Fitting and Machining Metal Fabrication Boilermaking Welding
Railway rolling stock- especially steam locomotives,
require high
levels of maintenance, which involves the machining of many components. Therefore, from the very beginning,
Mechanical Fitting and Turning and Iron Machining formed a major part of
the Government Railway Workshops at Midland Junction. Photo
courtesy of Battye Library 54360P. Mechanical Drawing and Geometry were the first subjects taught at the
Midland Junction Technical School and apprentices were examined in all standard
practices of steam engine maintenance, for example:
.' (1910 Perth Technical School Examination Papers, Battye Library)'A double acting horizontal steam engine with Stephenson link motion is brought into the shop for repairs. State in full how you would examine and repair the engine
Apprentices were also taught to be innovative in order to keep the engines running:
.' (1910 Perth Technical School Examination Papers, Battye Library)'A rope pulley or fly-wheel of large diameter is required to be bored and turned up. The machines in the workshop are too small for this work. State how you would proceed in order to complete this work, including lining off, boring and setting up
During World War 1 the Workshops supported the production of heavy artillery, with fitters and machinists being called upon to apply their skills and knowledge in this new field. Many of the Railway’s fitters and machinists enlisted for the armed services during the War. Some like James Breuer never returned, others like Horace Flitcroft were able to take advantage of the Government’s land settlement scheme and began farming, while others like Alfred Watson were drawn to the gold mines.
The Depression years of the early 1930s saw many railway
employees including fitters and machinists layed off, some represented
third generation railway employees. 
However, once the economy
began to recover, apprentices were employed again. Fred Flottman
began
his apprenticeship in 1936 and went on to develop a motorised fire hose reel
that is now used in many countries. His business, Flottman Engineering, which he
still heads, is currently developing a motorised scooter.
During World War 11 the Workshops became a munitions
factory again. Components for shipping were produced with fitters and machinists
forming an integral part of the team that made marine engines for Corvettes and
repaired damaged propellers off merchant ships and submarines. Les
Scannell whose apprenticeship as a mechanical fitter bridged the war
years, remembers the precision required to get the propellers balanced to the
point where the weight of a penny attached to a blade would turn it to the
6 o'clock position.
One Munitions Inspector, responsible for overseeing the repair of submarine propellers was Arthur Gardiner, an early scholarship winner in Mechanical Drawing. After the War an American Admiral thanked him for repairing one of their submarines. Arthur Gardiner was also able to retain the efficiency and flexibility of the Workshops by machining components for the specialised German lathes.
When a new munitions factory was established in 1942 at Welshpool on the Chamberlain tractor site, tradesmen from the Midland Workshops were transferred to get it operational. Bob Wearmouth who later became the senior lecturer at Midland began his apprenticeship at Welshpool during the last year of the War, making fuses for shells and 303 bullets.
After the War the lathes and other machinery at Welshpool were utilised to manufacture tractors. Chamberlain industries became a major employer of apprentices, many of whom attended Midland Junction Technical School. One of their leading tractor designers was Lou Monck, a scholarship winner in Mechanical Drawing in 1909. He had been transferred to Welshpool during the War as the Senior Tradesman and remained working in the factory when it assumed its peace-time role.
By the late 1960s diesel engines, requiring much less maintenance, had replaced steam trains, and fitters and machinists were in less demand by the Railways. However, at the same time the rapidly expanding industrial complex at Kwinana called for increased numbers of fitters and machinists. It was also during the sixties that the nickel and iron ore mining boom exploded, creating a wealth of opportunities for fitters and machinists.
Alan Lane
was one of those who took up this new industry challenge. He was able to utilise
the problem solving approach that he had first applied at the Workshops to
develop a technique that enabled mining equipment to be quickly repaired on
site.
A fellow apprentice of his year, Ralph Sarich went on to receive world wide recognition when he applied his problem solving approach to the development of his orbital engine.
The diversity of industries that arose during the 1960s and 70s meant that the direction of training began to move away from the type of knowledge and skills associated with the traditional Railway’s approach to Fitting and Machining.
Apprenticeships had been reduced from five years to four
years by the late sixties. Apprentices had often already done one year of Technical Education in a
Pre-apprentice Course. The Pre-apprentice Courses were designed to give students
the opportunity to experience a trade and become proficient in
the use of tools and safety considerations.
In 1982 a new purpose built workshop offered students the latest equipment for their training.
