Hello, I hope that nobody will object to me diving in here. I joined the forum on Jan's recommendation although my loyalty is not to Redditch bikes with Birmingham bits but to Nortons.
I'm restoring a 1939 16H Norton which seems to have been abandoned in Belgium by the BEF prior to Dunkirk. My researches into correct specification have also led to the aspect of bomb damage to Birmingham factories as a possible explanation for production changes.
According to information in some of the Norton histories, many of the steel pressings were made by another R.T. Shelley group company, Talboys who seem to have been in Tame Road Witton. I have read that Talboys was also bombed (in 1941 ?) and that this led to the cessation of their production of the "Talflow" tank-top air filter which had been developed by Nortons, with subsequent production of a similar item being taken over by Vokes in Guildford.
Tool box and mudguards also underwent some changes around this time. Can the forum confirm the bombing of Talboys and any further information ?
I should also mention that having spent most of my adult life immersed in names like Bracebridge Street and Aston Brook Street, I would be fascinated to hear any anecdotes relating to Nortons, Shelleys, Roberts who made their rubber fittings etc.
Incidentally, I knew John Hudson who was the former factory Service Manager and one of the very few who moved to London when AMC transferred production. I heard him say on a number of occasions "I have no idea why Woolwich felt the need to change it, Birmingham would never have done it that way !"
I have to say, as an almost South Londoner, he was right. There is a clear quality difference on the Birmingham built bikes
Rich.