A Newsletter was started at Christmas 1999 to keep both current volunteers and other society members informed of developments at Wortley Top Forge and also ensure that everybody gets to know of upcoming events and important safety information.
Only edited high lights are published here as some content of the Newsletters is not of any general interest.
Issues No.1 to No.4 (2000)
Issues No.9 to No.12 (2002)
Issues No.13 to No.16 (2003)
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The Snow and Ice of winter are here again. Heaters have been switched on, pipes drained and delicate materials moved out of harms way. Personally I have started wearing a fleece undersuit to help keep warm, but a warm fire never goes a miss. As usual the Forge is closed to the public and the amount of time people are spending less time on site (not many people find work easy when it is both dark and cold). Not much seems to have happened since the last news letter but it is more a case of a lot of work is being done that will bring big results in the following year. Lets hope we continue to make progress.
Events Fire and Water in November, but we seem to have survived O.K.! The 5th November was the night of the Bonfire and Fireworks, but was overshadowed by a very grim weather forecast (what's new ?).
The Bonfire was provided by the Forge, while fireworks and food were the responsibility of the Model Engineers. We were fortunate in that by the time it started raining, the bonfire was hot enough to dry us off. Thanks to all those who helped and lets hope we can do something similar next year. So it was raining and it continued raining.
Now we all know that the river was always both a blessing and a curse to the Forge and during the 6th of November it showed what it can do. For the first time in several years the river was high enough to lap up around the miniature railway. For a short time water was flowing out of the No.1 wheel pit, across the forge floor and down the blower wheel pit! Despite this the only area where the water caused any damage was to the basement of the Elizabeth engine house where the water was well over Wellington depth. Although the river has been up and down on several occasions since, it has not come over its banks again.
Work is continuing on the Snuff Mill engine. The bearings are grinding up nicely while many other parts for the frames and cylinder have been cleaned and painted with primer.
During December professional builders have been on site repairing the roofs of the Forge, Cottages and Foundry / Joiners. They have also replace all the guttering. The complete replacement of the roof for the lean-to kitchen of No.7 Cottage is due to start after the Christmas break (2 weeks for the building trades). All the old guttering has been kept on site, some of the better lengths have already been used to catch water off the Smithy Extension roof, while the very poor lengths will be burned.
An experimental lighting layout is being tested along one wall of the Joiners shop. In place of the lights on the perimeter shining inwards, new lights have been placed in the middle shining outwards. The result is that the lights are no longer pointing directly in the faces of the visitors and there are very few shadows. Materials are being collected for this layout to be extended as manpower permits.
The new wiring was tested and made live during November throughout the Smithy and this was followed shortly afterwards by lighting and small power into the Extension (South Yorkshire Iron Works) Building. This lighting is proving particularly useful with work going on working under cover in this area. A new length of cable has been obtained by the editor to allow 3 phase power to be put on in the Smithy
. Other jobs need to be completed before this is started and once started it must be completed as quickly as possible. Modern expanding filler has been applied to the edges of the new roofs as a base for the more traditional flashing, to be applied later, but importantly the wind and rain is being kept out. Preparations are well under way for a solid concrete floor to be cast in the Smithy Extension. This is being split into three sections for convenience but will be far superior to the block floor previously considered.
The flood referred to above hit the Elizabeth engine house worst of all. Despite raising the level of the entrance step a few years ago, the high level of water still entered the basement. Lack of a suitable place to pump from means that there is still a small amount of water across the floor.
With the weather turning cold and wet, the Big Crane has been parked close to a power supply (for battery charging) and sheeted up, while the dumper has taken up residence in the Smithy Extension. Late November saw the Small Crane reassembled to the point where the engine could be started and the crane tested. Although the engine and winch are in good order, the drive wheel needs a new tyre and inner tube before the crane can be used.
Lack of man power and the use of a crane has meant most of the rotting timber destined for the bonfire is still where it was (available for next years Bonfire Night ?). A second 20ft Steel container (privately owned this time) was delivered in late November and this will be moved into it's final resting place after space has been made. This may result in the old tin sheet garage being moved to a different location and perhaps put to different use.
