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GEC WITTON WORKS


  • 1970 Although the works still produced diesel engines under the name Ruston Paxman Diesels, which operation had been moved from Lincoln, locomotive manufacture finished in 1970. Output was mainly for marine and stationary applications, but the company was the engine supplier of choice for British Rail Engineering for locos built at Doncaster and Crewe.

  • The factory passed through various hands firstly as GEC Alsthom then Alstom, and finally as part of MAN B&W Diesel in 2000. At the end of 2002 the works closed. It is now an industrial estate (appropriately called "Vulcan Industrial Estate") and this can still be seen as one passes on the train. The site is just North of Winwick Junction where the line to Newton Le Willows branches off to the East from the West Coast Main Line.

  • NB: Vulcan being associated with fire and ironwork, names such as "Vulcan Foundry" were common in many towns and cities. There was no connection with Vulcan Iron Works in the United States. Len.
 
Ray,
Thanks for that info. In fact after the war my father returned to the GEC site and worked there well into the 1950's.
Alfred Chiles married my Mother's sister Marjorie Hartley. They lived in Brantley Road (just off Electric Ave) and had 3 children; Robert, Avril and Paul. Alfred worked at the GEC all his working life and died in the early 80's. Marjorie lived to a grand old age and died just 3 years ago.
I have their wedding photograph (Aston Parish). If anything links up in your researches, please let me know.
Christopher
 
Rupert said:
There were several drawing offices. 2DO and 3DO were on the top floor and the transformer drawing office was on the first floor of the building that was south of the main avenue. At the end of that avenue was the listed main entrance building with the Engineering Drawing office above. That's how I remember it anyway. Funny, I don't seem to remember any 1DO. 2DO was switchgear...I think 3DO was also. Somewhere in that mix was 'process planning'. Not sure if it was on the top floor in between 2 and 3 DOs or a floor down.

That was the only place that I ever worked at that had a process plannig department...the designer is expected to do it all now. I expect that process planning is still required for high volume manufacturing though...am not sure...have not had any our way in quite a while.
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Hello Rupert,
My Father worked in the Process Planning Dept but I seem to remember that this office was on the ground floor. If you walked up the main drive with the New Turbo Shop on your left, there was a large admin block to your right and Dad's office was at the top facing the Main Admin Building. Do you think this would have been Process Planning Office for Switchgear ?
I know he would very often have to travel all over the country, sometimes staying overnight, sorting out problems with either customers or supplying firms. Best wishes, Mike.
 
Yes Mike that Office also had Switch Progress Dept on the ground floor in fact I think they may have shared the same space with process Planning?
My Dad Bill Jenney worked for many years in that Progress Office be for it shut he then transfered to PARSON COST OFFICE
 
Thanks Baron,
I seem to remember that Process Planning was only a small section of perhaps 6 people so if both sections shared the same open office plan then it is more than likely that our respective Fathers at least knew of each other. Unfortunately, Pop died a number of years ago so I cannot check with him, Mike.
 
This is one of the last covers to go with a GENERATOR from Witton Given to me by the late Viv Horder a life long friend & work mate.
 
Mike my Dad passed away in 2001 so I have the same problem when it comes to getting even more History from his day at Witton.
He was the best DAD in the world as I am sure was yours.
 
I am proud to say yes to that Keith. Pop was 87 when he died, a little unsteady on his legs but his mind was as sharp as it always had been and I still listened and acted on most of his advice. A great Father and a good friend. Mike.
 
mroldbrummie1 [john hughes]. Keith we did work at the same time ,I well remember your name.As i said i started at GEC jan 59 EDO after 3 months in DO school. Played bowls also,we started a drawing office team in 1969/1970 i was captain and we played in the thursday league but after a few years it broke up and ended up playing for the works "A" team captained by Jonny Heiztman [i think thats how you spell it] They played in the Erdington and district mid week league. Some of the DO team were [myself John Hughes,Pete Evans,Ken Mather,Stan Hughes,Joe Iafrati,John Hogettes and some of the young lads whose names alude me.Do you remember George Maers [i think] was head of contracts, and MR South who was head of insulaion dept, I under stand he murdered his wife,you would never of thought it possible,this info was given to me by Phil Gilbert who was my section leader on Alterantor section after i had left in 1984, Ithink you were all down tyburn road then.
 
