It was good to finally see inside this place after so many years. From 2004 I used to pass the place regularly due to work. I didnt bother with taking photos that much, so I had the camera on auto and they are not brilliant. There was far to much stuff to look around and rummage through, we spent over four hours at the site. Some history...
It was at Whetstone that Frank Whittle set up what is believed to have been the first factory in the World built specifically for jet engine production. By 1944, up to 300 employees were producing 20 engines a month for the Gloster Meteor aircraft. Whittle’s original Company was called Power Jets Ltd. This became part of the National Gas Turbine Establishment in 1946 and was later transferred to Pyestock. The Whetstone site was acquired by English Electric, which then became GEC and is now ALSTOM. There has been an almost continuous presence of staff working on gas turbine design, development, test and production for the last 50 years. Back in the 1940’s the Whetstone site also developed and tested new jet engine ideas. The related activity of gas turbine development is carried on to this day at Whetstone by the ALSTOM Power Technology Centre. It takes place now in a state-of-the-art test facility just yards from the original buildings and named after the pioneer, the Whittle Research Centre. The site also housed the Atomic Power Division and Mechanical Engineering Laboratories. A lot of early computer technology was developed here, as well as robotics, wind turbines, and nuclear power plant, among other things.
Engineering
Still not sure what the hell these were for, went very deep underground.
A reception area
Offices
Back in engineering
Part of a massive dining/function room.
Office in another area
There were thousands of files, books and diagrams. Some rooms were barely accessible there were so many
Not sure what this area was used for
It was at Whetstone that Frank Whittle set up what is believed to have been the first factory in the World built specifically for jet engine production. By 1944, up to 300 employees were producing 20 engines a month for the Gloster Meteor aircraft. Whittle’s original Company was called Power Jets Ltd. This became part of the National Gas Turbine Establishment in 1946 and was later transferred to Pyestock. The Whetstone site was acquired by English Electric, which then became GEC and is now ALSTOM. There has been an almost continuous presence of staff working on gas turbine design, development, test and production for the last 50 years. Back in the 1940’s the Whetstone site also developed and tested new jet engine ideas. The related activity of gas turbine development is carried on to this day at Whetstone by the ALSTOM Power Technology Centre. It takes place now in a state-of-the-art test facility just yards from the original buildings and named after the pioneer, the Whittle Research Centre. The site also housed the Atomic Power Division and Mechanical Engineering Laboratories. A lot of early computer technology was developed here, as well as robotics, wind turbines, and nuclear power plant, among other things.
Engineering
Still not sure what the hell these were for, went very deep underground.
A reception area
Offices
Back in engineering
Part of a massive dining/function room.
Office in another area
There were thousands of files, books and diagrams. Some rooms were barely accessible there were so many
Not sure what this area was used for
is this the place that would've made underground tube trains? On some of the tubes in the London Underground, just as you get on, there's a metal bit and it says GEC ALSTOM and I was wondering if it had anything to do with it. I may be wrong though.