As this Newsletter goes to press, we are waiting for the go ahead to start removing an Eccentric Roll Forging machine from a small works at Greenhill, in the south of Sheffield. After being unoccupied for many years, the forge is being converted into a private house, and although many original featured must be retained (as the site is Listed / Scheduled), it is hoped that a sensible ruling will be made to allow the forging machine to be removed and transported to Top Forge.
An Eccentric Roll Forge is a machine where two parallel rolls (rather like a two high rolling mill) have lobes on them such that a heated work piece pushed between the rolls. As the rolls rotate not only is the work piece squeezed by the lobes, but it is also pushed back out towards the operator. When introduced they enabled a massive saving in the time to produce the handles and tangs for hand tools at this site, but could be used for many other types of forging, particularly for hand tools. We hope the Forging Machine can by put back into working order and demonstrated on open days.
Sunday, 4th February 2001 Top Forge Reopens to the Public from 11:00 am.
Next newsletter due 1st April 2001 - Don't be fooled!
As before, old bed sheets and cloths that can be used as cleaning rags or covers for our machinery are still required Please don't throw them away, bring them to Wortley. Also - News, comments or anything to go on the next Newsletter!
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Few people can have missed the ‘Foot & Mouth' epidemic that is gripping Britain and parts of Europe. Top Forge is now surrounded by closed footpaths, although I for one have not yet seen the Funeral Pyres as shown on TV and in Newspapers, which are supposed to be happening across the country. Contradictory advise from those with varying interests does not help the situation. Government advise from mid March was to visit the Lake District and Dartmoor as if nothing was wrong, but at the same time don't walk across the countryside in either Cumbria or Devon !
Whilst our sympathies go to those whose livelihoods are at risk (not just the farmers, but also many other diverse businesses) we must wonder if it has an affect on ourselves. On the plus side we have already had a group ask about visiting us due to the fact that they could not walk the local footpaths, but how many people will not have the money to spend or will be put off by the restrictions in the Peak Park that comes within a few miles of our site.
A friend tells me that restrictions on farm land are likely to last 6 months after the last reported case! So with the Foot & Mouth outbreak set to have an affect lasting into the Autumn, I for one am considering a change from the usual two weeks in Snowdonia to a week in Central Europe. What will other people do ?
Shortly after Christmas the roof repairs on the Forge, Cottages and Foundry/Joiners shop were completed and a press release gained us valuable publicity in at least two local newspapers, Radio Sheffield and Yorkshire Television.
In spite of the continuing cuts and related problems at Corus (formally British Steel, and a whole host of other names), the Crankshaft for the reconstruction of the old blowing engine within the main Forge should be arriving during April. The gears are promises soon after and then the assembly of the parts will be another job for Duncan to work on, but the result will be something else moving for visitors to see. Perhaps this will also see the eventual completion of this interesting project brought within easy reach, possibly even completed in time for the 2003 anniversary of the Forge being saved.
With the grinding of the main bearing surfaces complete, attention has turned to the main frames of the Snuff Mill engine and the mountings for the bearings.
The feed cable for the Smithy still has to be installed before we can have the benefits of 3 phase power in another two areas (the Smithy and the Extension).
Manpower during the early months of the year have been directed towards casting the floor within the Extension building. The first concrete was delivered in mid March while the second and final delivery should be made on the last day of March. Anybody who can build walls out of stone or make wooden doors should please step forward as these will be the next jobs to make this building into a secure exhibition.
The continuing wet weather is making life difficult if you have to cross the backfield, but some work has been possible with many line shaft components moved into the No.1 container.
The annual clearing out of the drainage channel along the boundary fence was started in early March. At the same time some of the trees there were cut down. This should both reduce the number of leaves dropping into the channel and reduce the pressure on the Barn where trees are leaning heavily on the back wall. A careful and well thought out pruning of the sites trees has been undertaken. This should stop branches drooping below head height during the summer.
We now have permission to remove this machine from its previous home. So far a number of small parts have been removed and brought to Top Forge without any trouble, but the main castings will cause a little head scratching, especially as there is a narrow door way and step up to be negotiated.
Readers may be interested to know some of the results from the Visitor survey carried out by Derek last year.
