Yes that is a 15 obviously rebadged as a 17. My H17 and H20 are HUGE and the same size
Tailstocks on mine must weigh 300kg each
- Thread starter fizzy
- Start date
Tailstocks on mine must weigh 300kg each
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Had a friend who is a Holbrook historian check out the build number this is the reply.
458-15 is an H17 - a variant of the smaller H15 made in the same batches. It was sold to Qualcast (Fleetway) Ltd in December 1967. From memory WL is Bill Langley. 17H was the designation of the H20, before Herberts interfered, but this is much later.
@fizzy let me have the numbers of yours and I’ll find out the history
458-15 is an H17 - a variant of the smaller H15 made in the same batches. It was sold to Qualcast (Fleetway) Ltd in December 1967. From memory WL is Bill Langley. 17H was the designation of the H20, before Herberts interfered, but this is much later.
@fizzy let me have the numbers of yours and I’ll find out the history
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Well sell me the h20 so it can be put to use!Yes that is a 15 obviously rebadged as a 17. My H17 and H20 are HUGE and the same size
Tailstocks on mine must weigh 300kg each
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Not Nick is it? He has the full history. Only 138 of the H17/H20 were built.
14 of them were sold to Russia. At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We wondered how they got an export licence. Then I watched the film The Courier with Bendict Cumberbatch. Nearly fell out of my chair!
Greville Wynne was a Welsh machine tool dealer turned spy. He was recruited to travel to Russia to meet Oleg Penkovsky. A Colonel in the GRU or similar. They smuggled documents out that helped diffuse the Cuban Missile Crisis. My type of lathe stopped WW3
Brilliant true story which i first watched in a BBC series back in the 80s. 2 very brave men. Penkovsky was a Russian war hero desperate to prevent WW3. He was sadly executed. Greville Wynne was told not to go back to Russia as his cover might be blown. He went anyway to warn his mate. Spent 2 years i the Lubiyanka prison. Came out like a Belsen inmate.
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Government blocked newall selling their auto position jig bores to Russia!
Oi, thought you were retired?
Whatever, the world is a smaller place than you think...
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Yes but I still make more swarf than most , probably because I’m hopeless and it takes multiple attempts
Laurie Tedcastle
Member
- Messages
- 123
- Location
- NW Northants (UK)
Herberts didn't interfere. Many british machine tool companies were in financial trouble, Holbrook included. Herberts wanted government support for new designs and in exchange for funding were forced by the labour government's Industrial Reorganisation Corporation to take over some of these companies including Holbrook, BSA, Snow Grinders (?) in Broadheath Altrincham and maybe others. BSA was kept going but the others were all closed fairly quickly. Unfortunately they weren't viable. It was a big distraction that Herberts could well have done without.
Laurie
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
I’d have never accused Herbert’s of that . To be bought by a company that made bomb proof machines to devliegs can’t be a bad thing with the knowledge that brings
As it’s before my time I always wondered why labour was obsessed with mergers and closures
Don't mention TSR2
Laurie Tedcastle
Member
- Messages
- 123
- Location
- NW Northants (UK)
Strangely, I remember some talk that the requisite skills were not available at Edgewick it they were to move Holbrook production, but I don't remember what in particular the problem was and probably staff were reluctant to move.
I think Devlieg must have provided a lot of training at the Lutterworth site when Herbert's started building them.
I think labour has always been obsessed with mergers, closures and nationalisation. To mention a few: British Rail, British Leyland, British Shipbuilders, British Aerospace, Bristol Sidderley Engines into Rolls Royce. However, to be fair to Labour, all these were in financial difficulties at the time and mostly poorly managed.
Laurie
This H17 of mine was Bristol Siddeley before it became Rolls Royce. The serial number lists it as Bristol Siddeley but it has a RR badge and asset number on it. Came out of the factory where they designed the Pegasus and Olympus jet engines.
The first lathe I operated was an Edgewick (if that's the same company) in 1962.
You know, over the years, I've found that most of the apprentices I've been involved with taking on, when I've asked them "if you didn't get this opportunity what was your next option?" Most, if not all have replied "management training"...
Which, given my opinion of UK management (from experience) again over the years is **** poor at best, doesn't fill me with hope.
Recent experience with a major service provider doesn't inspire confidence, which begs the question, what are our colleges (are there any colleges left?), teaching our youngsters? Are they filled with woke leftists, accountants or just non engineering types?
Nothing will change untill Engineers are treated as givers, as opposed to necessary evils...
MattF
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 17,688
- Location
- South Yorkshire
Why would anyone wish to go into management?
pressbrake1
Member
- Messages
- 5,735
- Location
- Essex
Where I live every tech college has been demolished for housing and I mean every one
Yes, the one I went to (in Llanelli) too.
