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Girling Brakes - Tyseley

bigjohnuk

knowlegable brummie
Girling Brakes - tyseley

Hi all,

My grandmorther looked after the switch board girls at Girling, tyseley in the 60's and 70's Anyone have any information or pictrues of this old site. My borther and myself would go on the Christmas Panto trips every year.

John
 
Re: Girling Brakes - tyseley

Found a picture of the front 1950. Any other pictures welcome. Anyone who may have pictures or remeber the ladies on the switchboard for the factory. I can remeber where the room was that my grandmorther worked in. Just to the left of the front doors of the building.

girling%2520t.jpg


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kueAVoMUXrdfuatOcT4qiO5DMTYeVfzby-xOUE9Dg84?feat=directlink
 
I am surprised to see only four posts on this Girling thread. I know it mentions specifically Tyseley but there must be much to record about the company. I note some information of outing and part threads plus more in a Lucas thread. Apparently Lucas took over Girling in 1939,
Was there a Garrison Lane site?
 
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I worked at Girling from 1974 until 1990, I started as a mechanic working for Bob Morgan at the Proving ground at Fen End looking after the test fleet. In 1975 I went onto experimental fitting working on commercials with Chris Long. One of the first jobs was fitting a huge disc brake retarder to the nose of the rear axle of a Leyland National bus. After all the work Leyland never took it on.
In 1977 I started as a Dev Engineer on HDBS at Tyseley working for Eddy Sambrook and Chief Eng Dave Peasley, my first job there was durability testing of swan neck springs on L/Rover transmission brake. Very, very boring. Later on I then progressed to the Vehicle Test dept carrying out dynamic tests on vehicles. This was more to my liking and I really enjoyed this role. This is where I met Norman Clymer, a nice chap always ready for a bit of leg pulling. He worked for the Commercial sales dept.
1983 saw the close of Tyseley and Girling was relocated to Cwmbran and Pontypool in South Wales and Bromborough on the Wirral, I moved back to the Proving Ground at Fen End still working for the HDBS test dept.
During my 16 1/2 years at Girling I was lucky enough to travel to various test sites in the UK and Europe.
In 1989, the powers to be wanted to move the test dept to South Wales, after great deliberations I decided not to go and I left in December 1989.
On leaving Girling I was asked to apply for a position at Land Rover. I started at the Solihull Factory in January 1990, working for John Kellett and Keith Parsons (both ex Girling Engineers).
I still keep in touch with a lot of my old Girling colleagues, and I arrange an informal get together every Christmas (apart from last xmas because of the pandemic) but as soon as we are allowed I will arrange another. We call it the Girling Old Codgers Club and in 2019 saw around 25 or so turn up.
 
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I worked at Girling from 1974 until 1990, I started as a mechanic working for Bob Morgan at the Proving ground at Fen End looking after the test fleet. In 1975 I went onto experimental fitting working on commercials with Chris Long. One of the first jobs was fitting a huge disc brake retarder to the nose of the rear axle of a Leyland National bus. After all the work Leyland never took it on.
In 1977 I started as a Dev Engineer on HDBS at Tyseley working for Eddy Sambrook and Chief Eng Dave Peasley, my first job there was durability testing of swan neck springs on L/Rover transmission brake. Very, very boring. Later on I then progressed to the Vehicle Test dept carrying out dynamic tests on vehicles. This was more to my liking and I really enjoyed this role. This is where I met Norman Clymer, a nice chap always ready for a bit of leg pulling. He worked for the Commercial sales dept.
1983 saw the close of Tyseley and Girling was relocated to Cwmbran and Pontypool in South Wales and Bromborough on the Wirral, I moved back to the Proving Ground at Fen End still working for the HDBS test dept.
During my 16 1/2 years at Girling I was lucky enough to travel to various test sites in the UK and Europe.
In 1989, the powers to be wanted to move the test dept to South Wales, after great deliberations I decided not to go and I left in December 1989.
On leaving Girling I was asked to apply for a position at Land Rover. I started at the Solihull Factory in January 1990, working for John Kellett and Keith Parsons (both ex Girling Engineers).
I still keep in touch with a lot of my old Girling colleagues, and I arrange an informal get together every Christmas (apart from last xmas because of the pandemic) but as soon as we are allowed I will arrange another. We call it the Girling Old Codgers Club and in 2019 saw around 25 or so turn up.
Hi Dave
Good to see that you are still up and running and thanks for the mention. Happy memories.
 
