part 5
What was it like to work at Weyburn.
Weyburn had a huge impact on Elstead village. In the early part of the last century, local boys had a limited choice of jobs- farming or gardening. Weyburn offered training and a career in engineering with good pay and prospects.
In this period, the vast majority (nearly 90%) of Weyburn’s workforce were local people.
This was to change over the next decades when public transportation and car ownership improved. In 1995, less than 8% were from Elstead village.
There was a real ‘family’ feel to the company, with two and sometimes 3 generations of the same family working for Weyburn.
Some families had 5 brothers, uncles, and fathers. Another family had 4 relatives working at some time or other at Weyburn.
Also. it was not uncommon to have employees serving 40 years and even 50 years at Weyburn.
There was a strong social scene provided by the Sports & Social club with table tennis, snooker, bowls, clay pigeon shooting, fishing and dancing organised by the sub committee. There was even an annual village fete whereby local people could visit the factory with fun days organised for families and inter shop sport events. This ‘family feel’ gradually diminished, especially in the later 10 years.
Weyburn’s contribution to the local and nation economy cannot be understated.
Components made by Weyburn include camshafts, fuel injection shafts, valves, tappets, piston pins, lifeboat engines, governors, metering pumps, eccentric shafts, balancer shafts and ammunition parts.
Weyburn-made components powered family cars, trucks, motor racing cars, motorbikes, trains, battle tanks, armoured military vehicles, tractors, boats, ships, power generation sets, and aircraft.
Saturday 14 August 2010
The rise and fall of Weyburn- from 2000-2008
part 4
Towards the end of the century, the ownership once again changed hands when, in 1998, the then owners, T&N, were taken over by a US Corporation. Historically, T&N's main business was the mining and manufacture of asbestos based products, notably asbestos sheets for buildings and asbestos car parts for clutches and brakes.
By a cruel irony, asbestos, once hailed as the miracle life-saving material, was revealed to be a remorseless killer, asbestosis.
With the acquisition of T&N, the new US owners also inherited the asbestosis problem.
At the time of the takeover, Weyburn Engineering, from it's origins in 1913 in a factory by the River Wey in Surrey, had grown over the next 86 years into one of the largest sub contract producers of camshafts in the world, employing nearly 900 people in 4 countries and with a turnover in excess of £80million.
However, in the next 10 years under the new US ownership, it was to be reduced to one factory at the original Elstead site and eventual closure in December 2008.
part 5 to follow
Towards the end of the century, the ownership once again changed hands when, in 1998, the then owners, T&N, were taken over by a US Corporation. Historically, T&N's main business was the mining and manufacture of asbestos based products, notably asbestos sheets for buildings and asbestos car parts for clutches and brakes.
By a cruel irony, asbestos, once hailed as the miracle life-saving material, was revealed to be a remorseless killer, asbestosis.
With the acquisition of T&N, the new US owners also inherited the asbestosis problem.
At the time of the takeover, Weyburn Engineering, from it's origins in 1913 in a factory by the River Wey in Surrey, had grown over the next 86 years into one of the largest sub contract producers of camshafts in the world, employing nearly 900 people in 4 countries and with a turnover in excess of £80million.
However, in the next 10 years under the new US ownership, it was to be reduced to one factory at the original Elstead site and eventual closure in December 2008.
part 5 to follow
The rise and fall of Weyburn- from 1970 to 1999
part 3
During the 1970s, the company ventured outside the UK by acquiring camshaft companies in USA, Mexico and Germany. The workforce grew from 450 in 1939 to over 800 during WW2, many of whom were women. In the period after the war up to 1973, there were between 600- 700. This figure gradually dropped to 200 with the introduction of automatic machines. A significant event in 1977 was the sale of the company by the then owners, Royston & Buckner, to Carborundum. It was significant because the ownership of the company passed from Weyburn to a multi national conglomerate. Weyburn were now a small cog in a big wheel. Major decisions about the future were now made thousands of miles away. Weyburn’s ownership changed again in 1982 to JPI and 1990 to T&N, but the new owners continued to invest heavily in new technology. By the mid 1990s, Weyburn Elstead were producing over 800,000 camshafts pa, 300,000 of which were for Volvo Car on a fully automated line in the new shop 7 using state of the art machine tools and robots. Weyburn had also secured a contract to supply Rover with 250,000 shafts per year and by the end of the century, won an order from BMW to supply 4, 8 and 12 cylinder eccentric shafts for their new generation of engines.
