Newton-le-Willows
the history of our local area
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Content & Copyright
Most all items in the gallery are scanned from items owned by Steven Dowd, a few items in the gallery have been scanned from photos or postcards owned by others, and are shown here with their permissionThe content and Images within this website, unless otherwise noted, are the copyright of Steven Dowd ©2001-2009.
| A history of the Vulcan Foundry |
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| Written by Steven Dowd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 5 of 7 Period: 1914—THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND AFTER.
LOCOMOTIVE production was to some extent interrupted during this period, and a good deal of the plant was turned over to the production of Paravanes, Shells and Gun Mountings, for the Admiralty and War Office.
The rings by which the nose and tail-pieces of the paravane were attached to the body, had to undergo stringent water pressure tests, and I recall one naval -brass-hatbeing deposited in a recumbent position on the other side of the shop when hit by a jet of water from a "blow-out." A specimen "Paravane" has been preserved, and hangs from the rafters of the Institute Concert Hall. I have heard this referred to by the uninitiated, as a "torpedo," and even as a -flying bomb.-
Shells were turned out in vast quantities, most of the machining being done by women and girls in the Automatic Shop, under the supervision of Miss Fawke, whilst Mr. Eachus was responsible for the production side. My brother, who was a naval rating during the 1914-18 war, informed me that the breech blocks of the guns in the forts flanking Portsmouth Harbour were made at the Vulcan Foundry. In addition to heavy naval gun breech blocks and mountings, a considerable number of 2 pounder anti-aircraft pedestal guns were built in the Tender Erecting Shop, whilst another contribution to the war effort was the production of metal ammunition boxes. Although we had many air-raid scares at this time, I think the nearest bombs were dropped on the outskirts of Wigan and St. Helens, when a Zeppelin jettisoned its load over these areas. The then Chief Accountant dashed into the office one day frantically exhorting to us to put our books away, and make for cover as a Zeppelin had been sighted, but it turned out to be one of our naval -Wimps- on exercises. The -Blimp- was a non-rigid type, and it was some years later that this country developed a successful rigid airship at the base at Carding-ton in Bedfordshire. I remember a ship of this type, the R33, passing over the Works many years ago, itsvast bulk slipping through the mist and appearing to almost graze the Forge chimneys in its passing. I think it was this same airship that later broke her back over the Humber, with the loss of many lives.
Mr. R. P. Richards, who had been Works Manager since 1904 and General Manager from January 1917, was a strict disciplinarian, but a just man, Another office-boy and myself decided to ask Mr. Richards' permission to fish ,the reservoir, and we —tossed-up' as to who should be- spokesman, the lot falling to my partner. Unfortunately he had a'speech affliction, and when we entered the "holy of holies" the occasion proved too much for him, and he could only open his mouth and make. a singular hissing noise. The more he hissed, the more Mr. Richards fumed, and the more Mr. Richards fumed, the more the unfortnate fellow hissed, until after an agonising few minutes I had to fill the role of spokesman. Strange to relate our request was granted. Four of us, three of whom shall be nameless, were caught red-handed by the then Works Policeman, P.C. Clarke, stealing applesfrom Mr. Richards' garden, during the dinner - hour. My fellow criminals safely negotiated the corrugated iron fence surrounding the garden, but I unfortunately got hung up on the serrated edge by the seat of my trousers ! As a result we were hauled in front of the Works Manager, Mr. Lane, and whilst my three partners were each fined 2/6 for their misdeeds, I was let off with a caution on account of the damage to my person! Just after the termination of the Great War, thirty-five "Consolidation" goods engines were built to the order of the French State Railways. These were fine locomotives as the accompanying print shows. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway, in common with several other Railways, commemorated those of its servants who fell during the Great War, by attaching a symbolic name and inscription to one of its express engines. The Locomotive bears the name "Hero" and is inscribed -In memory of G.I.P. Railway employees, who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918.- This Engine was one of an order, executed by The Vulcan Foundry in 1921—it was equipped with oil fuel burning apparatus, but arranged to permit of ready conversion to coal firing if necessary. An interesting development in Locomotive design at this time was the construction of Tender Locomotives specially designed for mixed traffic work. In 1921, Mr. L. G. Robinson, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Central Railway, brought out a series of four-cylinder Engines, of this type, for working fast and heavy fish expresses between Grimsby and London, and of suitable proportions for passenger services also. Several of these Engines were constructed at The Vulcan Foundry.
As a further proof of Vulcan quality, Mr. Gemmell, of Messrs. Heatly and Gresham, our agents in Calcutta, has forwarded a list of Vulcan veterans at present working on the East Indian Rail-way, for example a "P" Class Engine. placed in service in 1905, had a booked mileage of 1,612,027 miles up to December 1949, whilst an "SGC" Class built in the same year had done 1,713,971 miles.
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