Cultureshock

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Video transcript

I was born in 1935 at Sunderland, which at that time one of the finest shipbuilding towns in the world. 

I was born into a shipbuilding and engine designing and manufacturing family, so it was no surprise to anyone that I also wanted to continue with the tradition.

My father, Robert Alexander Jordan had been a Doxford Engine Designer in the 1920s and then a Section Leader in the early 1960s, and my Uncle John Gardener a Doxford Engine designer in the mid 1920s. My Grandfather Gardener was a foreman boiler maker and my Grandfather Jordan an accountant in the shipyard with at least three more of his brothers working in various shipbuilding trades. Even my younger brother Bob worked in the Design Office with me.

In Sunderland near to the New Glass Centre, there was once a thriving shipyard and engine works, and one that Doxford Engines used as a test station for prototype engines. This was then called the Palmers Hill Research and Development test station.

This works in the early 1950s was used to produce spare parts for Doxford Engines as well as acting as a test site for Diesel Engines.

My involvement was with the R & D Department, testing the prototype “P” Doxford Engine.      At that time, which was the latter part of my apprenticeship I worked under the authority of the Technical Director, Mr Percy Jackson and Chief Research Engineer Mr John G Gunn. The Chief Designer at the Pallion site was a Mr George Jackson who is still fit and well at the ripe old age of 91 years. These three men were the nicest person you could have ever wished to be employed by.

On completion of the tests in the mid 1950s, I was then sent for by Queen and country to do my National Service. As my employment so far had been in the marine business, I obviously chose the Merchant Navy to train as an Engineer Officer. My first vessel, the MV Hurunui was fitted with Twin Doxford Engines.

On completion of my sea service, I returned to Doxford Engines, just about where I’d left off, back in the drawing office as a designer.

The Doxford Marine Diesel Engine is commonly termed a cathedral engine due to its size.

Beamish Museum now house the last of  the smallest range of engines, this is a  3 Cylinder, Opposed Piston, Constant Pressure Turbo-Charged 580mm bore machine, designed, built and tested at the Doxford Engine Works. This remains as testimony to the skills of the workforce involved over their entire working lives. Doxford Engines was not only a place of work, but was a family of engineers and many other skills who are unfortunately fast disappearing from this country. The drawings are still available and the skills can be again learned, so maybe, just maybe someday we will see the Doxford Engine again in future ships, who knows?

I remain for the time being one of those engineers who can still remember the halcyon days of the Doxford Engine.