I worked at Girling from 1974 until 1990, I started as a mechanic working for Bob Morgan at the Proving ground at Fen End looking after the test fleet. In 1975 I went onto experimental fitting working on commercials with Chris Long. One of the first jobs was fitting a huge disc brake retarder to the nose of the rear axle of a Leyland National bus. After all the work Leyland never took it on.
In 1977 I started as a Dev Engineer on HDBS at Tyseley working for Eddy Sambrook and Chief Eng Dave Peasley, my first job there was durability testing of swan neck springs on L/Rover transmission brake. Very, very boring. Later on I then progressed to the Vehicle Test dept carrying out dynamic tests on vehicles. This was more to my liking and I really enjoyed this role. This is where I met Norman Clymer, a nice chap always ready for a bit of leg pulling. He worked for the Commercial sales dept.
1983 saw the close of Tyseley and Girling was relocated to Cwmbran and Pontypool in South Wales and Bromborough on the Wirral, I moved back to the Proving Ground at Fen End still working for the HDBS test dept.
During my 16 1/2 years at Girling I was lucky enough to travel to various test sites in the UK and Europe.
In 1989, the powers to be wanted to move the test dept to South Wales, after great deliberations I decided not to go and I left in December 1989.
On leaving Girling I was asked to apply for a position at Land Rover. I started at the Solihull Factory in January 1990, working for John Kellett and Keith Parsons (both ex Girling Engineers).
I still keep in touch with a lot of my old Girling colleagues, and I arrange an informal get together every Christmas (apart from last xmas because of the pandemic) but as soon as we are allowed I will arrange another. We call it the Girling Old Codgers Club and in 2019 saw around 25 or so turn up.
Hi Dave
An interesting picture of your working life you have painted there. Thanks
The disc - brake that you fitted to the prop on a Leyland national, was that similar in operation to the 'Telma Retarder' that was popular on coaches?
 
Girling Brakes - tyseley

Hi all,

My grandmorther looked after the switch board girls at Girling, tyseley in the 60's and 70's Anyone have any information or pictrues of this old site. My borther and myself would go on the Christmas Panto trips every year.

John
Hi John,
I worked on HDBS at Tyseley from 1977 until it closed in 1983 when I moved to Fen End, and left when it all moved to South Wales in 1989.
I volunteered for a few years to take the photographs of the children's Christmas parties at West Brom hotel with the help of Josie Queenan and Heather Knightingale and co.
We had some good fun, and the kids did as well.
Dave
 
Hi Dave
An interesting picture of your working life you have painted there. Thanks
The disc - brake that you fitted to the prop on a Leyland national, was that similar in operation to the 'Telma Retarder' that was popular on coaches?
This retarder operated the same as any air disc brake but only bigger. Double disc with copper post and cooling fins.
The object was to slow the vehicle down without using the service brake. Because the bus was rear engined and very light at the front axle the front brakes were restricted to stop them locking.
The retarder was operated by a micro switch on th free play of the service brake pedal and cooled by a huge fan attached to the dynamo forcing air down aluminium ducting to The vented disc.
Tests were conducted on the hills in and out of Sheffield.
Service life of the rear brake linings were about 1500 miles, after the retarder was fitted the service brake life increased to 35000 miles. But as I said earlier Leyland wouldn't take it.
The Telma retarder was an electro magnetic device normally operated by a lever on the steering column and fairly expensive.I
Hope that explains it somewhat.
Dave
 
This retarder operated the same as any air disc brake but only bigger. Double disc with copper post and cooling fins.
The object was to slow the vehicle down without using the service brake. Because the bus was rear engined and very light at the front axle the front brakes were restricted to stop them locking.
The retarder was operated by a micro switch on th free play of the service brake pedal and cooled by a huge fan attached to the dynamo forcing air down aluminium ducting to The vented disc.
Tests were conducted on the hills in and out of Sheffield.
Service life of the rear brake linings were about 1500 miles, after the retarder was fitted the service brake life increased to 35000 miles. But as I said earlier Leyland wouldn't take it.
The Telma retarder was an electro magnetic device normally operated by a lever on the steering column and fairly expensive.I
Hope that explains it somewhat.
Dave
Great.
Thanks for the info.
I was familiar with 'Telma Retarders' back in the 70's.
So it must have been similar to the Land Rover 'Drum Transmission' brake but used a disc and caliper instead.

