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Old 13th Feb 2022, 4:45 pm   #1
G8vsjDave
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Default My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Reading some of the threads about Rank Bush Murphy Televisions always make me think about about my time at RBM and I thought it might be of interest to some of you to document some of my memories – so here goes.
It might help if I first tell you a bit about me.
From a very early age I have been interested in electronics, and for some reason Television and Video, in fact at the age of about fourteen my magazine of choice was Practical Television
I was one of four lads who joined Rank Bush Murphy at their Chiswick factory in the summer of 1967 on RBM’s apprenticeship scheme. This involved a year at an engineering training centre, day release to a local college, and time in the major departments until the grand age of twenty one, after which (with luck), you would be offered a full time job.
RBM at that time had factories in a few locations, Chiswick in West London was the place where the development took place. Plymouth was the production factory and I believe there was a small factory at Redruth Cornwall, where tuners were made, and I think there was also an office or small factory at Borehamwood, where service manuals were dispatched from.
The Chiswick factory was an old two story building located in an industrial area and consisted of a very well equipped machine shop, a test gear department, marketing and sales departments, a well-stocked technical library with a full time librarian, a staffed first aid room and a large drawing office. The technical departments (known as ‘laboratories’) were the Components Lab, Mechanical Lab, Radio and Audio lab and of course, the TV Labs
The Machine shop was used to make prototype items to support the engineering departments, it was not used for production, only development or prototype items. There was a good collection of lathes and milling machines, a Vacuum Forming Machine and the usual drilling machines, metal cutters and benders. There was also a very well stocked stores, the like of which I have never seen in any other company. IIRC the machine shop employed about 14 full time fitters.
The Test Gear department designed and built bespoke equipment that was used on the production lines or needed by the engineering departments. They were also responsible for calibration and repair of all the test equipment used in the company.
The Components lab was a gateway to all the major component manufactures. They had several environmental chambers (ovens and freezers) that were used to ‘life test’ components, often to destruction. They also maintained a very comprehensive electronic component stores.
As the name suggests, the mechanical lab dealt with all things mechanical from mounting brackets and system switches to radio tuning drives and product transportation packaging (cardboard boxes).
The drawing office was split into radio and television with the television side being much larger than the radio side. This was back in the day when all drawing were done by hand. The Office print room had two Heliographic copying machines, one of which could print up to A0 size.
Finally, the Television Labs. There were actually three of them, one for monochrome and one for colour. The third lab was known as “the advanced TV Lab” and was in another part of the building that was surrounded with blacked out windows and a locked door. I know they worked closely with the BBC’s development departments, but apart from rumours about flat screen television, I never did find out what went on in there. It was headed by Bernard Rogers who (it was rumoured,) had played a part in the development of the PAL colour system. Unfortunately, I can find nothing to substantiate this on the net. I would be interested If anyone can throw any light on this.
Each engineer had very spacious work bay that consisted of a large work bench with cupboards and drawers, and a desk at the side for paperwork. In fact, the work area per man was very generous as I found out later in my working career. The monochrome development team consisted of seven engineers and two project leaders and a similar number in the colour lab.
In the next part (in a few weeks) I will talk about the projects I worked on while at RBM.
Dave
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 4:55 pm   #2
ms660
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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I believe there was a small factory at Redruth Cornwall
There sure was, it was on the industrial estate (Wilson Way) between Redruth and Pool, I remember a few people that worked there including my ex landlord.

Lawrence.
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 5:11 pm   #3
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

A very interesting read and I look forward to subsequent episodes.

"The man with a gong, a man of many skills". This strap line appeared on the bottom of the front cover page of RBM's "Service Skill" publication, aimed at their dealer's service department staff.

If you know, I'd be interested to learn how many former Murphy Radio design staff moved to Chiswick, after the Welwyn Garden City factory was transferred to Rank Xerox in the mid-1960s and what (if any) "Murphy" technical input to subsequent designs there was.

