West's Gas Improvement Co:1935 Review
Note: This is a sub-section of West's Gas Improvement Co
Visit of the Iron and Steel Institute to the Iron, Steel and Engineering Industries of Manchester and District
West's Gas Improvement Co. Ltd., Albion Ironworks, Manchester.
In considering the manufacturing plant at the disposal of West's Gas Improvement Company it is necessary to bear in mind the purpose for which it has been installed and developed. The firm's business is that of the construction of carbonizing plant for the manufacture of town's gas, together with all the coal and coke handling machinery in connection with it. And in addition to this main product, and indeed anterior to it in the history of the Company, there is an extensive business in all forms of machinery, bunkers and general structural work in connection with the mechanical handling of coal, coke, ashes and other materials.
The West organisation has associated companies in New York, U.S.A., Sydney, Australia, and Wellington, New Zealand. The world-wide nature of its activities is indicated by the fact that vertical retort plants of Glover-West design — its principal product — have been installed in 22 countries to a total approaching 400
The works at Manchester is laid out in two sections, (1) general machinery and (2) structural steelwork, each under its own superintendent, and each with its own system of receiving raw materials and dispatching the finished products. The general machinery section, which comprises machine shops, fitting and assembly shops, pattern shops, smithy, tool room, general and progress stores, packing and loading department, occupies the whole of the western portion of the site lying between Hulme Hall Lane, Norton Street and Grant Street, except that portion occupied by the office building. In this section, too, is the special and extensive department for the fitting and assembling of the several types of chain used in the construction of conveyors and elevators of all descriptions.
The structural steelwork section occupies the eastern half of the site and extends over the whole width from Norton Street to the northern boundary, with entrance and exit end-on from Grant Street. It will thus be seen that the raw materials and....[more]
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