English Electric

[zeta]

I was really pleased to find the now old discussion on English Electric.My Dad was William[Bill] McCaughey[Jock] and was on inspection on Aircraft.He came up from Bristol around 1943 and we lived at 10 High street where I was born,then we moved to Hicks Terrace.My brother also trained there as an electrician[Ken]My Mum Dad and sister Sadie emigrated to Australia in 1962.Dad was originally from Glasgow.
The highlight of our year was the works Christmas partys which were marvellous.
Very Happy Days.

[jack preston]

I remember my mother saying she worked at Bristol aircraft during ww2.her name was evelyn keenan, she was a good singer and dancer in her day,is thet the same place, anyone remember her.

[claytonx]

I had a uncle called Tom Parsons lived in Talbot Ave, he died in 2002. I called on him once or twice a week, he used to say to me can you hear that noise they are testing the engines down at English Electric. I could understand as he was 97.

[DtheP47]

Originally Posted by claytonx

I had a uncle called Tom Parsons lived in Talbot Ave, he died in 2002. I called on him once or twice a week, he used to say to me can you hear that noise they are testing the engines down at English Electric. I could understand as he was 97.

There were indeed engine test beds down at EE, where the caravan storage area is now.
I served my time there from 1963 but they were derelict even then.

Ron Freethy's book "Memories of the Lancashire Aircraft Industry" may make mention of what engines were tested there and when.
Jim Longworth also published a book on the same subject, can't recall the title?

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by claytonx

I had a uncle called Tom Parsons lived in Talbot Ave, he died in 2002. I called on him once or twice a week, he used to say to me can you hear that noise they are testing the engines down at English Electric. I could understand as he was 97.

My father started at the Bristol Aero Engine Factory in Clayton in 1939 as a Tool Setter.
The engines tested at that factory were Bristol Radial Engines, every engine manufactured their during the war, had to be tested, before it left the factory.
Some years ago I saw sereral Bristol Radial Engines in a musem in Edinburg, some had cut away sections to show how they worked.
English Electric did not take over that factory until after the war, and those engines were no longer needed.

[DtheP47]

a cut and paste job here:
Lancashire County Council published a booklet called;

'Classic and Modern Aero-Engines associated with Lancashire and the North West of England'

This booklet covers a wider geographic range than this site should permit. It starts by relating to Alliott Verdon Roe who built a factory specifically for manufacturing aircraft in 1910 in Manchester. The booklet states this was the first aircraft specific factory in the world. Engines for his aircraft were built in Bolton by two brothers called Edwards who submitted a patent for an engine with 2 horizontally opposed cylinders developing 15hp. Engine power developed to 300hp by the end of the First World War.

Activity continued with a new factory in Lostock north of Bolton which was built as a 'shadow' factory for the de Havilland Airscrew Company to increase production for the Second World War. Many thousand propellors were built in the Lostock factory which continues today as a missile factory.

Also in 1939 a new factory at Clayton le Moors, Accrington, was built as a 'shadow' factory for Bristol Aeroplane Company Hercules engines which developed 1725hp. In addition an engine equipment factory was built around the same time very close-by.

The Base Air Depot No.2 at Warton near Preston overhauled and repaired engines for the US Air Force throughout the war.

East Lancashire became a hotspot for engine shadow factories with both Lucas and Rover taking over former cotton mills. Barnoldswick worked on the W2 Jet Engine being built by Rover from Whittles design. In 1943 it was agreed that Rolls Royce would take over the Rover factories and produced the RB23 Welland jet engine. The first engine designed and built at Barnoldswick was the RB41 Nene engine from 1944. Also the RB65 Avon was designed at Barnoldswick. Since then the work has changed to providing parts for engines such as fan blades. The workforce was around 10,000 at both factories until about 30years ago when it started to decrease and is about 2000 now. Barnoldswick holds a special place in Rolls Royce terminology with the 'B' in RB meaning Rolls Royce Barnoldswick.

The north-west also has Metropolitan-Vickers of Manchester with their axial flow engines, Sapphire, Beryl and Freda jet engines. Also Napiers of Liverpool with their 3500hp engine.

[Barrie Yates]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

My father started at the Bristol Aero Engine Factory in Clayton in 1939 as a Tool Setter.
The engines tested at that factory were Bristol Radial Engines, every engine manufactured their during the war, had to be tested, before it left the factory.
Some years ago I saw sereral Bristol Radial Engines in a musem in Edinburg, some had cut away sections to show how they worked.
English Electric did not take over that factory until after the war, and those engines were no longer needed.

I don't think there were any radial engines used post war, by that time RR were producing the Griffon (the successor to the Merlin), and were transitioning into jet engines which I think were built in Derby.

There was a cutaway radial at the RAF College which you could turn over by a hand crank - quite impressive.

