of the vessel moored at Long Beach. There is a plaque dedicated to Firth Browns onboard. Thought I took a photo of it but can't trace it at the mo.

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/LA%202nd%20to%205th%20November%202008%20081_zpsk5wolx2t.jpg

Here's more info...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary

Peter....

Hi Brian,

 

If you compare these two pics closely, it seems that both the pics are in the same shop (Siemens) although it doesn't give a location on the first one....

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s02964&pos=1&action=zoom&id=6574

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s10039&pos=1&action=zoom&id=13128

 

The first 'Queen Mary' was built around the time of the above pics. and according to a 1954 FB brochure which I have, boiler and machinery forgings were completed at Firth Browns in 1934. Here's a link to 'Picture Sheffield'...

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y04541&pos=1&action=zoom&id=92911

 

and a pic I snapped when I was in California in 2008 and went on a tour of the vessel moored at Long Beach. There is a plaque dedicated to Firth Browns onboard. Thought I took a photo of it but can't trace it at the mo.

 

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/LA%202nd%20to%205th%20November%202008%20081_zpsk5wolx2t.jpg

 

Here's more info...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary

 

Peter....

The first 2 pictures are in the Norfolk Melting shop on Saville Street. This had a carved stone lintel over the door proclaiming Siemens Melting Dept. This gate way is now preserved on Saville Street (although not in it's original position) as a memento to the sites history.At the time of the photographs the Siemens furnaces (they were also called "open hearth furnaces") had been replaced with electric arc furnaces. The companies other melting shop, which later became known as the Atlas Melting Dept. still had open hearth furnaces until the early/mid '60's when they were replaced with a new shop with a single arc furnace. By the way....I never saw Norfolk melting shop as clean as the one with the coaches in it!!!

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Hi Stpetre, Yes it was the crown hill end the gate was opposite Alex Pub.

1st pic just gives you an idea of the tool in the middle but the machine its

only on a small scale. Take a look at next picture.

 

 

2nd pic, this is how a hot ingot bar went through the mill, Billet Mill.

Hope this helps best i can do for you. Brian.

[/QUO

Didn't Firth- Brown also have a place in Scunthorpe ?

The first 2 pictures are in the Norfolk Melting shop on Saville Street. This had a carved stone lintel over the door proclaiming Siemens Melting Dept. This gate way is now preserved on Saville Street (although not in it's original position) as a memento to the sites history.At the time of the photographs the Siemens furnaces (they were also called "open hearth furnaces") had been replaced with electric arc furnaces. The companies other melting shop, which later became known as the Atlas Melting Dept. still had open hearth furnaces until the early/mid '60's when they were replaced with a new shop with a single arc furnace. By the way....I never saw Norfolk melting shop as clean as the one with the coaches in it!!!

Thanks for your response Meltman. I had been wondering for years which shop the coaches were in. After making a point of comparing pics I finally realised it was the Siemens shop I worked in the Head Offices next to the Siemens shop from 1959 to 1964 then I became chargehand in Central Warehouse a couple of gates further down. Although this involved mostly office work I took a crane driving course in the scrap bay near the Siemens shop so I could drive our crane as a stand in. I had the priviledge of being in the cab of possibly one of the cranes in the 2nd pic. just before tapping commenced. (I believe that some of these cranes were pre war)..

Wasn't allowed to have a go though and my trainer said that I had to leave so I wasn't a distraction

Peter.

---------- Post added 25-06-2016 at 16:13 ----------

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Hi Stpetre, Yes it was the crown hill end the gate was opposite Alex Pub.

1st pic just gives you an idea of the tool in the middle but the machine its

only on a small scale. Take a look at next picture.

 

 

2nd pic, this is how a hot ingot bar went through the mill, Billet Mill.

Hope this helps best i can do for you. Brian.

[/QUO

Didn't Firth- Brown also have a place in Scunthorpe ?

 

Hi stpetre,

 

Have you seen this. Apparently alloy steel castings were made at Scunthorpe ......

 

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/firth-brown-tour-works

 

and this, see 1961.....

 

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Firth_Brown

 

and this, current.....

 

http://scunthorpe.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/firth-rixson-castings-ltd-14362401.html

 

Peter.