Did the Royal Ordnance Factory have a railway connection?


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i worked there or rather i went there, for about 6 years 1969 to 1976 and aound the railway side of it there was a sign fro the second wqorld war that said warning electrified fence, anyone who worked there will remember signing the offical secrets act , and a list of eastern block countires you had to seek permission to go to. The money was good but I was a hopless fitter I had no ambition to spend fifty years there.

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Cliff-ton #2 and #20 what date was that map? I looked at it again and the ROF site must have been expanded a bit. The South shop looks too small. The office block (lower r/h) and canteen are shown. From North shop we would take a short cut through South shop to the canteen.

A railway line ran through the North shop from the Lenton spur and forge, right up to the main entrance on Kings Meadows Rd. I remember tanks being unloaded from rail wagons in North shop.

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The South shop looks about right to me, but the Heavy Erection shop which ran parallel to it isn't there, nor is the Medical Centre, Boiler House, Drop Stamp or Building Maintenance.

Edit- By Drop Stamp, I mean where smaller items were forged, rather than where the gun barrels were forged, which is shown adjacent to where the railway lines enter the factory.

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That map was published in the mid 60s but don't take it as an accurate indication at how ROF looked at the time. There seem to have been security restrictions on how the place was shown on maps over the years; sometimes everything is very simplified.

As an aside, I posted this in another ROF thread. It's the factory being built in the 1920s.

ordnance.jpg

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I'm sure there's another thread on here for the ROF but just to put my spoke in ....... my Dad served his apprenticeship there from about 1939 to 1942. Just before his 21st birthday in December 1942 he joined the RAF and then on demob in 1946 he was straight back to the factory and job he hated. He was made redundant in the early 60s and went to Raleigh and then Myford Tools in Beeston but heard a couple of years later that he could get back into the ROF. He was not an ambitious man but just wanted to earn decent money to pay a mortgage and look after his family so he went back to Kings Meadow Road til his retirement in 1986. My dear old Dad never had a good word for that place but he brought home a good wage and that was all that mattered to him.

Its funny isnt it that all that important then was a steady job and a good wage, although i am close to retirement If i have an interview for a job, people ( usually people who look to be 13 years old ) ask me what my ambitions are or where do i see myself in 5 years time ??? when all i want is a job lol. the world has gone slightly mad with HR people .

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#29

Thats a good picture. The structure which runs horizontally the length of the factory was known as transverse bay, linking all the other bays, coming off at right angles.

The first three bays, on the left were the sheet metal/fabrication area. The open area next to them was to become the forge area, where ingots were made into gun barrels,

Various machining was done in the remaining bays, starting with heavy turning, through to fitting at the Kings Meadow Road end.

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The line into the factory was just behind me, over my left shoulder (Right of picture) in this photo, taken about 1978. This is Lenton Jn. looking towards Nottingham Midland.:

10425429_10202588981908242_8175836099450

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The small structures In front of the transverse bay were, from left to right were Central stores and works offices. The gap between became the apprentice training shop. Bike sheds were on the far right. My first job at 15 was office lad in Central stores. I made the fire in Mr Kent's office before his arrival at 9 (the rest of us clocked on by 8.05). The Mr Rabin was office manager.

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The line into the factory was just behind me, over my left shoulder (Right of picture) in this photo, taken about 1978. This is Lenton Jn. looking towards Nottingham Midland.:

10425429_10202588981908242_8175836099450

Hi Compo I have to ask did you work or live around there ? i lived near abbey bridge and walked to work down the railway tracks into the back gate of the ROF

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Morton40 #34: From 1978-83 I lived on Gregory Street next door but one to the canal.

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Do you meen the river lean .That would be next to the Lee's ? and next to the little alley that ran down to Grove Road ??(I lived on gregory street as a young kid over the road in the houses that were knocked down about where the Red Cow is ( or was ) thanks for answering

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