If you compare the Murphy "Astra Mark 2" TV chassis to its Bush TV115 contemporary equivalent, I suspect very little.

Did RBM Chiswick do any design work on capital equipment (e.g. not for the retail/consumer market)?

After WGC closed, the RBM service department moved to Drayton Road, Borehamwood. However, after only a few years, it moved again to Watton Road, Ware (co-sited with Rank Cintel and RBM Electronics).
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 5:44 pm   #4
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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Originally Posted by G8vsjDave View Post
I believe there was a small factory at Redruth Cornwall
There sure was, it was on the industrial estate (Wilson Way) between Redruth and Pool, I remember a few people that worked there including my ex landlord.

Lawrence.
Link to the closure below:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/ID...%20closures%22

Lawrence.
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 5:55 pm   #5
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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A very interesting read and I look forward to subsequent episodes.

"The man with a gong, a man of many skills". This strap line appeared on the bottom of the front cover page of RBM's "Service Skill" publication, aimed at their dealer's service department staff.

If you know, I'd be interested to learn how many former Murphy Radio design staff moved to Chiswick, after the Welwyn Garden City factory was transferred to Rank Xerox in the mid-1960s and what (if any) "Murphy" technical input to subsequent designs there was.

If you compare the Murphy "Astra Mark 2" TV chassis to its Bush TV115 contemporary equivalent, I suspect very little.

Did RBM Chiswick do any design work on capital equipment (e.g. not for the retail/consumer market)?

After WGC closed, the RBM service department moved to Drayton Road, Borehamwood. However, after only a few years, it moved again to Watton Road, Ware (co-sited with Rank Cintel and RBM Electronics).
We had a couple of professional studio colour monitors. They were so bad they were taken out of ‘active’ service and mounted on trolleys and pushed to whoever wanted them at any given time. Nobody really wanted them, of course they were nicknamed the RBM Driftmasters. Sorry about that, I don’t mean to insult anyone but that was the truth of our experience.
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 5:57 pm   #6
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Hi.

A very interestint account Dave and I look forward to reading more of your experience at RBM.

Agree with Lawrence, RBM had a factory at Pool, Redruth. A friend worked there in the late 1970s and she was on a tuner assembly line, setting up the Lecher lines I believe. I also had a neighbour that worked there. Panel assembly was also carried out there.
I recall being given a few scrapped T20 panels and production surplus components on bandoliers. I built many projects from all the resistors, capacitors and diodes. Happy times!

Regards,
Symon
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 6:08 pm   #7
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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Hi.

A very interestint account Dave and I look forward to reading more of your experience at RBM.

Agree with Lawrence, RBM had a factory at Pool, Redruth. A friend worked there in the late 1970s and she was on a tuner assembly line, setting up the Lecher lines I believe. I also had a neighbour that worked there. Panel assembly was also carried out there.
I recall being given a few scrapped T20 panels and production surplus components on bandoliers. I built many projects from all the resistors, capacitors and diodes. Happy times!

Regards,
Symon
The industrial estate at Pool has changed a lot since I worked there (making the original "Solar" sheds back in '79) so I might be wrong but I think that RBM/Rank Toshiba might have been where Pilgrims (Tulip) is on Google sat. view.

Lawrence.
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 6:50 pm   #8
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Dazzlevision, I am unaware of anyone from Murphy Radio design staff at Chiswick. There was a chap in the machine shop who came from WGC who was known as 'spud' for obvious reasons.
No, Chiswick only worked on retail products, however, that may not have been the case at Plymouth.
Dave

Last edited by G8vsjDave; 13th Feb 2022 at 7:00 pm. Reason: Correction to spelling
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 7:13 pm   #9
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The industrial estate at Pool has changed a lot since I worked there (making the original "Solar" sheds back in '79) so I might be wrong but I think that RBM/Rank Toshiba might have been where Pilgrims (Tulip) is on Google sat. view.

