Ivy CUMPER, John CUMPER residents 1936 to 1998 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Friday, May 26, 2017, 18:17 (2731 days ago) @ Cumper

Hi again, yes you're right that cast iron was traditionally used to make an engine's cylinder blocks and head, as well as the housings for most other items of a vehicle's running gear that needed inherent strength & rigidity, such as gearbox housings, etc. In more recent years iron's been replaced with lighter aluminium alloys, as with the numerous smaller castings for bodies of electric starter motors, alternators, etc.

However I don't think John was involved with the automotive industry, but with electrical power generating gear, either bodies for larger motor-generators, or the really big, heavily-built bodies for transformers like you'd see at electrical sub-stations, or the associated heavy cabinets to house the wiring, switchgear etc. I've googled "GEC Birmingham" and I see they had a massive works at the aptley-named Electric Avenue, at Witton, Birmingham, which was established in 1902 and by 1964 was employing 6000 people. The Witton works remained one of the company's biggest sites, producing high-voltage switchgear and transformers, small motors, mercury arc rectifiers and traction components, until the plant was gradually sold off in 1969."

See these pages and wordsearch Witton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_Company_plc

This is especially informative, plus has some great old illustrations.
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/GEC

You might also want to read and/or post on this forum abt the GEC Witton works.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/gec-witton-works.2901/

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As an aside, in the early 90s I was working with Brummie engineers at Metro Cammel, a Birmingham (Washwood Heath) company who made railway trains. Altho' they proudly called themselves "Metro", by that time the company was officially a part of GEC-Alsthom, which was when I learnt that GEC were also in really heavy engineering like railway stock and power generation, as well as the domestic products I grew-up with like cookers and my old wireless radio. Sadly the Metro Cammel business is all gone now too.., modern British rolling stock is made abroad. but I'm still reminded of them as much of London Underground's rolling stock was built by Metro Cammel in the 70s/80s and some is still in use..