In simple terms, we had just over 1000 visitors, more than of whom came from the surrounding Sheffield, Barnsley & Kirklees areas. Also important, is the fact that ¼ came on the open day in August. 25% of the visitors had been to the Forge before (proving we do have something worth seeing), 25% were casual visitors (proving the value of the signs outside and signposts at road junctions), while the 20% of visitor who came after seeing publicity may be a typical proportion that is hard to improve on. Our thanks to Derek for ‘Number Crunching' to provide a basis for future planning.
We are proud to report that non of the old materials from the roof repairs were taken off site for dumping! and there is of course a particular irony in this as over half the money came from the land fill tax. The pieces of old guttering that were in good condition have been kept safe, with some already going up in front of the Smithy Extension. All the rotten wood from the repairs has been cut up and as it dries is being burnt in the Joiners shop fireplace to keep us warm over winter lunch times.
When both Don Morgan and your editor sing the praises of the Internet at Top Forge there can be a little derision from some members, but that might stop now.
Firstly, following a good deal of research, Don has found details of our old planing machine on the Internet. While the actual date of manufacture is still unknown, the design dates back at least 120 years! and is American. As for the story of its designer/manufacturer, also found on the Internet, most of it is best left untold.
Secondly, a visit in mid March from a Cleric and his family, who are related to the steam engine builders ‘Pollitt & Wigzell'. Unfortunately our Pollitt & Wigzell engine (‘Gladstone') is incomplete and stored, but they had used the Top Forge Website to find out that we had the engine and following their visit I was able to e-mail them with answers to a few of their questions.
Before Christmas our Website was used as part of a Leicester University project into Museums using modern Information Technology, but no actual visits have so far resulted from this.
As reported previously, there have been a number of items stored over at the Riverside Garage for many years. A final push in mid February got the last on the steam engine parts into the Forge, leaving only the metal shear to be freed and brought over. Also concerning the Riverside Garage is the saga of their Planning application. Their plan to redevelop the site as six houses is still being opposed or supported by the various interested parties and councils.
Moving up stream a little, the old Woodhead railway that is clearly visible from the back field (before the leaves come out) now has a second (or is it the third) proposal for re-opening, this time as an express passenger route. After the successful efforts to re-open the ‘Robin Hood' line north of Nottingham, this may not be the ‘pie in the sky' proposal of previous plans.
1st July 2001 - Next Newsletter due
12th August - Annual Open Day with Model Engineers
4th November - Provisional date for the Bonfire & Fireworks
2003 Anniversary - This is the 70th anniversary of the Industrial History being former and the 50th anniversary of Top Forge being preserved. All suggestions for celebrations would be welcomed.
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The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Trust, Society or Management Committees. If you have any relevant comments, please pass them to the Honorary Custodian Mr Ken Hawley or the (self appointed) Editor Mr Andrew Hurrell.
Closing Date for Issue No. 7 is 25th June 2001
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I am lacking inspiration this time so I have decided to write a short review of the new 'visitor attraction' in South Yorkshire - MAGNA.
I must start off by pointing out the following is only my opinion and has nothing to do with the Trust, Society or Top Forge.
I'm sure most of you will know this is based in the old Templeborough Melting Shop close to the Tinsley viaduct (and Meadowhall).
Don't make the mistake of thinking that this is an industrial museum, it isn't. The marketing uses the title 'Science Adventure Centre' and that's probably about right.
I visited on the Tuesday of Spring Bank Holiday week, so by early afternoon it was probably about as busy as it gets inside (admissions are limited at busy times). Perhaps because of my timing I saw the entry and admissions at its worst, with a 45 minute queue to get in! A strong wind from the north west did not help as the wind whistled straight across the car park from Blackburn Meadows Sewage works, need I say any more!
The last remaining arc furnace is still there and much of the melting shop looks untouched (I hope they didn't spend a fortune to get that 'had a hard life' look on the inside of the building). The furnace forms the centre of an audio, visual & Pyrotechnic display called the 'Big Melt' that is repeated every 30 minute.