Lawrence.
Hi Lawrence.

Yes, the Pool Industrial Estate has changed a lot over the years.
From memory, I think the RBM factory would have been located about half way along the main road through the estate, ie between Wilson Way (Macsalvors end) and Druids Road. As you say, the Tulip factory site looks likely to be the location based also on the size of the site.

I'm not sure when it closed but must have been the very early 1980s, possibly late 1981/early 1982.

Regards,
Symon.

EDIT:Just read your TV magazine link Lawrence re. factory closure.

Last edited by Philips210; 13th Feb 2022 at 7:28 pm. Reason: Additional info
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 7:43 pm   #10
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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I'm not sure when it closed but must have been the very early 1980s, possibly late 1981/early 1982.

Regards,
Symon.
Yes Symon, you're probably right for 1981, the announcement in the PTV magazine was in the December 1980 edition, I worked just a stones throw away back in late '78 early '79 for Kernow Garden Buildings who were at the end of Agar Way almost next to the RBM factory, the small shed factory looks to be long gone now.

Lawrence.
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Old 13th Feb 2022, 8:13 pm   #11
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Short film of the Plymouth factory:

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/...on-1968-online

Lawrence.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 10:11 am   #12
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Short film of the Plymouth factory:

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/...on-1968-online

Lawrence.
Interesting film.

It looks like production of the A640 mono, and CTV25 colour TVs. Note the somewhat lack of safety with the chap fitting the Mullard Panorama colour CRT in the CTV25's cabinet. No safety goggles for instance.

Regards,
Symon
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 10:45 am   #13
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Thank you for sharing, as someone never professionally involved with electronics I find it very interesting. I wonder if Greg will do an inside the factory, even if he did it would be so far removed from the late 60s of the short film in the link above.

John.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 12:13 pm   #14
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Done a bit more digging for info about the factory at Pool near Redruth, if you go to the site in the link below and enter rank into that sites search box then look at all the comments you'll see a colour photo that was taken of the factory back then, it shows Wilson Way to the fore and you can see the houses that line both sides of Agar Road on the other side of the factory.

To the extreme right of the photo the next building along Agar Road on its South side would be the Railway Inn, due to the way the ground levels are around there the entrance might have been off Druids Road, and that the site was between what's now the car park to the East of the Tulip factory and Druids Road, that whole area has since been redeveloped with later units the largest of which is Furniss's biscuit factory.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/851734401508548/

Lawrence

Last edited by ms660; 14th Feb 2022 at 12:34 pm.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 12:26 pm   #15
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Very interesting.
Where did RBM build their transistor radios and audio equipment before shipping this work out to the far east?
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 12:34 pm   #16
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

That's an interesting film. I assume that's very early CTV25 production - the infamous Mk1 timebase and somewhat different connection blocks and wiring. Seeing the decoders being made from scratch makes you wonder what the failure rate was on completed boards. No gloves or goggles handling the A63-11X CRT - how things changed in such a short time!

The still of the IF panels predates the hybrid A640 - these would have been the valved TV141/A591 series.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 12:56 pm   #17
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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Very interesting.
Where did RBM build their transistor radios and audio equipment before shipping this work out to the far east?
See the second half of this Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH726tE1knA

Cheers

Mike T
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 2:16 pm   #18
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I wonder if Greg will do an inside the factory, even if he did it would be so far removed from the late 60s of the short film in the link above.

John.

Thanks, Mike T.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 3:23 pm   #19
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

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Very interesting.
Where did RBM build their transistor radios and audio equipment before shipping this work out to the far east?
They had the old former Murphy Radio factory in Scarborough.
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Old 14th Feb 2022, 3:25 pm   #20
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Default Re: My time at Rank Bush Murphy

Crikey, the women on the production line appear somewhat at leisure, I thought those pluggable resistors were designed for auto insertion?
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