Wigan Album
Walkers Engineering.
7 Comments
Photo: Ernest Pyke
Item #: 23322
Scotland was the last steam engine built at Walker Bros. The drums are 13ft 6ins dia.
Cyril Knowles was the draughtsman responsible for it`s manufacture and I worked for him.
Ernest if the drums were 13'6" dia, how did it leave the Walker Bros site? was it intact ? As sometime in the future I will be attempting a model of Walker Bros. for my Model Railway any photos or info from around this time would be very useful. I spent half a day in the History shop last time I was in Wigan from Oz and will be back briefly in Oct. Perhaps we could meet for a chat?
Kevan Taylor ( formerly of Pagefield St. )
Kevan, the drums were usually cast in two halves, then bolted together on site. This was also the case with winding engine drums and mill engine flywheels.
kevan, the engine was dismantled before being transported.
Ernie
These drawings are a work of art no CAD systems then. Draughtsmen ,pattern makers ,foundry men ,machinist,fitters,all skills that now seam to have disappeared. I think you should put pen to paper or finger to keyboard,and record your life at Walker Bros. your memories and knowledge are very important,like Ted Dakin did about his life in wallgate.like the saying goes 'When you go,they are gone
Eddie, website:-
http://www.cornucopia.org.uk/html/search/verb/GetRecord/2032
states that 3000 Walker Bros.engineering drawings are in Wigan Pier Heritage Centre.
As this Centre is no longer there, I`ve e-mailed A.Miller in Wigan Archive Centre, asking if these drawings are still in existence and are they listed.
Eddie, reply from Alex Miller :-
"We do indeed hold the collections relating to Walker Brothers at the Wigan Archives Service, and a wonderful collection it is!
Unfortunately, the main records are only catalogued at a basic level (as are the photographs) and the huge drawing collection is not listed at all.
I do have a listing carried out some twenty years ago of part of the drawing collection"
I`ve been in Wigan Archive Service in Leigh Town Hall today and looked at the list of drawings they`ve made. They are mostly for railcars.
I saw the photo`s of Easthouses engine, copies of them are in Tom Meadows "Pagefield Motor Vehicles" on pages 119 and 120.
Fascinated to see your comments about the drawings being archived. My dad Joe Shepherd was apprecnticed there in the 1940s & stayed on as a Draughtsman when he'd served his time. Wonder if any of his drawings are in the collection - must go have a look !