[BITList] oops

[HUGH]

Colin,

Jimmy Cramm was the only man who knew where things were in I-Shop (the main engine erecting shop, where I served most of my apprenticeship).  He knew that because he put them there, all stacked and stashed away in nooks and crannies accessible only by Jimmy standing on the crane hook.  When my pal Joe and I were shrinking crankshafts (apprentices did that), Jimmy had to be consulted as to the whereabouts of K239's webs and journals and (if it was of that type) crankpins.  These would be fished out for us to practice our art on.  When the vertically assembled crankshaft section was complete, Jimmy would sling it by eye and lay it down horizontally then lift it onto the vee blocks for final tweaking before it was taken across to J-Shop for finish machining journals and crankpins.  He had an assistant, can't recall the name, who lacked a complete set of most things - teeth, eyes, fingers, etc.  It's good enough for work, he would say. They had a "hut" that was much frequented by fitters and others as guests.  The conn rod top ends were done by a chap who specialised in them, with an apprentice, and the rods stuck through a chequered plate platform about a small man's height off the floor, being bolted to T-blocks on the floor.  The space under the platform was boxed in and had a sacking door, and there were old tool boxes for seats.  That was the night shift's messroom.  Slingers didn't work night shift - only light lifting was done, and we did it ourselves - a craneman worked night shift. Many a cold fried egg "piece" I ate in the hut at 2.00am.  All gone now to make room for fancy housing.

Hugh.
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