Help dating machine shop photograph - somewhere in England

[Pinetree]

Thanks again to everyone for the extra input.

I now believe the photograph to be later than I first thought and most likely RSAF.  I understand that both my Gr Grandfather and Grandfather were involved in building and maintaining the machines used in manufacturing so that would fit with items in the photograph being parts of steam powered machinery used in the factory.

In later life my Grandfather was a design engineer for Metalbox.

As always a wonderful response from Rootschatters 

Pinetree

[mazi]

Here is a small snippet from Wikipedia regarding the Small Arms Factory at Enfield.

"In 1866 another major expansion took place, when the watermill gave way to steampower. The total number of steam engines grew to sixteen".

I believe this could be the onsite Enfield Machine Shop, that serviced and maintained the Factory Steam Engines. Judging by some of the machinery being driven by the belt drives, steam power appears to be main source of operation. Electricity has made inroads, with respect to Shop lighting, but not yet fully capable of powering some of the heavy machinery.

That is certainly a possibility, I had not realised the small arms factory was quite as big.
How many swords and rifles does an army need. 

Mike

[tomkin]

Only 3 of the men are suitably dressed for working in a factory
the rest have white collars and perhaps visitors to the shop floor.
from the firm's offices.

  When I was an apprentice in an engineering workshop, I wore a white shirt and necktie.

   Some of the foremen wore bowler hats. If we went near moving machinery we were told to remove

  our ties in case we got strangled 

[dobfarm]

I also was an apprentice trained mechanical engineer, looking at that photo it would suggest late 19th century by the dress of the men and belt driven machines, though some machines could be early motor driven_?. That largish pipe machined flange of holes is quite big for a small machine shop as first impressions suggest and could be a machine shop shed in a large plant like a shipyard.

Date 1885 to 1920 (Possible later years with WW1 involved) by the dress of the men and no over garment like overhauls.           

?