Thanks for the info.
Who'd have thought that transmission brakes could be so interesting.
 
Great.
Thanks for the info.
I was familiar with 'Telma Retarders' back in the 70's.
So it must have been similar to the Land Rover 'Drum Transmission' brake but used a disc and caliper instead.

Thanks for the info.
Who'd have thought that transmission brakes could be so interesting.
My memory is playing tricks on me, the caliper was hydraulic but air actuated.
 
I worked at Girling from 1974 until 1990, I started as a mechanic working for Bob Morgan at the Proving ground at Fen End looking after the test fleet. In 1975 I went onto experimental fitting working on commercials with Chris Long. One of the first jobs was fitting a huge disc brake retarder to the nose of the rear axle of a Leyland National bus. After all the work Leyland never took it on.
In 1977 I started as a Dev Engineer on HDBS at Tyseley working for Eddy Sambrook and Chief Eng Dave Peasley, my first job there was durability testing of swan neck springs on L/Rover transmission brake. Very, very boring. Later on I then progressed to the Vehicle Test dept carrying out dynamic tests on vehicles. This was more to my liking and I really enjoyed this role. This is where I met Norman Clymer, a nice chap always ready for a bit of leg pulling. He worked for the Commercial sales dept.
1983 saw the close of Tyseley and Girling was relocated to Cwmbran and Pontypool in South Wales and Bromborough on the Wirral, I moved back to the Proving Ground at Fen End still working for the HDBS test dept.
During my 16 1/2 years at Girling I was lucky enough to travel to various test sites in the UK and Europe.
In 1989, the powers to be wanted to move the test dept to South Wales, after great deliberations I decided not to go and I left in December 1989.
On leaving Girling I was asked to apply for a position at Land Rover. I started at the Solihull Factory in January 1990, working for John Kellett and Keith Parsons (both ex Girling Engineers).
I still keep in touch with a lot of my old Girling colleagues, and I arrange an informal get together every Christmas (apart from last xmas because of the pandemic) but as soon as we are allowed I will arrange another. We call it the Girling Old Codgers Club and in 2019 saw around 25 or so turn up.
Dave, great story! Welcome to the Forum and enjoy, I am sure you will...
 
This retarder operated the same as any air disc brake but only bigger. Double disc with copper post and cooling fins.
The object was to slow the vehicle down without using the service brake. Because the bus was rear engined and very light at the front axle the front brakes were restricted to stop them locking.
The retarder was operated by a micro switch on th free play of the service brake pedal and cooled by a huge fan attached to the dynamo forcing air down aluminium ducting to The vented disc.
Tests were conducted on the hills in and out of Sheffield.
Service life of the rear brake linings were about 1500 miles, after the retarder was fitted the service brake life increased to 35000 miles. But as I said earlier Leyland wouldn't take it.
The Telma retarder was an electro magnetic device normally operated by a lever on the steering column and fairly expensive.I
Hope that explains it somewhat.
Dave
Doesn’t sound like a good decision on Leylands part unless they went with another device!
 
Re: Girling Brakes - tyseley

Found a picture of the front 1950. Any other pictures welcome. Anyone who may have pictures or remeber the ladies on the switchboard for the factory. I can remeber where the room was that my grandmorther worked in. Just to the left of the front doors of the building.

girling%2520t.jpg


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kueAVoMUXrdfuatOcT4qiO5DMTYeVfzby-xOUE9Dg84?feat=directlink
The only lady on the switchboard that I can remember was Carol, she went on to run a great big AB Dick printing/copier machine. I think her boss was a lady called Dinah Brown.
 
Does anyone know if the Girling Plant on Kings Road in Tyseley had it's own Home Guard unit During WWII? My granddad lived in Manor Farm Rd and worked at Girling throughout the 40's and 50's.
 
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