John I remember them all well, Bob South killed his wife I think, due to her long & painfull illness. others I remember from that Thursday bowling team were Jimmy Jack Al Sutton ,Colin Bevan,
I donot know if you have read all the post but Ken Mather & Ray Ashdown + Jim Allworth & my self shared a car for 6 years traveling to GEC RUGBY, by the way Ken is no longer with us he passed away some years ago.
Have you any Photos of you time at WITTON?
All the Best Keith Jenney
 
The Baron said:
Has this Thread gone to sleep, come on you guys you must have more to tell?
Click to expand...

hello keith
have been talking to a mate who was at handsworth tech school with me now lives in BRISBANE.He is starting to look on BHAM HISTORY FORUM he didnt know about it so we may have a new boy soon.
 
Hello Keith again
no he was in the royal navy but we went to the same school 4 years. he is hoping he will find people he knows from HTS, SPRING HILL ICE RINK,
and GEC because he had mates there at that time
.Just getting back to GEC PARSONS PEEBLES .NEI PEEBLES do you remember when all the offices moved over turbo shop in the main drive,DO top floor, sales and contracts middle floor and gec projects ground floor.We in the DO used to grow tomatoes in the office and George Maers[is the spelling correct] office was in the middle far side of the block, he used to ring up and ask if there were any toms going and we would lower them down to his office window in a bag on a string.Idont know how we got away with it but considering the works manager [cant think of his name]used to eat some they couldnt say much. we also used to lower prints down to him the same way.he would send memos up by the same method after giving us a ring.
The saddest thing was watching switchgear and transformers buildings being flattened during the late 70s
 
When I drive down ELECTRIC AVE now it has changed so much from the days of GEC, The only remaining reminder of those happy days when you could go to work & look forward to it, is the frontage of the main admin; block.
Gone WMI,SWITCH GEAR,TURBO BAY,ENG WORKS, FOUNDRY, TRANSFORMER,RECTIFIER,& many more on site units.
 
Anyone remember Bert Wall in Transformer. 1934 until about 1965 I think. Or any of the cricket team in the early 60s. Paddy Ryan, Tommy Owens, Tommy and Bernard Cotton, Len Boyman, Len Peakman, Thompson, Hunt, Cox. Bert used to umpire.
 
Linda it is lovely when someone remembers a relative or loved one isn't it. It happened to me when someone remembered my dad from Halladays. Jean.
 
Hello keith again
was that you on BBC midlands about 6:45 skating around on a frozen pond,in a garden? When the reporter said Mr Keith Jenny I straight away thought of you.
Saw your picture on another section of this site,and i certainly do remember you.I havnt sent a picture of me cause i dont know how to but ill get my son in law to do it.Merry xmas and a Happy New Year to you
John hughes
 
Yes John,that was me & that was our back lawn not a pond. Its a thing with me that when we have cold snap like this folks can have a very safe ice rink in the back yard, 3" of ice over the lawn or any flat area can make a great rink .
Will be nice to put a face to the name so post those pics ASAP.
ALL THE BEST KEITH
 
I was an an apprentice from 1979 to 83 at PPMG ,unfortunately did not go to Tyburn Road ,
Names I remember are Vic Cope / Vince Hillier/My buddies Paul Lewis in his Capri 2000S also Kurt Wright / Chris Dane / Terry? Romney / T.A. Blewitt / Don Cleaver / Mr Bird (red collar on his white coat) Ted Richards / Janet Matson Harvest Gold Marina Coupe 1.3 /
Monica who I bumped into at the School House near Lichfield / Sarah / Beverly who married Kurt /Michael Thompson (Tommo) / Maxine on reception .

In the training centre / Dennis Ryland / Mr Evans / Mr Blake & Burt Poole who was the cleaner up there .

Drg Office - Neil Jenkins /Keith Best /Clive Chapman / Barry Erye sp? Rod Williams /Dave Bodnam ? who worked with Bill and Tony Clewley ?sp in manufacturing design.
Peter Smart who blessed his Dolly Sprint every time he parked up !!
Was it Keith the tall safety officer who sent me up to close the roof factory doors in the worst storm in history ?
Anyone remember when the Jumbo carrying the space shuttle flew past on its tour ? we were looking out of the windows for it .

Got some photos in the old offices of old faces . Will put on and try to remember some more names .
Dave Cooper
 
Come on Dave lets see those PHOTOS it will keep this tread going & may be more memories for us EX GEC Folks?
 
