Work got into a bit of a rut, building up worm shafts, rollers and sprockets with the occasional sudden dash to some far-flung corner of the empire to weld up something broken on site and usually whilst up to my knees in mud or trying to swim. Taylor Woodrow had a very good scheme for apprentices. As well as thorough theory work, they also did the rounds of all departments of the works. The lads in the machine shop had the job of machining all the built up work. One day a “loveable” lad came to me with a trailer loaded with 20 main wheels from a big Ruston Bucyrus excavator, nicely finished and about 18” dia x 4” wide on the rim. Attack is the best form of defence, so he dived straight in to me with, “You didn’t build these up enough!” I asked him why it took all 20 for him to find out? There was no answer to that one so I said that perhaps he should have used the “putting on tool”. That resulted in another blank look. “When can I have them back?”, he asked. There was no “please” or “thank you” so I told him that he could have them when I could get to them. After all it wasn’t me who took too much off and tried to shift the blame!

Two days later I was duly kitted out with a Pass and Paddington Bear Label and I headed off to the compound. As the weather was getting colder and wetter I tried playing my trump card. “What about the R-B Wheels for welding?” I asked. The answer to that one was, “Let the little sod stew for a while as they were only a stock job”, so I was out-trumped!

And now something about the Silent Pile Driver………..

This was a really clever idea worked out by the lads in white coats. The piles in question are not load bearing ones but the interlocking channel section steel ones, used for forming river banks, dock walls etc. They are driven into place one at a time - “clang, clang, clang” - we have all heard it and then about 3' has to be cut off the top where the weight (hammer) has buckled it. The next one is then linked into place and the process proceeds - “clang, clang, clang” etc.

Now think of a frame with a big “Dorman” engine, a hydraulic pump and four hydraulic cylinders with rams passing through the bottom of the unit with control gear valves etc., and a sheet metal casing to make it look pretty. Four piles are laid on the ground and linked together. The power unit is then positioned at the top end, laying on its side. The forks on the ends of the rams are fitted on to the tops of the piles using pins through holes already cut in the sheets. The crane then hoists the whole lot into the air and swings it around until the four piles are aligned into the required position. The crane hook is lowered and the ends of the piles sink into the ground under their own weight and that of the power unit. The whole lot is then aligned vertically using the crane - and off we go!

The unit is started up and number 1 valve is opened. Number 1 ram then pushes the pile down 2ft. followed by numbers 2, 3, and 4. The pressure is released and the 4 rams return as the weight of the unit does this (the crane supporting the whole lot). The sequence is repeated and in no time at all 30 to 40 ft of piles are in the ground. The crane then picks up the next 4 for a repeat performance. The forces of the rams balance out, as one is pushing down it is trying to pull the other 3 piles out of the ground so the push wins. Quite a smart idea with just the purr of the silenced engine.

The system was used at Hinkley Point but I don’t know what happened after that. More than likely they are now being made in China and breeding like rabbits.