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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/07/18 in all areas

  1. There was a pub called the Rising Sun on Hunshelf Road at Stocksbridge directly across the road from the billet mill. In the billet mill large ingots were rolled at yellow heat down into blooms of say up to 4" plus square, and then cut up on a hot saw into lengths to suit the customers. In an early application of technology the blooms were measured for length and a very early computer made by Elliot Automation determined the best cuts to make out of a given length to suit the various customers. The computer use first generation germanium transistors and had a 1K magnetic core store for it's memory. The pub was obviously very (too) convenient for the parched workforce and I was told the Fox's had bought out the licence and closed and demolished the pub in 1967. My connection with this came in the early nineteen seventies when I parked my A35 van (Wallace & Gromit Mobile) on the cleared ground of the pub in order to carry out the " Redex Treatment". This consisted of running around until the engine was hot, parking up, removing the air filter; and pouring a can full of Redex engine detergent/cleaner into the top of the carb. This was supposed to clear the valve stems and piston rings and restore performance. It also produced huge quantities of black smoke. When I started this procedure I had failed to notice the large billet mill high voltage substation downwind just a few yards away. I'd also forgotten that large substations often used photo-electric ray fire detection in case of fire in the oil-filled switchgear. I'd just got about half the can of Redex in the engine and couldn't see a hand in front of my face when there was a loud bang from the substation and the loud whine from the billet mill opposite wound down to a worrying silence. The penny dropped ! I flung the air filter inside the car, shut down the bonnet and was speeding back down the hill in the opposite direction to where I knew the high voltage gang would be approaching within about ten seconds. My stealthy departure was not helped by a smoke trail that the Red Arrows would have been proud of. I think I got away with it 'so don't tell anyone. hilldweller.
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