Some of you have inquired about
the works where I served my apprenticeship
The works pictured at Dudley Hill, Dawson lane
were originally the works of Mess'rs Newton Bean
and Mitchell who produced would you believe
STEAM ENGINES.
Their steam engines were of course of
the static variety that powered mills and
generating plants.
The connection with the company with whom I
served my apprenticeship was in the power
transmission side such as gears and pulleys
Such were needed in abundance to transmit the power
of the steam engine to the looms and spinning mules
of the mills.
There is an excellent example of just such an engine
in the Bradford Industrial Museum seen below
This was a Newton Bean & Mitchell Uniflow engine.
Before the development of the steam turbine,
as with the marine industry, power generation
was by means of steam reciprocating engines as
seen above. Newton Bean & Mitchell built some
very large engines. In my day it was the first shop
entered and was called the heavy fitting shop. It
was of course by that time owned and operated
by Crofts Engineers and it was where the very
large gearboxes were assembled that drove
large sugar mills and indeed turbine
installations and was of course the
raison-d'etre for my eventual
move to P&O as a junior
marine engineering officer.
Now in old age I harbor fond
memories of the Newton Bean works
and the men who very patiently taught me my trade
The artistic side of me says my cup raneth over
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