part 4 to follow
During the 1970s, the company ventured outside the UK by acquiring camshaft companies in USA, Mexico and Germany. The workforce grew from 450 in 1939 to over 800 during WW2, many of whom were women. In the period after the war up to 1973, there were between 600- 700. This figure gradually dropped to 200 with the introduction of automatic machines. A significant event in 1977 was the sale of the company by the then owners, Royston & Buckner, to Carborundum. It was significant because the ownership of the company passed from Weyburn to a multi national conglomerate. Weyburn were now a small cog in a big wheel. Major decisions about the future were now made thousands of miles away. Weyburn’s ownership changed again in 1982 to JPI and 1990 to T&N, but the new owners continued to invest heavily in new technology. By the mid 1990s, Weyburn Elstead were producing over 800,000 camshafts pa, 300,000 of which were for Volvo Car on a fully automated line in the new shop 7 using state of the art machine tools and robots. Weyburn had also secured a contract to supply Rover with 250,000 shafts per year and by the end of the century, won an order from BMW to supply 4, 8 and 12 cylinder eccentric shafts for their new generation of engines.
part 4 to follow
The rise and fall of Weyburn- from 1930 to 1970
part 2
During the 1930s, Weyburn manufactured their own patented governor. Also during the 1930s, Weyburn supplied camshafts for Gipsy engines used in De Havilland aircraft eg. Tiger Moth and Gipsy Moth.
One such engine powered Mr. & Mrs. Mollison's record breaking flight to America in a DeHavilland Rapide (Mrs. Mollison was Amy Johnson)
There are also accounts of a Weyburn camshaft used in a Gipsy engine powering a record breaking flight to Australia and another to South Africa. 60 Years later we made Gipsy camshafts again for Chipmunk training aircraft.
During WW2, camshafts were made for Rolls Royce and De Havilland, mainly for tanks and fighter aircraft. Spitfire camshafts were among those manufactured. 50 years later, Weyburn made 200 spitfire camshafts for engines for the Dutch army fitted to battle tanks.
Other components made during WW2 include gun parts, gun mountings and torpedo parts.
Weyburn were very busy and expanded capacity by acquiring a facility at Eashing during WW2.
After the war, as Weyburn continued to win more orders, further expansion occurred in the 1960s and 1970s with the purchase of factories in Portsmouth, Liss, Bath and Tonbridge.
part 3 to follow
During the 1930s, Weyburn manufactured their own patented governor. Also during the 1930s, Weyburn supplied camshafts for Gipsy engines used in De Havilland aircraft eg. Tiger Moth and Gipsy Moth.
One such engine powered Mr. & Mrs. Mollison's record breaking flight to America in a DeHavilland Rapide (Mrs. Mollison was Amy Johnson)
There are also accounts of a Weyburn camshaft used in a Gipsy engine powering a record breaking flight to Australia and another to South Africa. 60 Years later we made Gipsy camshafts again for Chipmunk training aircraft.
During WW2, camshafts were made for Rolls Royce and De Havilland, mainly for tanks and fighter aircraft. Spitfire camshafts were among those manufactured. 50 years later, Weyburn made 200 spitfire camshafts for engines for the Dutch army fitted to battle tanks.
Other components made during WW2 include gun parts, gun mountings and torpedo parts.
Weyburn were very busy and expanded capacity by acquiring a facility at Eashing during WW2.
After the war, as Weyburn continued to win more orders, further expansion occurred in the 1960s and 1970s with the purchase of factories in Portsmouth, Liss, Bath and Tonbridge.
part 3 to follow
The rise and fall of Weyburn- from the beginning to WW1
I used to work for a camshaft manufacturing company until it's American owners shut it down. In its day, Weyburn supplied camshafts for the Model T Ford, Amy Johnson's Gypsy Moth, Spitfires, ships engines and locomotives. Here is the first part of Weyburn's history.
Elstead was the last bastion of the numerous factories that had been part of Weyburn Engineering.
It was, I suppose, fitting that the Weyburn story started with Elstead and finished with Elstead.
When you read the history of Weyburn, you will be immediately impressed by what Weyburn Engineering had achieved and the contribution it made, not only to the local economy, but also to the economy of the UK.
It was in 1913 that Hamilton Gordon bought some land in Elstead from his sister and her husband. He transformed the existing hand laundry into a workshop for repairing & servicing motor cars.
During WW1, Weyburn started manufacturing Camshafts and valves.
In the 20s, Weyburn started making camshafts for the model T Ford and manufactured engines for lifeboats.
Elstead was the last bastion of the numerous factories that had been part of Weyburn Engineering.
It was, I suppose, fitting that the Weyburn story started with Elstead and finished with Elstead.
When you read the history of Weyburn, you will be immediately impressed by what Weyburn Engineering had achieved and the contribution it made, not only to the local economy, but also to the economy of the UK.
It was in 1913 that Hamilton Gordon bought some land in Elstead from his sister and her husband. He transformed the existing hand laundry into a workshop for repairing & servicing motor cars.
During WW1, Weyburn started manufacturing Camshafts and valves.
In the 20s, Weyburn started making camshafts for the model T Ford and manufactured engines for lifeboats.
