Scotswood Road

[j.sabourn]

Apart from the well known song "Going along the Scotswood road to see the Blaydon Races", when I lived in the UK one of my neighbours worked at Armstrong Whitforths the well known builder of the Churchill Battle tank, which was also along the Scotswood Road. Anyone on the site worked there or know if they still produce the likes of tanks etc. or has this industry also been passed away to other builders of same outside the UK the same as the shipbuilding. JS

[Captain Kong]

The tanks for the British army are probably built in Germany or China today. the politicians have destroyed every other Industry in this country
Brian

[moktay]

The new British MBT, if they build anymore will probably have a Swedish Hull And A German Main Gun, They already have a modified one now.
Like the M1a1 has a German Main Gun British Armor and an American Engine.

[Doc Vernon]

Factories along the strip of land between Scotswood Road and the Tyne once employed tens of thousands of workers building tanks, ships and armaments.
Now all gone I believe!
Cheers

Capture Churchill Tank.JPG

[John Arton]

Armstrong Whitworth combined with Vickers to become Vickers Armstrong in the 1920's. If you go on Wikipedia Armstrong Whitworth had a great history in manufacturing automobiles, aircraft, hydraulic machinery etc. They are credited with creating the engineering town of Deer Park in Canada and the town of Corner Brook in Newfoundland along with ship building for both the British, Russian and Japanese navies as well as British Tankers.
Vickers Armstrong produced the Challenger battle tank for the British Army at the Scotswood Road works and there is still one parked on display outside the works.
BAE systems took over the Vickers Armstrong works and sometime in the 2000's sold it on to British based engineering company Reece. They are engaged in the design and manufacture of the Terrier light armoured vehicle for the Army at the Scotswood Road site.
The site was completely rebuilt sometime ago when the Challenger Tank was in production with the buildings still there. At one time the building stretched for a mile along the riverside and even today still covers something like a mile, though it has been split up into smaller parts. Around 300 people are still employed in the Armaments industry there, a fraction of the numbers that would have been employed in the 1920's through to the 1950's (and earlier). Wikipedia has the history of both Armstrong Whitworths and Vickers Armstrongs.
Armstrong Whitworth made the water driven hydraulics that still today operate the swing bridge on the Tyne and the swing bridges on the Manchester Ship Canal along with the machinery for the gates on the Panama Canal.
rgds
JA
rgds
JA

[John Arton]

Doc and J.S
Blow me down if last night on our local BBC news program ( Look North) they did an article on the Armstrong factory, now owned by a local family company called Reeces.
They have a contract to maintain and upgrade the challenger 3 battle tank and are in the business of manufacturing add ones to tanks such as a plough that is fitted to the front of the tank that explodes mines and i.e.d's before they can harm the tank.
There are 500 employees there at present with a good proportion of apprentices and they expect to take on more in the near future, so all is not lost. Seems as they are a family owned and run company, their employees are very well treated and happy with their lot.
rgds
JA
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[Doc Vernon]

Thanks for trying JA
uncanny that though isn't it.
Cheers


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