Steel Peech and Tozer

[samsonv8]

my aunt joan and ada worked there and our transport company

[Boginspro]

Steelo's as we called it, was it's own little town, 10,000 workers at one time, with 3 main gates. No real car park because nobody had a car.You can imagine the run for the buses at shift change.

 

It was split by the Don, which ran the length of the site.

 

Getting our numerous cables across the river was always fun. We used a raft to float it over, once a bow and arrow with string attached, and once, I swear, trying to frighten a cat into running through an old pipe with string tied to its tail!.

 

I think the whole operation ran on scrap, I don't recall iron ore on the endless railcar loads that came in. The scrap heap was a great place to browse for useful and odd stuff, sometimes a whole pile of "WD" tools. You had to make sure those overhead giant magnets were too close, though.

 

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I was surprised to see that before you in this thread that no one had called it "Steelo's" (unless I missed it) because everyone did use that name. You mentioned the buses, I worked on the buses and at shift change time from memory I think the row of buses started somewhere near Ferrars Road and if you were first in the row you could hardly see the other end. It was one hell of a firm. People go on about polution and global warming but personally I would go back to a time when we could work hard, even long hours , for good money.

[trastrick]

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I was surprised to see that before you in this thread that no one had called it "Steelo's" (unless I missed it) because everyone did use that name. You mentioned the buses, I worked on the buses and at shift change time from memory I think the row of buses started somewhere near Ferrars Road and if you were first in the row you could hardly see the other end. It was one hell of a firm. People go on about polution and global warming but personally I would go back to a time when we could work hard, even long hours , for good money.

 

"Where there's muck, there's money" we used to say and for us apprentices it was true.

 

We used to take the tram to the Tinsley Depot, and from there the bus. The works used to have crates full of freshly laundered, used navy blue boiler suits, but no shower facilities.

 

It was one of your fellow workers that denied me entry on to the last bus to Sheffield on a rainy night when I was 17, because I was covered in soot. I had to walk the 8 miles to the Arbourthorne in the rain.

 

That was the moment I said goodbye to Sheffield and saved like mad for 2 years to get to Canada.

[Ianmac]

I worked at Steelos for 12 months straight from 6th form at MSTS in 1964 I was an Apprentice Metallurgist sharing my time between the labs and the arc furnaces. Whilst in the arc furnces I was on Continetal shifts.I lived 3 bus rides away to the North of Rotherham in a little village called Thurnscoe. Nightshift was the worst because I attended Rotherham College day release and was given the "choice" of missing the 10 hour nightshift before day release or ...the nightshift after.. I left and got a job as an Apprentice Mining Surveyor...in my own village..

[Lemmy117]

I've been working in the workshop at Crich Tramway museum, currently a 1930's London tram is being restored. As part of the work the wheels and axles had to be ultrasonically tested. The wheels passed okay, but the axles failed, the interesting part being that both axles and wheels were stamped "SPT 1931". As an aside, the wheels had been re-tyred in the 1950's, by Brown Baileys.

 

Nigel L

[trastrick]

Somewhere I have a site plan of the old Steelo's site layout.

 

All the different foundries, mills, and shops and main gates, as they were then, which may be of interest to anyone who worked there

[Lemmy117]

Further to my post yesterday, I've been looking at the tram wheels again today and noted that the wording is as follows:-

 

STEEL PEECH & TOZER

SHEFFIELD

 

4 1931

 

I assume the "4" is the month of manufacture, but the interesting part is "Sheffield", the only SPT works I know of were in Rotherham, or was there a plant in Sheffield?

 

Nigel L

[Ontarian1981]

Further to my post yesterday, I've been looking at the tram wheels again today and noted that the wording is as follows:-

 

STEEL PEECH & TOZER

SHEFFIELD

 

4 1931

 

I assume the "4" is the month of manufacture, but the interesting part is "Sheffield", the only SPT works I know of were in Rotherham, or was there a plant in Sheffield?

 

Nigel L

 

Parts of Steelos was in Sheffield, but the main parts were in Rotherham. However Sheffield was world renowned for its steel, Rotherham not so much.

[trastrick]

Parts of Steelos was in Sheffield, but the main parts were in Rotherham. However Sheffield was world renowned for its steel, Rotherham not so much.

The entire site consisted of foundries, mills, scrapyards, and workshops, and straddled the Sheffield-Rotherham Boundary at Templeborough.

 

At one time 10,000 were employed there.

[trevorb]

Where were the foundries. I cannot recall any at either templeborough or ickles. I can only recall melting shop, cogging, strip and bar mills, machine shops and railway products