{"product_id":"life-in-a-railway-factory-gb-40975","title":"Life in a Railway Factory","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLife in a Railway Factory\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy object in penning Life in a Railway Factory was to take advantage\r\nof the opportunities I have had as a workman, during twenty-three years\r\ncontinuous service in the sheds, of setting down what I have seen and\r\nknown for the interest and education of others, who might like to be\r\ninformed as to what is the actual life of the factory, but who have no\r\nmeans of ascertaining it from the generality of literature published\r\nupon the matter.\nThe book opens with a short survey of several causes of labour unrest\r\nand suggestions as to its remedy. Then follows a brief description of\r\nthe stamping shed, which is the principal scene and theatre of the drama\r\nof life exhibited in the pages, the central point from which our\r\nobservations were made and where the chief of our knowledge and\r\nexperience was acquired. After a glance into the interior we explore the\r\nsurroundings and pay a visit to the rolling mills, and watch the men\r\nshingling and rolling the iron and forging wheels for the locomotives.\r\nContinuing our perambulation of the yard we encounter the shunters,\r\nwatchmen, carriage finishers, painters, washers-down, and\r\ncushion-beaters. The old canal claims a moments attention, then we pass\r\non to the ash-wheelers, bricklayers, road-waggon builders, and the\r\nwheel-turning shed. Leaving them behind we come to the field, where\r\nthe old broad-gauge vehicles were broken up or converted, and proceed\r\nthence into the din of the frame-building shed and study some portion\r\nof its life. Next follows an exploration of the smithy and a\r\nconsideration of the smith at work and at home, his superior skill and\r\ncharacteristics. From our study of the smiths we pass to that of the\r\nfitters, forgemen, and boilermakers, and complete our tour of the\r\npremises by visiting the foundry and viewing the operations of the\r\nmoulders.\nThe early morning stir in the town and country around the sheds, the\r\npreparations for work, the manner in which the toilers arrive at the\r\nfactory, and the composition of the crowd are next described, after\r\nwhich we enter the stamping shed and witness the initial toils of the\r\nforgemen and stampers, view the oil furnace and admire the prowess of\r\nAjax and his companions. The drop-hammers and their staff receive\r\nproportionate attention; then follows a comparison of forging and\r\nsmithing, a study of several personalities, and an inspection of the\r\nplant known as the Yankee Hammers. Chapter XI. is a description of the\r\nfirst quarter at the forge expressed entirely by means of actual\r\nconversations, ejaculations, commands, and repartees, overheard and\r\nfaithfully recorded. Following that is a first-hand account of how the\r\nnight shift is worked, giving one entire night at the forge and noting\r\nthe various physical phases through which the workman passes and\r\nindicating the effects produced upon the body by the inversion of the\r\nnatural order of things. The remainder of the chapters is devoted to\r\nthe description and explanation of a variety of matters, including the\r\nmanner of putting on and discharging hands, methods of administration,\r\nintimidating and terrorising, the interpretation of moods and feelings\r\nduring the passage of the day, week and year, holidays, the effects\r\nof cold and heat, causes of sickness and accidents, the psychology of\r\nfat and lean workmen, comedy, tragedy, short time and overtime, the\r\nadvantagesor disadvantagesof education and intelligence, ending up\r\nwith a review of the industrial situation as it was before the war and\r\nremarks upon the future outlook. A table of wages paid at the works is\r\nadded as an appendix.\n\u003cb\u003e ......Buy Now (To Read More)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProduct details\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEbook Number\u003c\/b\u003e: 40975 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor\u003c\/b\u003e: Williams, Alfred \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRelease Date\u003c\/b\u003e: Oct 8, 2012 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat\u003c\/b\u003e: eBook \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage\u003c\/b\u003e: English \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Williams, Alfred,1877-1930 \/ eBook \/ English","offer_id":43221270593693,"sku":"gb-40975-ebook","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/products\/40975.jpg?v=1671588494","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/life-in-a-railway-factory-gb-40975","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}