[Barrie Yates]

Originally Posted by DtheP47

a cut and paste job here:
Lancashire County Council published a booklet called;

'Classic and Modern Aero-Engines associated with Lancashire and the North West of England'

This booklet covers a wider geographic range than this site should permit. It starts by relating to Alliott Verdon Roe who built a factory specifically for manufacturing aircraft in 1910 in Manchester. The booklet states this was the first aircraft specific factory in the world. Engines for his aircraft were built in Bolton by two brothers called Edwards who submitted a patent for an engine with 2 horizontally opposed cylinders developing 15hp. Engine power developed to 300hp by the end of the First World War.

Activity continued with a new factory in Lostock north of Bolton which was built as a 'shadow' factory for the de Havilland Airscrew Company to increase production for the Second World War. Many thousand propellors were built in the Lostock factory which continues today as a missile factory.

Also in 1939 a new factory at Clayton le Moors, Accrington, was built as a 'shadow' factory for Bristol Aeroplane Company Hercules engines which developed 1725hp. In addition an engine equipment factory was built around the same time very close-by.

The Base Air Depot No.2 at Warton near Preston overhauled and repaired engines for the US Air Force throughout the war.

East Lancashire became a hotspot for engine shadow factories with both Lucas and Rover taking over former cotton mills. Barnoldswick worked on the W2 Jet Engine being built by Rover from Whittles design. In 1943 it was agreed that Rolls Royce would take over the Rover factories and produced the RB23 Welland jet engine. The first engine designed and built at Barnoldswick was the RB41 Nene engine from 1944. Also the RB65 Avon was designed at Barnoldswick. Since then the work has changed to providing parts for engines such as fan blades. The workforce was around 10,000 at both factories until about 30years ago when it started to decrease and is about 2000 now. Barnoldswick holds a special place in Rolls Royce terminology with the 'B' in RB meaning Rolls Royce Barnoldswick.

The north-west also has Metropolitan-Vickers of Manchester with their axial flow engines, Sapphire, Beryl and Freda jet engines. Also Napiers of Liverpool with their 3500hp engine.

Great detailed information, Thank you

[DtheP47]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

I don't think there were any radial engines used post war, by that time RR were producing the Griffon (the successor to the Merlin), and were transitioning into jet engines which I think were built in Derby.

There was a cutaway radial at the RAF College which you could turn over by a hand crank - quite impressive.

Pratt and Witney continued with radial engines post war Barrie. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser motored along behind four P&W R-4360 Wasp Majors, crossing the oceans at will and with high confidence, if not quite at the flight levels we are accustomed to today. A good many military type aircraft too were built with the large 3-row and 4-row post-war radial engines.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by DtheP47

Pratt and Witney continued with radial engines post war Barrie. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser motored along behind four P&W R-4360 Wasp Majors, crossing the oceans at will and with high confidence, if not quite at the flight levels we are accustomed to today. A good many military type aircraft too were built with the large 3-row and 4-row post-war radial engines.

Just been on a web site showing Pratt & Whitney engines, there is even a video of a model one running. I think the radial engine is still used on float planes on the lakes in Canada, & USA, don't think jet engines like the spray in a watery enviroment

[Barrie Yates]

Originally Posted by DtheP47

Pratt and Witney continued with radial engines post war Barrie. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser motored along behind four P&W R-4360 Wasp Majors, crossing the oceans at will and with high confidence, if not quite at the flight levels we are accustomed to today. A good many military type aircraft too were built with the large 3-row and 4-row post-war radial engines.

Quite true, they were never able to come up with a decent liquid cooled engine , most of their aircraft used radial engines. The P-51, one of the best of them all because of it's range was because they changed the original Allison engine to a Merlin - the same applied to the -P-38 & P-40, although I am not sure that the P-38 was ever re-engined.
Having said that, the radial engines were good and could take more punishment e.g. flak, than a liquid cooled engine.

[DtheP47]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

Quite true, they were never able to come up with a decent liquid cooled engine , most of their aircraft used radial engines. The P-51, one of the best of them all because of it's range was because they changed the original Allison engine to a Merlin - the same applied to the -P-38 & P-40, although I am not sure that the P-38 was ever re-engined.
Having said that, the radial engines were good and could take more punishment e.g. flak, than a liquid cooled engine.

One place today where you can still see the influence of the radial engine air cooled concept is in the two-cylinder engine of a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
The engine from a Harley can be thought of as two cylinders from a radial engine.


In a Harley, both pistons share a single connection point to the crankshaft, like in a radial.

[john conway]

My Dad, Joe Conway, also work at the English Electric as an inspector and as we both had the same initials he joined the English Electric fishing club and I use to fish the Calder with his ticket. English Electric were one of the first to acquire fishing rights on the Calder. I also remember going to many Christmas parties and I also applied for an apprenticeship in 1961 but went to Howard & Bullough’s as a apprentice instead.

[DtheP47]

Hi John
I remember your dad well from my apprenticeship days at t'Lectric