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Memories of steelworkers


heathl4

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Hi

 

The sweat towels were clenched in their teeth to stop the radiant heat from burning the lips and chins!

 

I realise that this is an old thread and the OP doesn't need any more info, just thought i'd share a few pics with the Steel City forum members ;)

 

 

 

Pouring almost 600 tonnes of molten steel in to a sand mould in the moulding pits..

 

Slagging a 90 tonne ladle after the pour (emptying slag/steel ready for cleaning the downgates)..

 

Pulling a casting out of the pit, it can't have been too heavy as only the 300tonne crane was used, bigger castings are pulled using two cranes and a lifting beam (500 tonne lift capacity minus the weight of the beam- 25tonnes)..

 

Removing a head from a casting using Oxy lance and HiLo 3' cutter..

 

Me cleaning the downgate with the Oxy lance, can't remember why I was doing this as it's usually my mate that does it, I usually open the gates on multi pours :confused:

 

Castings ready to go to the customer or for machining..

 

Pic 1

 

Pic 2

 

Pic 3

 

Pic 4

 

Pic 5

 

Pic 6

 

Some of the lads/wives from back in the early 80's!

 

L to R

 

Me- stuffing my face!

Mark Andrews.

My wife- Ann.

Terrys wife.

Marks wife.

Grahams wife

Terry Drabble

Graham just out of shot holding a pickled onion!!! :hihi:

 

 

 

Cheers Biggsy :)

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Hi

 

The sweat towels were clenched in their teeth to stop the radiant heat from burning the lips and chins!

 

I realise that this is an old thread and the OP doesn't need any more info, just thought i'd share a few pics with the Steel City forum members ;)

 

 

 

Pouring almost 600 tonnes of molten steel in to a sand mould in the moulding pits..

 

Slagging a 90 tonne ladle after the pour (emptying slag/steel ready for cleaning the downgates)..

 

Pulling a casting out of the pit, it can't have been too heavy as only the 300tonne crane was used, bigger castings are pulled using two cranes and a lifting beam (500 tonne lift capacity minus the weight of the beam- 25tonnes)..

 

Removing a head from a casting using Oxy lance and HiLo 3' cutter..

 

Me cleaning the downgate with the Oxy lance, can't remember why I was doing this as it's usually my mate that does it, I usually open the gates on multi pours :confused:

 

Castings ready to go to the customer or for machining..

 

Pic 1

 

Pic 2

 

Pic 3

 

Pic 4

 

Pic 5

 

Pic 6

 

Some of the lads/wives from back in the early 80's!

 

L to R

 

Me- stuffing my face!

Mark Andrews.

My wife- Ann.

Terrys wife.

Marks wife.

Grahams wife

Terry Drabble

Graham just out of shot holding a pickled onion!!! :hihi:

 

 

 

Cheers Biggsy :)

 

 

-------------------------

 

 

Thank you for sharing your photos with us all Biggsy,

they are great.

 

When my Grandad worked at Firth Browns we sometimes

walked down there to meet him after his shift (Carlisle St).

What a sight it was when the doors were open and we could

see the massive furnaces .

 

Sue

================

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yep very true .i remember talking my dad pack up down to firth brown rolling mill ..he had to work a double em 16 hrs in that heat i dont know how he did it ................

 

Yes, we think it is tough today with the austerity measures, but I too remember my Grandfather having to do double shifts just to survive.

 

Can you imagine people today putting up with that.

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  • 4 years later...
My dad worked for Firth Vickers, as an Electrician, he was killed at work when he was working on equipment on a weekend and someone turned on the powerl not knowing he was there around 1961/62

 

Sorry to hear that.

 

I also worked in Firth Vickers, among other factories, around 1957 as an installation electrician. Some times the breaker switch was a long way from where you were working and we used to trust a small green sign that we hung on the switch that said, "Danger Men Working. Electricians. Don't Touch Switch!" Not really foolproof, and the apprentice had to pick the right switch, from a long distance.

 

Onetime my mate was working on some new light poles at the top of an extension ladder, during the day and had just finishing installing the new mercury or sodium vapour lamp fittings when the light just came on.

 

Turns out they were wired to a time switch.

 

Life was cheap in the old days!

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My dad worked for Firth Vickers, as an Electrician, he was killed at work when he was working on equipment on a weekend and someone turned on the powerl not knowing he was there around 1961/62

 

It was dangerous work in those days with no Health &Safety. Also a lot of manual workers smoked and combined with the dust in the air from the steelworks , many workers died in their 50s.

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