Alfred Herbert Ltd

Hi scrutiny, yes, I notice the row of houses are still there the other side of the canal in Swan Lane. We could see those from our office window. Some days it would get very foggy along the canal and if the window was open you would see it creeping into the office. I did the Google bit and 'walked' up Red Lane, that does not seem to have changed much. To me it looks like a number of small companies now where the AH site used to be. Were those supposed to our good old days? Bye for now

I thought these might be of interest, from the 11th catalogue:

Hi artful. My father was also an inspector at Herbert's and they wouldn't release him either, so he joined the Herbert's section of the Home Guard (I have a photo of his section somewhere!). I still have a diary of his from during the war - it seems strange reading his "Home Guard" entries for the nights they were "on parade"

And here it is!! I believe this superb photo was taken around 1942 - my father (Norman) is on the extreme left of the photo (as we look). Anyone recognise any other member of this platoon? This photo was kindly sent to me after it appeared in the Coventry Telegraph. I contacted the owner whose own father is also in the photo. I have subsequently lost their details, If they recognise it - please get in touch!

Hello. I remember having my first pint of beer in the Navi, I worked at Harrabins haulage just over the bridge in the garage, it was opposite Wards builders merchants. When I was younger I can remember an army tank on display on the small playground you mentioned. Can anyone recall seeing this or is my memory playing tricks on me?

I was born in the little cottages in Bridge Row along side the Navigation Pub. Worked in Herbert's when I first came out the Army after a short spell in Godfrey's Travel Agents in Pool Meadow. At Herbert's I worked in the Labour Office. Labour Manager Mr. Lynex. This would be 1952. AAH ! Memories, memories

Here's a couple of images related to Alfred Herbert Machine Tools This is from a friend of his father working at a Herbert Milling Machine 'at' Herberts. This is a close up of the base of the machine This is on the wall in my shed off an old machine we sent for export,

You are not imagining it. I think the tank had gone by the mid 50`s (not sure) but I can remember the concrete base which was about where McDonalds is (Gallagher estate).

Hi Walrus, Having lived in one of the old cottages opposite the Morris Engines factory from 1945 to 1956, I know the area quite well. The Navi and the children's sandpit and swings etc. Yes, there was an entrance to the Alfred Herbert's factory. When I went to Edgwick School, you would walk by the main factory in Cross Road. Do you remember the small police reporting box opposite The Navi, it would connect you to Holmsdale Road Police Station when you pulled open the cover. No key was needed. As school kids, we used to pull open the cover and shout into it and then run like hell! I also remember Georgie Buggins and his little shack where he did his shoe repairing, but did you know he would earn more money as a bookies runner than repairing shoes? My grandparents used to give me bets to take to him. Sixpence and shilling bets in the 1950's - those were the good old days!

I am new to this forum and wondered if anyone has any history or photos of the 18 inch gauge steam railway Alfred Herbert Ltd had to move things around the factory. In one of the other postings on this site there is a good picture of a milling machine and the railway can be seen in the foreground. It had a small saddletank engine by Bagnalls of Stafford and was in use c.1904 to c.1924. Bagnalls supplied spares for it so it was in use for a while. Many thanks James Waterfield

Welcome to our forum James. Fingers crossed someone can answer your question

I remember the park too - have great memories of riding my scooter there and playing for hours. We lived in the cottages opposite the Morris Engines factory from about 1966-1968

There is a model here based on the Bagnall Number 1842, built in 1907. It was one of a class of 18" gauge locomotives, and was supplied to Alfred Herbert Ltd. of Coventry. There are other mentions of it in Industrial railway society pages "I showed RECORD 30 to my father, who has been with this company for most of his working life, and he was very interested in the paragraph on page 254. He recalls that there was a narrow gauge system at the firm's Edgwick Works in Coventry which had two locomotives - one steam and one battery electric. By the time he joined the firm in 1929 the steam engine was spare to the battery electric and rarely out of its shed. He is quite certain that it was not the locomotive from the Butts Works, because older employees remember it being in regular use before 1929. Both the Edgwick locomotives were scrapped, probably at some time during World War II, but some sections of track remained in use for manual propulsion until a few years ago: some track may still survive today. BINLEY WOODS, COVENTRY M. J. LEAH (This letter would suggest that Herberts had a second steam locomotive, unless the Bagnall was transferred from The Butts Works to Edgwick. Is it known for certain that Bagnall 1842 was at The Butts Works? Have Herberts had any other works with a rail system? - KPP" There are pictures of same class of locomotive here Hope this helps Roger Note from TonyS: Link added

I posted a photo similar to this as a query on another thread . . . . and it was soon recognised It is now Tubs & Tiles, Leofric House off Phoenix Way, Waterman Road

When I worked at AH there was an old taxi without its doors that used to run up and down the bays, so that you could get a lift to another bay. Remember anybody? berjay.