Inserted into the building (in two cases rather conspicuously) are the four elemental zones - Fire, Water, Air and Earth, although these are not the most appropriate names. The Earth Zone would be better titled 'Muck Shifting', as it is inspired by stone quarrying, and the Fire Zone was more thermodynamics and a token bit about steel making (magnet cranes and a rolling mill demonstration). I'm sure you can guess what happens in the water Zone - Yes all the Kids get wet and the water ends up on the floor, but the whole experience of tripping over the ankle biters and getting sprayed with water is worth it to see the working model of a water wheel powering a trip hammer and grinding wheel. The Air Zone has a video showing what must be every known bit of film of the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapsing, but I guarantee that on a busy day the noise of the 'wind chimes' will drive you out before you can watch the film through twice.
My general feeling is that this is the late 1990s answer to the question "how do we get enough visitors to come to a Museum built in this disused steel works?" [Answer: Forget steel making and concentrate on Techno Gimmicks].
I think the Zones concept is straight out of 'the Dome' but the science behind the demonstrations seems far too advanced for the level of information given and the age of the children visiting, and on a similar note, I don't think the exhibits are of a good enough build quality for the mindless thumping they seemed to be getting from children.
As for helpful suggestions, well how about a few ex employees explaining to people what there is to see of the original works (as they do at Caphouse Colliery Museum) and labels/information boards around the Melting Shop - there is a big lump of wall ready and waiting. Also where are the notes and publicity for the other museums around South Yorkshire who really will tell you the story of Iron and Steel (you're no competition here Gordon), and lastly - build a restaurant with windows and a view, the current 'tent' is horrible! Even the view out onto Sheffield Road would be an improvement.
Do visit, especially if you have children to amuse. Three or four items make it well worth the money, but don't expect it to teach you how steel was processed. (I have already accepted an invitation to a second (free) visit as part of a corporate event).
With the good weather and work elsewhere, very little has occurred in these buildings, however in the Forge we now have another 3 lights that are less powerful than before but give a much wider spread of light.
Unfortunately no parts for the blower have arrived yet.
Shortly after the last newsletter went to press, the Smithy was finally connected to the 3 phase electricity, so when the line shafting here and next door is complete there is nothing stopping us fitting an electric motor drive. The two big sections of our large file cutting machine are now in place. Efforts have been concentrated on the Roll Forge (see below) while it is fresh in our minds. The next major task with this machine is to find and collect all the parts.
After something of an adventure, we took delivery of another container in mid-May. This one (painted blue) has joined the green and red ones already in the back field (before any one asks, we do not plan on acquiring yellow, pink orange and purple containers to make up a set). The rust is not as bad as first thought, but the sides are a very strange pattern which very hard to clean and paint. The only real rust damage is where cement has been left inside against the walls and as we have some suitable plate in store, welded repairs should be possible before the topcoat of paint (dark green) is applied.
Our thanks go to the Sheffield Model Engineers at Abbeydale for helping us obtain this container when their plans for it fell through at the last minute.
Grass cutting started with a vengeance in late May (about the same time the geese left) but has been hindered by mechanical breakdowns. Thoughts of building a steam powered grass cutter or assembling a contraption that can be bolted onto the dumper have been shelved for now and the search is on for a small farm tractor and mower. It would be nice to think that in the future we can keep a few more areas well trimmed, not necessarily to lawn quality, but at least not the 'out of control' undergrowth and nettle beds. If anybody wishes to help cutting down the grass and undergrowth please note - The areas of ground down stream of the railway tunnel, within the loop of railway at the top of the site (near the 'Herron Bank' sign) and 'Spark Hill' are to be left to nature and are not to be cut under any circumstances.
All the light parts of this machine were at Top Forge by mid May. The larger parts that needed craning were transported on the morning of Saturday 3rd June. Our thanks to Modular Scaffolding for the lorry and driver. Positioning, cleaning and re assembly started the next morning.
For the first time in 3 years, Top Forge opened its gates to the public on the Bank Holiday Mondays in April and May. Foot & Mouth restrictions combined with a little publicity made us some well needed revenue at Easter and May Day. Spring Bank holiday Monday was a little quieter, but we still had more visitors on the Monday than on the Sunday! Our thanks go to those people, both Top Forge Volunteers and Model Engineers, who gave up their Bank Holidays to help out. Based on this success, we hope to continue with Bank Holiday opening at August and through next year. Please help out if you can.
