Hi It appears as if they are arranged in order of use. The first two (on the right) have spades to prepare and level the ground, the next fourin the foreground are the layers/ setters who set the stones into place. The tools they carry are sort of a multi purpose tool which they used to tap/set the stones in much the same way that pavers today use a mallet and level . The two with the tampers came next to level the sets across the road and the sweeper at the back was not to clean up as most would think but rather to sweep the fine sand and rock dust mix between the stones so as to fix them into place and prevent movement. The tools that look like sub-machineguns are the multi tools, they are shaped rather like the police batons with an L shaped handle part way down the shaft. These could be used to pull and knock the stones into place. They are also long enough to help level a set of the stones so that they are roughly set at the same height. regards John Waite On 29/07/2012 1:29 AM, Bob Smith wrote: > Hi > > Spotted this photograph showing a gang of labourers laying paving blocks in > the 1930s > > Can anyone identify what the tools are that are being held like sub-machine > guns? > > regards > > > > Bob Smith >

Hi John Thanks for the reply. In retrospect it was pretty obvious that they were to do with the placement of the blocks, as it is pretty obvious what everything else is for! I was delighted when I found the photograph the photographer has captured in an imaginative way the road building process as it was. regards Bob Smith -----Original Message----- From: yorksgen-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:yorksgen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of John Waite Sent: 29 July 2012 00:41 To: yorksgen@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [YORKSGEN] Road building tools Hi It appears as if they are arranged in order of use. The first two (on the right) have spades to prepare and level the ground, the next fourin the foreground are the layers/ setters who set the stones into place. The tools they carry are sort of a multi purpose tool which they used to tap/set the stones in much the same way that pavers today use a mallet and level . The two with the tampers came next to level the sets across the road and the sweeper at the back was not to clean up as most would think but rather to sweep the fine sand and rock dust mix between the stones so as to fix them into place and prevent movement. The tools that look like sub-machineguns are the multi tools, they are shaped rather like the police batons with an L shaped handle part way down the shaft. These could be used to pull and knock the stones into place. They are also long enough to help level a set of the stones so that they are roughly set at the same height. regards John Waite On 29/07/2012 1:29 AM, Bob Smith wrote: > Hi > > Spotted this photograph showing a gang of labourers laying paving > blocks in the 1930s > > Can anyone identify what the tools are that are being held like > sub-machine guns? > > regards > > > > Bob Smith > ..... Ancestors in Yorkshire? http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/index.html; www.ryedalefamilyhistory.org; www.wharfedalefhg.org.uk; www.yorkshireparishregisters.com; www.yorkshireroots.org.uk; ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to YORKSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message