Archived Report - Rover factory, Longbridge - 17/11/06

[Oxygen Thief]

Visited with Raddog. It was good to be back especially after the mental trip to the West works last year. However the East side is something else. A full car factory just sat there, just waiting for the workers to come back. The power is on, the components are in place, the computers are running, this place is amazing.

Started in the Flight Shed where we bumped into Snappel, BenWRX, Spook and Reefdog. If we hadn't seen anything else that would of been good enough.

Next to the engine testbeds. Eye-poppingly good. You could say "as if they just left yesterday", in fact they are still in use, there are engines on the dynos and notes dated today. Not good.

We went our own ways, first to the refinishing plant. Here (I think) vehicles would get bodywork and paint faults rectified. Then on to the production areas, which are just immense. As before, the cars are hanging on the line just waiting to be built. Unreal.

The MGTF line is being rebuilt in an amazing refitted building, it's going to be good in there, best of luck gents.

Then we went into a long 'underground' tunnel. I don't think it's really underground but feels like it. It's stuffed full of Rovers on the conveyor. At one end there's steam gushing from a broken pipe, and it's also flooded, probably flooding out the WW2 bunkers in this area.

Back to the plant again, a final look around and we split.

The first set of pics is from the Flight Shed, Engine testbeds, R&D, and into the body repair shop...

[Oxygen Thief]

...and some pictures from the production areas, and the long tunnel...