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Diesel Power generaion

Page history last edited by David Samways 10 years, 8 months ago

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Harry Ford was my father, Fordie to his friends.  He joined the RAF at a young age and later joined Marconi as a Press operator.  He was called up as soon as the war started and served most his time as a Paramedic Ambulance driver.  He was on the BEF at the beginning and moved back to North Weald.  After the war he re-joined Marconi and served as a truck driver for quite a few years.

 

 

I served my full apprenticeship as a Machine Tool Fitter at Hoffmans, also in Chelmsford, which included two years National Service in REME.  Looking to move on I was lucky to be accepted by Marconi.  I only worked on the bench as a fitter and enjoyed it all for about a year.  I then met Ron Whitehead who shared a company with my uncle Sandy Bannister called Farmtrac Engineering.  I then joined R A Listers in Durlsey in Gloucestershire and became their engineer for Norfolk servicing diesel generators on farms and airfields - in fact all over the place.  After a few years, with significant experience behind me, I moved back to Marconi and became heavily involved with diesel power plant for microwave radio systems.  Before long I was moving out to Angola as a Diesel Engineer on an installation contract.

 

In the time I worked for Marconi I carried out diesel installation and commissioning work in Great Britain, Ireland, Angola, Nigeria, Ecuador and Chile with the major equipment suppliers being Lister, Pelapone, Ruston and Lister Blackstone.

 

When VHF and microwave business slowed down I went to Teacher Training College for three years to train as a Technical Studies teacher.  One of my major exercises was to produce a written paper and chose to base this on my experience in Diesel Power plant.  It was this paper that resulted in my book entitled “Diesel Engine Power for Microwave Relay Systems” which was completed in 1972, but never published, until being incorporated into this Wiki.

 

The book may be viewed here (~ 6.0MB).  The original of this book is now at the Marconi Museum at Sandford Mill, Chelmsford.

 

I taught in Sandon and Billericay and worked myself up to Head of Careers and Work Experience before taking early retirement due to hearing loss probably contributed by living and sleeping in noisy engine rooms.

 

R.A.(Mick) Ford A.M. Inst. B.E.

 

The following photographs were taken at various installation locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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