In 1991 the National Metals Modules were introduced which totally changed apprenticeship training. Employers were able to select self-paced modules for their apprentices who would undertake eight per year over three years. The National Modules allowed students to transfer credits, which meant they could change to a different trade more readily. In recent years the Midland Campus has purchased a range of equipment including a numerical controlled lathe, laser alignment equipment and computer aided design programs. A flexible delivery program, and centre for students has been in operation since the mid 1990s. Pre-apprentice courses have now been reduced to 15 weeks.
Thanks to Graham Bungate and Bob Wearmouth for assistance with this article.
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| David and Mr & Mrs Munday | Mrs Sullivan | The Fynmores | Jamie Kitt |
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| Kim Boyd | Phil Luby | Joe Nannup Pre-trade group 1985 | Clive Ryder |
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| Steven Blower | Tony, Clive, Lindsay Pre-trade group 1985 | Kevin Bray | Gary Littlely |
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| Tania Wilbraham Pre-trade group 1985 | Philip Harris | Marlon Scenini | Lindsay Lockyer |
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| Russell Bevan | Mark Anthes | Rod Gairdner | Robert Anderson Pre-trade group 1985 |
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| Tony Flowers | Jules Tascone
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First aid course - Stage 1 Apprentices | Dean Jennings 1983 course |
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| Adrian Cunningham 1983 course |
Franco Riggio 1983Course |
James O'Loughlin | |
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Students from the Westrail multi-skilling to boiler making course for Blacksmiths |
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Photos are courtesy of Ian Freeman-Smith. Click to view larger image.
Producing and maintaining boilers for steam trains and other heavy gauge equipment called for a large workforce of boilermakers at the Midland Railway Workshops. Practical skills were handed down from one generation of tradesmen to the next, while the theory component of boiler making including Maths and Mechanical Drawing was provided by Midland Junction Technical School. James Hegney was one of the early boilermaker apprentices to attend the School, winning scholarships for Mechanical Drawing in 1909 and 1910. Through his involvement with the selection of apprentices and the boilermaker’s union, he eventually left the railways for a career in politics.
During the Depression years large numbers of qualified boilermakers as well as apprentices with the Railways lost their jobs, including third generation employee James Hampson. Although he was one of those who sought work in the Eastern States, many of the original boilermakers were reinstated with the Railways after the economy began to recover.
During the 1950s and early 60s boilermakers were in high demand at the Railway Workshops. When Tony Milner, who later became a trade teacher applied for an apprenticeship with the Railways, he found himself being manoeuvred into the boilermaker’s group. He accepted on the basis that training as a boilermaker through the Railway Workshops was a guarantee for secure employment in a wide range of industries throughout Australia. After he left the Railways, he worked on the marking out tables at the Vickers Hoskins foundry which had originally been set up to produce the Goldfields pipeline. During Tony Milner’s term, the foundry produced wheat silos and equipment for the mining industry, as well as cranes to unload containers. He then spent a period of time repairing whaling boats with State Ships, another organisation that drew heavily from boilermakers trained through the Railways.
Once diesel engines began to replace steam locomotives, the demand for boilermakers at the Midland Railway Workshops dropped. Local engineering companies such as Commonwealth Engineering in Bassendean (where rail carriages for India were produced) continued to employ railway-trained boilermakers.
With the advent of oxy acetylene and more refined welding techniques, the welding component of boilermaking gained greater emphasis. This was particularly the case in ship building where welding instead of riveting created a much lighter product. New manufacturing techniques involving cooling the one side of thick steel sheets to produce a curve were developed to create the massive pipes required by companies such as Alcoa for alumina processing. Other new industry technologies, particularly the pipeline for the North-West Shelf gas, demanded welds that could withstand x-ray scrutiny.
Nickel and iron ore mining during the 70s attracted many railway-trained tradesman. Alan Lane was able to apply the problem solving approach that he first learnt during his apprenticeship as a mechanical fitter and welder at the Railways to keep heavy mining equipment operational.
Sheetmetal and Metal Fabrication have now become the
main focus groups for training in the metals area. In 2001 a group of
prevocational students from Metal Fabrication, Welding and Electrical converted 
vintage carriages to meet modern safety requirements for the Centenary of
Federation rail journey. Students worked on the carriages at the old Railway
Workshops to upgrade crash bars, replace dangerous steps and fit air
conditioning units for the journey.
Thanks to Barry Watters, Ian Freeman-Smith, Kevin Roach and Martin McIntyre for assistance with this industry profile.
