Line of H15 Hydraulic Pumps and Air/Water Accumulator Station, views taken on site, O/No. 58130, c.1959

Order 58130 for Chesterfield Cylinders Ltd., c.1959

This accumulator station provided the source of power to drive the 2000 ton Pierce Press and 275 ton Push Bench for producing gas cylinders from hot solid square steel billets.

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Click on the hyperlink to see other Notable Orders from the 1950s.

If you remember designing, machining, fitting, installing, maintaining, or working with this machine please share your memories at the bottom of the page by clicking on the words Add a comment about this page.

Author
By John Bancroft
Tags
John B (1213)
Page added
08/08/2013

Comments about this page

  • Did Chesterfield Cylinders become Chesterfield Tube eventually I wonder? I went to Chesterfield Tube in the late 70’s maybe early 80’s on a day visit to assist Gilbert Claridge on, I think, the accumulator system there. I remember seeing the wonderful pumps there, they seemed like large engines just ticking over! They were painted a maroon kind of colour and all the small copper pipework for the gauges etc was polished, as was any brass work on the pumps. Gilbert introduced me to the man whose job it was to look after the pumps, and when he told me he was an ex naval man I could see in his care of the pumps that he loved his job! If there was a slight leak on any of the small pipes he would put a piece of rag underneath to catch any oil drips until the leak could be fixed! The paintwork also had his attention as it was all clean and shining, marvellous! Not sure that similar equipment would get the same amount of looking after these days? When we had lunch in the canteen, I was amazed at how many people came over to say hello to Gilbert and to his credit he got up from his chair each time and shook their hands. What a gent! Chippy Aston

    By Graham Aston (26/09/2013)

  • Chippy! Another great story. Your description of the pumps and their details is spot-on. I also remember seeing them with all the floor and raised pump foundations immaculately clean and tiled.

    The Chesterfield Tube Co. name goes back to the 1930s, maybe earlier, manufacturing steel pressure vessels, that incorporated ‘A’ Mill on one side of Derby road with ‘B’ Mill and a steel extrusion plant, later called Sterling Tubes on the other side ; it changed its name to Chesterfield Cylinders around the 1980s. I am pretty certain that the pumps in view above formed part of the accumulator station powering ‘B’ Mill. I know ‘A’ Mill was scrapped in the 1970s and sadly, I believe the remaining site has been redeveloped.

     Look out for more H15 pumps that were installed in Sterling Tubes    John B

    By John Bancroft (26/09/2013)

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