This is great . I went to school in Ashford in the early 50s. We used to stand outside the gates to watch that big hammer pounding away.. Then it was always thrill to see hundreds of men pouring out of the gates on bicycles at lunchtime.
@bluebellModelrailway Quite probably! Here's the thing. China only built their last new steam locomotive (a 2-8-2) in 1999 and whilst modernisation has been rapid, many are still in use today. Lets say you wanted to recreate an important but extinct class, like the 'Tornado' folks did and the Bluebell's 'Atlantic' team are doing. I'd send the drawings to China and wait for the container to arrive :-). Seems to have worked wonders for Hornby!
@SouthernRailwayFilms haha yes true... maybe they can do me an Atlantic in OO scale please would be something different, and would look great on my Horsted Keynes lol.
A true display of what this country could turn out, before the days of CNC and chinese cheap labour. These skills and machines are but gone. Its interesting to see the lack of elf and safety crap, which limits all jobs these days.
You are preaching to the converted, my friend. As Stephen Fry said, the three most wretched words in the English language are "Health and f**king safety..."
This is great . I went to school in Ashford in the early 50s. We used to stand outside the gates to watch that big hammer pounding away.. Then it was always thrill to see hundreds of men pouring out of the gates on bicycles at lunchtime.
mandala1945 3 days ago
Very impressive! I am amazed that they ever got the spacings on connecting rods to match those on the locomotive chassis!
JimTLonW6 1 year ago
Some great footage here, if they were still being made today would probably have Made in China somewhere. Certainly was a work of art back then.
bluebellModelrailway 1 year ago
@bluebellModelrailway Quite probably! Here's the thing. China only built their last new steam locomotive (a 2-8-2) in 1999 and whilst modernisation has been rapid, many are still in use today. Lets say you wanted to recreate an important but extinct class, like the 'Tornado' folks did and the Bluebell's 'Atlantic' team are doing. I'd send the drawings to China and wait for the container to arrive :-). Seems to have worked wonders for Hornby!
SouthernRailwayFilms 1 year ago
@SouthernRailwayFilms haha yes true... maybe they can do me an Atlantic in OO scale please would be something different, and would look great on my Horsted Keynes lol.
bluebellModelrailway 1 year ago
This is what we lost in this country engineering skills, men in flat caps, and the Q1 locomotive.
modemeyes 2 years ago
They make handling that forging look easy!
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
A true display of what this country could turn out, before the days of CNC and chinese cheap labour. These skills and machines are but gone. Its interesting to see the lack of elf and safety crap, which limits all jobs these days.
MiniMagic1 3 years ago
You are preaching to the converted, my friend. As Stephen Fry said, the three most wretched words in the English language are "Health and f**king safety..."
SouthernRailwayFilms 3 years ago
Look at the skill and care that went into making that coupling rod ,total work of art by true craftsmen .
jeanniedee 3 years ago