Belsize Extensions.
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In our last issue we made reference, on the " Motorcab Topics page, to the official inspection of the latest extensions of the Belsize works at Clayton, Manchester. which took place on Wednesday of last week. Our readers may per remark that these works continually seem to be in the hands of builders for the purpose of the extension of existing premises. Members of the staff of this journal periodically visit the Clayton shops. and as a rule they have had pointed out to them some one or other import
ant extension which was actually being made at the time of the visit. The latest developments are probably of more importance than those which have preceded them, it will he admitted, and we can, for the sake of comparison. recount briefly the development of this enterprising firm from the days when it first turned its attention to the manufacture of motor vehicles.
The original title of the concern. which was a private firm, was Marshall and Co., and they were general engineers. In 1896 they turned their attention to the production of motor vehicles. At one time the claim was put forward that they were the second surviving firm in the industry. but this claim has had to be foregone, owing to friendly representations on the part of yet another undertaking. Marshall's, therefore. are content to claim to he the third oldest existing manufacturers in the country. In 1896. only 90 men were employed, and the works buildings covered an area of about 3,000 sq. yds. There was land available, however, even at that time, for developments, and these were not long in coming. The early model of this company, as many of our readers may remember. was a belt-driven type, similar to a class of vehicle which had found considerable favour in France. As soon as Marshall's realized that the gear-driven machine was likely to capture the favour of the public, the belt-driven design was promptly scrapped.
They were soon forced to realize that the increasing demand for motor vehicles in general would necessitate an extension of their business organization. A public company. the Belsize Motor Car and Engineering Co.. Ltd.. was therefore formed. and further capital was requisitioned. The present managing director. Mr. J. Hoyle Smith, was joined on the board of the new company by the gentlemen who are at present in office. It will therefore he seen that the collective experience of the directors of the Belsize conc.n.n extends over a period of eight years.
Extensive alterations to the existing buildings and considerable additions to the plant were straightaway made, and modern machine tools were laid down in considerable numbers. Barely had the new condition begun to bear fruit when the directors were again compelled to move in the matter of accommodation and equipment. In 1906, therefore, the company was ye-registered under its present title, Belsize Motors, Ltd., and further increased (mph al was secured, which enabled the directors to bring into being the present handsome and commodious premises.
The frontage of the works is now 35o ft. long ; one-half of this is devoted to the administrative buildings. and the remainder to power house, stores, works entrance, etc. The plant is electrically driven throughout. and the current is taken from the Corporation mains. The principal machine shop is a well equipped single-storey building arranged with a view to the expedit ions handling of material from the rough stores right through to the viewing room. The whole of the departments are connected by tramways. and this method assists thm. transfer of work considerably. Formerly, the buildings which now form the main machine shop and finishing shop were separated by a yard which gave access from the front of the works to the various departments at the back, but every inch of snace has now had to be turned to account, and a Belfast. wooden roof has been carried over it, and the floor has been made up With creosoted sleepers and finished ith 3 in boards. Additional accontmodation was in this way immediately found for nearly 100 worknit9i, which is found most useful.
A portion of the organization which had long been calling for extension was the trimming department. Temporary relief had been obtained by building a gallery down one side of the works for this pur tse. but. this was obviously a prin it ive and inconvenient compromise. Now, additional shopping has been added, and there is space in the new trimming bay for 30 bodies, which gives a total capacity of 60 bodies at one time in the whole department.
The size of the repair department of a works is not usually a matter which makers care to brag about, but, when one takes into consideration the fact that the Belsize in
terests have been building cars for 15 years, and that many of the old stagers are still running, the repair department at Clayton is obviously a very important one. Formerly it was a portion of the main works, but it has now been found necessary to take it across a street to land adjoining the main building.
Within a 20mile radius of Manchester, there are something like 300 Belsize commercial vehicles running, and the present shop, of which we reproduce a photograph, has been built to deal with the rush work attendant upon this class of employment..
Quite the latest addition is the new coach-building shop, of which a photograph is also reproduced MacNamaras. herewith. This has been erected alongside the repair shop. The Belsize Co. hopes therein to build by far the largest portion of its bodywork : at present the company has to rely upon the assistance of outside companies to a considerable extent in this respect.
It may interest many of our readers to have placed before them a few figures which will reveal the growth of the Belsize undertaking during the past 15 years. In 11490, as we have said before, there were 90 employees on a total factory area of one acre, and the capacity of the works was 260 vehicles per annum. In 1911, there are 1,200 employees, the factory area is7 acres, and the output is 1,300 vehicles per annum. The present erecting shop has been designed with a view to the possibility of 200 chassis being kept in the course of erection at any one time, and this last statement should give a very good idea of the magni7 tude of the recent improvements which Belsize Motors, Ltd., has effected in its equipment. Our regular contributor, who writes under the name of " The Extractor.' has something to say, on page 165, about, the inaugural ceremony.