MECHANICAL AIDS & HEAVY EQUIPMENT MENU

Click here for thumbnail pictures of Mechanical Aids

The GPO had many items called Mechanical Aids which were generally heavy tools that were not issued to personal tool kits.  This could include pole handling tools, wire storage, lifting equipment, road signs, traffic lights etc.

The GPO, Post Office and the early years of BT, also had a small Mechanical Aids department at Telephone Engineering Centres, where staff could loan, on a temporary basis, tools and equipment that they would only require occasionally.  Think of the Mechanical Aids department as an in house hire shop!

Mechanical Aids held items like winches, pumps, generators, hammer drills, lighting and road signs.

The Mechanical Aids engineer, as well as organising the equipment, was also involved with the scheduled testing of ladders, steps and electrical equipment.

Also included in this section are large or heavy items only used in specialist areas, such as stores etc.  Most of the text is from the instructions that were introduced in 1954 to describe mechanical aids equipment.

The items within the Mechanical Aids/heavy equipment area are so diverse that the best way to present them is via pictures.  Please follow the link below.

This section also has some vehicles that do not really fit in the Vehicles area of this web site.

Any reference to the abbreviation "P.E.D." means "petrol engine driven".

Electrical items were also coded with a colour to indicate electrical characteristics.  All could either DC or single phase 50hz AC.  This system of marking was dropped later on and just the voltage and supply type were indicated in the description.

Last revised: March 14, 2026