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Salisbury Transmissions, Witton

John Young

John Young

master brummie
Does anyone remember Salisbury Trans early years?
Later became GKN Axles & is Now Dana Axles, same old buildings
with new sections added over last 30-40 years.
I worked there in mid 70,s, Sparkie on Maintenance with good crew.
!st day there one of the elder Sparkies remembered my Dad, also a
Sparkie worked there in late 40,s,, He took me into a Main Sub -station, scared the pants off me, never been near 11,000 Volts before, Wow.
He showed me a strange collection of machinery, tubes, wires, bottles etc, I thiught it was an old Refridgerator in bits?
Well he said, Your Dad & Joe the Pole (Polish Army Guy?) made that.
It was a STILL & they used to make a "Polish Vodka" with it,, this chap had tried some, Very, Very Strong he said but he was only a lad then, He didn,t "Remember", only that it was used for cleaning Tar off things & reacted like Napalm near heat, Heh he switched it on & it still worked!!!
Good lads in those days, Cheers John
 
John Young said:
Does anyone remember Salisbury Trans early years?
Later became GKN Axles & is Now Dana Axles, same old buildings
with new sections added over last 30-40 years.
I worked there in mid 70,s, Sparkie on Maintenance with good crew.
!st day there one of the elder Sparkies remembered my Dad, also a
Sparkie worked there in late 40,s,, He took me into a Main Sub -station, scared the pants off me, never been near 11,000 Volts before, Wow.
He showed me a strange collection of machinery, tubes, wires, bottles etc, I thiught it was an old Refridgerator in bits?
Well he said, Your Dad & Joe the Pole (Polish Army Guy?) made that.
It was a STILL & they used to make a "Polish Vodka" with it,, this chap had tried some, Very, Very Strong he said but he was only a lad then, He didn,t "Remember", only that it was used for cleaning Tar off things & reacted like Napalm near heat, Heh he switched it on & it still worked!!!
Good lads in those days, Cheers John
Click to expand...
Hi I worked in the toolroom upstairs from 1969-81
 
I was an apprentice at Salisbury from 1959 to 1963 While doing a Dip Tec in production engineering at Aston CAT (later Aston University). A Dip Tec meant 6 months in the factory and 6 months at Uni. I was the only apprentice. On occasion I went to the Hardy Spicer apprentice training school. Highlights of my time at Salisbury were axle testing high performance cars notable an Aston Martin DB 5 which I had to drive at 125mph on the M6 noting axle noise. Another was an e type jag. Salisbury made the independent rear suspension for the e type. I also remember setting Gleason hypoid gear cutters.
 
Clive Howarth said:
I was an apprentice at Salisbury from 1959 to 1963 While doing a Dip Tec in production engineering at Aston CAT (later Aston University). A Dip Tec meant 6 months in the factory and 6 months at Uni. I was the only apprentice. On occasion I went to the Hardy Spicer apprentice training school. Highlights of my time at Salisbury were axle testing high performance cars notable an Aston Martin DB 5 which I had to drive at 125mph on the M6 noting axle noise. Another was an e type jag. Salisbury made the independent rear suspension for the e type. I also remember setting Gleason hypoid gear cutters.
Click to expand...
Hello & welcome Clive your years way before mine in 70's left GKN To Canada better $'s but Salisbury Axles won Le Mans a few times so earned it's Worldwide fame, it's now Dana Axles US Owned, good memories of the old place, worked there 3 times, after 3 other Countries lived, worked, and shirked lol
 
Clive Howarth said:
I was an apprentice at Salisbury from 1959 to 1963 While doing a Dip Tec in production engineering at Aston CAT (later Aston University). A Dip Tec meant 6 months in the factory and 6 months at Uni. I was the only apprentice. On occasion I went to the Hardy Spicer apprentice training school. Highlights of my time at Salisbury were axle testing high performance cars notable an Aston Martin DB 5 which I had to drive at 125mph on the M6 noting axle noise. Another was an e type jag. Salisbury made the independent rear suspension for the e type. I also remember setting Gleason hypoid gear cutters.
Click to expand...
Hello Clive. I wonder if you remember my father Reg Cambray who may have overlapped with you at Salisbury? At that time he may have been in Personnel.
 
Martin
Sorry, I don't remember him. I recall that we apprentices were seen as the lowest of the low and hardly ever visited 'the offices'
Best wishes
Clive
 
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