English Steel (British Steel) 1960's

[bet b]

now you have me wondering who you are. Then I saw NZ Your initials are DT I am right yes???

Edited April 7, 2014 by bet b

[Kidorry]

My uncle John South worked for ES in the 60's I can remember him coming home once with the back of his head and neck burnt after an accident I think he worked in the melting shop but I'm not to sure.

Yes he did ,I worked there at the same time,we also went to school together,Burngreave.It was in their house I tasted my first fried eel,which his dad had caught earlier.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Kidorry

[davep75]

I started at British Steel shepcote lane in1968 in the fabrication shop and worked there until it closed in 1985, then moved to the bar mill. The mill eventually closed down and a printing works occupies the site now. Happy days sad to see it all close down.

[badbasepete]

I worked in the River Don instrument department, spending time in heat treatment and Izods.

 

For me my time was 4 months at a wonderful Museum .

A short time since every day begging for work to do.

 

Asking for something to d I often had the reply.......... " F *** Hell ... not you again !

 

"Tek a walk ter electric furnaces ".......... I soon took a walk in to a real world of business

 

As it happens I found work, eventually founded my own Companies and bought factories.

 

I do feel privileged to have seen the incredible machinery.

I saw the end when I discovered a worker to staff ratio of 1 to 10.

That seemed crazy to an 18 year old lad. Many workers didn't......... but simply sat in domino and card schools that were everywhere.

 

I found it sad that our Sheffield industrial heritage seemed to have lost the plot....

 

Pete

[beezerboy]

I worked in the River Don instrument department, spending time in heat treatment and Izods.

 

For me my time was 4 months at a wonderful Museum .

A short time since every day begging for work to do.

 

Asking for something to d I often had the reply.......... " F *** Hell ... not you again !

 

"Tek a walk ter electric furnaces ".......... I soon took a walk in to a real world of business

 

As it happens I found work, eventually founded my own Companies and bought factories.

 

I do feel privileged to have seen the incredible machinery.

I saw the end when I discovered a worker to staff ratio of 1 to 10.

That seemed crazy to an 18 year old lad. Many workers didn't......... but simply sat in domino and card schools that were everywhere.

 

I found it sad that our Sheffield industrial heritage seemed to have lost the plot....

 

Pete

 

A lot of what you say has some truth, but that incredible machinery had some very skilled hard working people using them . Big machines work slowly and the operators had to keep an eye on them and wait until there skills were needed again. Was the Izod test machine just in side the gatehouse on the north side of Brightside lane

[SHEFCYCLREP]

I worked in the drop stamp shop in 68.69 to 1970 on the 25 6ton drop stamp

[wobblybob50]

I believe that my Grandad Jim Reynolds was a melter at Englidh Steel at the River Don works. He would have retired in the mid 60's. A small man in stature but as hard as nails and very proud of his job.

[JackK0]

Hi I am wondering if anyone knew my Great grandad he would have worked their probably from the 1950's and below his name was Frank Davison he was from what I gather very high up their a manager or something like that I was just wondering if anyone had heard of him?

[Onac tons]

I spent 3 months working in the Transformation Lab for Dr Turgot Onac ( a Turk I think who lived at Grindleford) who invented the maraging steel (D50 & D51) that was used for the under carriages of aircraft ( VC10 I think ). One undercarriage collapsed at Shannon airport in about 1961 probably on a test flight & we spent much of the time testing the steel for stress corrosion in the Creep lab where he set up a rig that sprayed salt water onto the test piece.

ESC also drop forged the long support pieces which held the 4 engines on the back of the same plane.

I also worked in the Macro lab doing sulphur prints on large rolls etc in the South Machine Shop. After a couple of months our Lab coats fell apart because of the sulphuric acid & we had to have new ones!

Good days!

 

Hi johnpm - Turgut Onac was my grandad, I was delighted to learn the above information as he died 20 years ago before I had chance to fund out much about his working life. I had thought he worked on D70 (?) we had a roll of some sort of steel which we used as an umbrella stand when I was very little. If you can tell me any more about him I would be so grateful. His wife is now 90 and I am really looking forward to telling her what I have leaned above. Best wishes, rumina

 

---------- Post added 04-04-2015 at 08:26 ----------

 

Did anyone know my grandad - Turgut onac? He worked in the transformation lab in the 1960s, possibly under Geoff Allen?? Please do get in touch I'd love to hear more about his work. Thanks

[johnpm]

Hi johnpm - Turgut Onac was my grandad, I was delighted to learn the above information as he died 20 years ago before I had chance to fund out much about his working life. I had thought he worked on D70 (?) we had a roll of some sort of steel which we used as an umbrella stand when I was very little. If you can tell me any more about him I would be so grateful. His wife is now 90 and I am really looking forward to telling her what I have leaned above. Best wishes, rumina

 

Hi Rumina, Glad to be of help. I think D 50 & D51 were the earliest steels of that type invented by Turgot & D 70 was a later version probably developed to be more stress corrosion resistant following the Shannon airport accident where stress corrosion was thought to be the cause. The D range of steels were maraging steels with a high nickel content.

I got on well with Turgot during my 3 months there. He was very considerate with us trainees & I had a happy 3 months with him.

You are correct; Geoff Allan was Transformation Lab Manager & he too was easy to get on with. The R & D labs at ESC were inthe latter part of the main ESC office block on Brightside Lane towards the Tinsley end. The transformation Lab was at first floor level looking onto the works yard. On the other side of the corridor looking over Brightside Lane was the office of Jim Russell, R& D Superintendant.

Best wishes, John

Edited April 4, 2015 by johnpm