A friend of the Model Engineers paid us a visit at Spring Bank. His interests lie in Lister engines and narrow gauge railways. His preliminary comments on our railway is that the equipment is VERY rare. Hopefully a further visit will give us the information for another page on the Website.
Dr Michael Lewis and his Industrial Archaeology night school class from Hull University included us in a Mid-April trip around Sheffield's Museums. The group of about 30 taxed our guiding and coffee making abilities, but their verdicts were "Very interesting"; "Forgotten what it was like" & "Must come back".
Replacement of the existing lights with 'Low Energy' lighting continues as and when lights need replacing. If you find or 'produce' empty drinks cans, we are collecting them. Please flatten them and drop them in the box in the Smithy.
12th August - Annual Open Day with the Model Engineers
26th & 27th August - Bank Holiday Weekend.
We are trying to put on one or two special attractions - all ideas welcomed (anything to get the visitors in!).
7th October 2001 - Next Newsletter due.
4th November - Bonfire & Fireworks, weather permitting, Bonfire will be lit at 5:00pm. Members and Guests welcome.
2003 Anniversary - This is the 70th anniversary of the Industrial History being formed and the 50th anniversary of Top Forge being preserved. All suggestions for celebrations would be welcomed.
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The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Trust, Society or Management Committees.
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No editorial this time, it's been cut to make way for photographs on the second page. But is it worth reminding people to check that their tetanus vaccinations are up to date.
Once again most efforts have been outside or in the Smithy Extension, leaving only a couple of items to report. We have completed another summer with all three waterwheels in operating condition, although the Blower wheel is only being used on special occasions until the bearings can be looked at. Remedial work on the lights in the Foundry means that all are now lit ready for the dull days of the autumn and winter. Our thanks go to Margaret Shore (of Forge Cottage) for allowing us to have the use of Michael Shore's mechanical hacksaw, which we are sure, will be a great improvement on our old (slow & twisted) one.
After the great, and noticeable progress of the spring, there is less to be seen in the smithy extension, but that is not to say work has not been done, for it has. Both the File Cutting Machine and the Roll Forge have taken up many man-hours being slowly reassembled.
It is pleasing to once again report that both cranes have passed their annual insurance exam, although not without comments (fancy insisting on a seat for the driver!).
The Dumper continues to be a reliable performer and even managed a short 'excursion' (don't ask!). If the current amount of garden waste continues, the dumper may find its bucket extended upways with a steel basket to increase its load.
Thanks to 'newcomers' Pete & Liz joining 'old hand' Marjorie, the garden around the Workshops and Cottages is in a fine state and the pile of cuttings in the back field is testament to the efforts that have been made through the summer. In the back field a combination of sawing, strimming, hacking, pulling, spraying and mowing has resulted in a much larger area being kept tidy, and for the first time in some years, the sinking engine remained visible above the undergrowth all summer. Grass cutting has again taken up a considerable amount of manpower and we continue to search for a more suitable machine. Although we have had a couple of leads, they have so far not lead to a purchase.
Dry weather and spare time has allowed a start to be made on painting the red container into the more acceptable dark green.
In order to both reduce the weight (to allow us to move them) and reduce the corrosion, most of the concrete decking has been removed from one half of the footbridge. This is to be the first step to moving the two halves of the bridge from their resting place of two years. It is hoped the concrete removed can be used as fill.
By the time you are reading this, we hope to have a rubbish skip on site. While we want to keep reuseable steel and fittings, we have also kept an enormous amount of rubbish and what can only be described (politely) as 'rust'. Following this clearout would members please refrain from bringing rubbish and useless items from their home and dumping them at Top Forge. After all, we will have spent three to four weeks' income on this skip.
For the Diary 4th November - Bonfire & Fireworks, weather permitting. The Bonfire will be lit at 5:00pm. Please bring your own fireworks. It is hoped the carpark will be floodlit after dark. Members and their Guests welcome.
2003 Anniversary - This is the 70th anniversary of the Industrial History being formed and the 50th anniversary of Top Forge being preserved. Any suggestions for celebrations would be welcomed.
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The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Trust, Society or Management Committees.
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