My uncle Sydney Edwards worked at G.E.C. Witton in the 1930s, 40s and early 50. I don't know which department but I remember he used to build his own radios in the early 1930s, so I presume he worked in some technical area of the company. He always dressed in a suit, i also remember he was an excellent billiards and snooker player for which he had won many trophies. regards Reg "Roverman"
 
This thread seems buried and hard to find but I'm here ! Anyone out there from Switchgear 2DO/2DO annexe/3DO from the sixties ? I was at GEC 1960 - 67, apprentice and then in 2DOA on George Gittings and then Les Hammerton's section. . Names I recall - Terry Baily, Roger Johnson, John Powell, Geoff Rose, Dave Turner, John Cross and many apprentices.
 
Hi Alan,
I spent my time as a switchgear drawing office apprentice in what I remembered as 2DO (but it may have been 3DO) between the years 1956 and 1959, before being transfered into the Student Engineering program. Names I recall from that time in the office were Section Leader Stan Clives, Sid Hackett, Johnny Hill. Two others had the surnames of Pitt and Paul. Together with the in-plant apprentice training program, the experience at GEC provided me with a set of skills that were second to none in the field of Electrical Engineering eventually leading to a engineering career in Canada. No matter where I travelled in the world, GEC trained Engineers and Technologists would always be popping up and all were proud of their prior association with the Company. As demonstrated by this Thread, there is definitely a brotherhood bond between all past trainees from GEC.
 
Well...I don't know but rather think that the place was too large and I can't think that much that was experienced there, helped greatly in my carreer in mechanical engineering. Some of the works training locals were of little value also. Anyway, the best training is what you design and do for yourself, it takes time after all of the previous. Using technical and engineering theory that was learned to eventually take a requirement and calculate and design a solution from scratch. The leave for college was the best part. I don't know about technicians and technologists...as a singular grouping I don't think they were around back then. A Canadian initiative perhaps but not as high accademically I think except in computers now. There seems to be a big gap now between doing the calcs and making a drawing. How this gap is filled is a mystery. A HNC guy back then, used to fill that gap and do both. I have my feet up now but a few years ago Technicians and Technologists were a little short on theory. It is required.
Most of the people that I was with left the place to gain experience and more money...particularly at electricity boards. Auto industry workers were better compensated to bolt in seats I recall.
 
Rupert said:
Well...I don't know but rather think that the place was too large and I can't think that much that was experienced there, helped greatly in my carreer in mechanical engineering. Some of the works training locals were of little value also. Anyway, the best training is what you design and do for yourself, it takes time after all of the previous. Using technical and engineering theory that was learned to eventually take a requirement and calculate and design a solution from scratch. The leave for college was the best part. I don't know about technicians and technologists...as a singular grouping I don't think they were around back then. A Canadian initiative perhaps but not as high accademically I think except in computers now. There seems to be a big gap now between doing the calcs and making a drawing. How this gap is filled is a mystery. A HNC guy back then, used to fill that gap and do both. I have my feet up now but a few years ago Technicians and Technologists were a little short on theory. It is required.
Most of the people that I was with left the place to gain experience and more money...particularly electricity boards. Auto industry workers were better recompensed to bolt in seats I recall.
Click to expand...

Rupert, maybe as a mechanical engineer you didn't benefit from GEC training as much as I did. I stayed in electrical engineering all my working life (now retired) and I do know that my career had the best grounding it could possibly have had with my GEC drawing office apprenticeship. It was second to none in my opinion. Probably others will say the same, I only wish I had taken more advantage of the opportunities I had at the time.
Certainly by the time I started working there, the place had a lot of 'dead wood', probably due to its size and one could walk about for days with a piece of paper in your hand doing nothing. There is that famous story of a group of apprentices that separated into teams to see who could go the longest, clocking in each day, pulling a truck around visiting their mates before anyone queried them. The winners went a week before a manager questioned what they were doing !
I was one that left a few years after completing my apprenticeship to seek experience (1967) and better pay but I will forever be grateful for the engineering training, acedemic qualifications and the sense of comradeship that GEC provided. I initially left to work for Tube Investments, Walsall in a project drawing office but found it very boring and only stayed there a short time before moving on. I was also fortunate in that Weinstock started pulling GEC apart in 1968 !
My experience is a little different to yours, Rupert, I found that it was in latter years of my career that 'electrical engineers' lacked the theoretical knowledge required to do the job properly. This was no doubt because most of the training such as apprenticeships had disappeared in the UK by that time.
 
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