Friday 13 August 2010
The rise and fall of Weyburn- working at Weyburn
part 5
What was it like to work at Weyburn.
Weyburn had a huge impact on Elstead village. In the early part of the last century, local boys had a limited choice of jobs- farming or gardening. Weyburn offered training and a career in engineering with good pay and prospects.
In this period, the vast majority (nearly 90%) of Weyburn’s workforce were local people.
This was to change over the next decades when public transportation and car ownership improved. In 1995, less than 8% were from Elstead village.
There was a real ‘family’ feel to the company, with two and sometimes 3 generations of the same family working for Weyburn.
Some families had 5 brothers, uncles, and fathers. Another family had 4 relatives working at some time or other at Weyburn.
Also. it was not uncommon to have employees serving 40 years and even 50 years at Weyburn.
There was a strong social scene provided by the Sports & Social club with table tennis, snooker, bowls, clay pigeon shooting, fishing and dancing organised by the sub committee. There was even an annual village fete whereby local people could visit the factory with fun days organised for families and inter shop sport events. This ‘family feel’ gradually diminished, especially in the later 10 years.
Weyburn’s contribution to the local and nation economy cannot be understated.
Components made by Weyburn include camshafts, fuel injection shafts, valves, tappets, piston pins, lifeboat engines, governors, metering pumps, eccentric shafts, balancer shafts and ammunition parts.
Weyburn-made components powered family cars, trucks, motor racing cars, motorbikes, trains, battle tanks, armoured military vehicles, tractors, boats, ships, power generation sets, and aircraft.
What was it like to work at Weyburn.
Weyburn had a huge impact on Elstead village. In the early part of the last century, local boys had a limited choice of jobs- farming or gardening. Weyburn offered training and a career in engineering with good pay and prospects.
In this period, the vast majority (nearly 90%) of Weyburn’s workforce were local people.
This was to change over the next decades when public transportation and car ownership improved. In 1995, less than 8% were from Elstead village.
There was a real ‘family’ feel to the company, with two and sometimes 3 generations of the same family working for Weyburn.
Some families had 5 brothers, uncles, and fathers. Another family had 4 relatives working at some time or other at Weyburn.
Also. it was not uncommon to have employees serving 40 years and even 50 years at Weyburn.
There was a strong social scene provided by the Sports & Social club with table tennis, snooker, bowls, clay pigeon shooting, fishing and dancing organised by the sub committee. There was even an annual village fete whereby local people could visit the factory with fun days organised for families and inter shop sport events. This ‘family feel’ gradually diminished, especially in the later 10 years.
Weyburn’s contribution to the local and nation economy cannot be understated.
Components made by Weyburn include camshafts, fuel injection shafts, valves, tappets, piston pins, lifeboat engines, governors, metering pumps, eccentric shafts, balancer shafts and ammunition parts.
Weyburn-made components powered family cars, trucks, motor racing cars, motorbikes, trains, battle tanks, armoured military vehicles, tractors, boats, ships, power generation sets, and aircraft.
The rise and fall of Weyburn- from 2000-2008
part 4
Towards the end of the century, the ownership once again changed hands when, in 1998, the then owners, T&N, were taken over by a US Corporation. Historically, T&N's main business was the mining and manufacture of asbestos based products, notably asbestos sheets for buildings and asbestos car parts for clutches and brakes.
By a cruel irony, asbestos, once hailed as the miracle life-saving material, was revealed to be a remorseless killer, asbestosis.
With the acquisition of T&N, the new US owners also inherited the asbestosis problem.
At the time of the takeover, Weyburn Engineering, from it's origins in 1913 in a factory by the River Wey in Surrey, had grown over the next 86 years into one of the largest sub contract producers of camshafts in the world, employing nearly 900 people in 4 countries and with a turnover in excess of £80million.
However, in the next 10 years under the new US ownership, it was to be reduced to one factory at the original Elstead site and eventual closure in December 2008.
part 5 to follow
Towards the end of the century, the ownership once again changed hands when, in 1998, the then owners, T&N, were taken over by a US Corporation. Historically, T&N's main business was the mining and manufacture of asbestos based products, notably asbestos sheets for buildings and asbestos car parts for clutches and brakes.
By a cruel irony, asbestos, once hailed as the miracle life-saving material, was revealed to be a remorseless killer, asbestosis.
With the acquisition of T&N, the new US owners also inherited the asbestosis problem.
At the time of the takeover, Weyburn Engineering, from it's origins in 1913 in a factory by the River Wey in Surrey, had grown over the next 86 years into one of the largest sub contract producers of camshafts in the world, employing nearly 900 people in 4 countries and with a turnover in excess of £80million.
However, in the next 10 years under the new US ownership, it was to be reduced to one factory at the original Elstead site and eventual closure in December 2008.
part 5 to follow
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