Dudley Hill and where I served my apprenticeship

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