Swindon Works
Encyclopedia
Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway
in 1841 in Swindon
in the English
county of Wiltshire
.
. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel
.
From 1836, Brunel had been buying locomotives from various makers for the new railway. Few of them were satisfactory, some suggest, because of Brunel's specifications. In 1837, Brunel recruited Daniel Gooch
and gave him the job of rectifying the situation.
It became clear that the GWR needed a central repair works so, in 1840 Gooch identified a site at Swindon because it was at the junction of the Cheltenham
branch and also a "convenient division of the Great Western line for engine working". With Brunel's support, Gooch made his proposal to the GWR directors, who, on 25 February 1841, authorised the establishment of the works at Swindon. Construction started immediately and they became operational on 2 January 1843.
were surveying a vale
north of Swindon Hill and Brunel either threw a stone or dropped a sandwich and declared that spot to be the new location of the works.
The works transformed Swindon from a small market town
into a railway town
, boosted the population considerably and provided medical and educational facilities that had been sorely lacking.
The Great Western Railway was originally planned to cut through Savernake Forest
near Marlborough, but the Marquess of Ailesbury
, who owned the land, objected. The Marquess had previously objected to part of the Kennet and Avon Canal
running through his estate (see Bruce Tunnel
).
With the railway needing to run near to a canal at this point, and as it was cheaper to transport coal for trains along canals at this time, Swindon was the next logical choice for the works, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of the original route.
The line was laid in 1840, but the location of the works was still undecided. Tracks were laid at Didcot
in 1839 (chosen as Lord Wantage
did not want the railway passing close to Abingdon
) and for some time this seemed a more likely site.
Gooch noted that the nearby Wilts and Berks Canal
gave Swindon a direct connection with the Somerset coalfield
. He also realised that engines needed to be changed at Swindon or close by as the gradients from Swindon to Bristol
were much more arduous than the relatively easy gradients between London and Swindon. Drawing water for the engines from the canals was also considered, and an agreement to this effect was completed in 1843.
Gooch recorded at the time "I was called to report upon the best situation to build these works and, on full consideration, I reported in favour of Swindon, it being the junction with the Cheltenham branch and also a convenient division of the Great Western Line for the engine working. Mr. Brunel and I went to look at the ground, then only green fields, and he agreed with me as to its being the best place."
Once the plan was set for the railway to come to Swindon, it was at first intended to bring it closely along the foot of Swindon Hill so as to be as close as possible to the town without entailing the excessive engineering works of building on the hill. However, the Goddard family (Lords of the Manor
of Swindon), following the example the Marquess of Ailesbury (and many other landowners of the day) objected to having it near their property, so it was laid a couple of miles further north.
Initially only employing 200 men, repairs began in 1843, with the first new locomotive, the "Premier", built in 1846 in under two weeks and renamed "Great Western". This was followed by six more, the "Iron Dukes
", including "The Lord of the Isles", considered the fastest broad-gauge engine of its day. By 1851 the works were employing over 2000 men and were producing about one locomotive a week, with the first standard-gauge engine built in 1855. A rolling mill for manufacturing rails was installed in 1861, attracting workers from South Wales
. Although some rolling stock was built at Wolverhampton
(producing 800 standard-gauge locomotives up to 1908), Worcester
and Saltney
near Chester
, most of the work was concentrated at Swindon.
Like most early railways, the GWR was built with gentle gradients and the minimum of curves, which meant that it was able to operate fast lightweight 'single-wheelers', 2-2-2
and 4-2-2
. However, from 1849 Gooch also built 4-4-0
saddle tanks for the hillier routes in Devon
.
In addition to locomotive building, from 1850 standardised goods wagons were produced and in 1867 Swindon was made the central workshop
for the construction of carriages and wagons, with extensions and 13 miles (20.9 km) of additional sidings. In 1864, when Joseph Armstrong
took over, he took on the responsibility of improving the passenger stock. In 1878 a separate carriage and wagon works was built on land north of the station. The first Royal Saloon was built in 1874 and converted to standard gauge in 1899.
1875 saw the opening of the boiler and tender making shops, eventually used to also produce parts for locomotives, and marine engines for the GWR's fleet of ships and barges.
In 1892 the GWR made the decision to convert rolling stock to standard gauge. All locomotives, wagons and carriages were brought to Swindon for conversion. Those that could not be converted were scrapped.
Churchward
's tenure, first as Assistant Chief Superintendent in 1897, then Locomotive Superintendent in 1902 , produced heavier locomotives, firstly the 4-4-0
City class
, then the County class
. Later in 1906, "North Star", originally 4-4-2
, was rebuilt as the first four-cylinder 4-6-0
. Later four-cylindered engines were 4-6-0
built and, in 1908 the first "Pacific" 4-6-2
, the only one of its type in the country for many years. It was later rebuilt as a 4-6-0
.
The first GWR through corridor train was built in 1891, with electric lighting introduced in 1900.
From 1914 the works turned to aiding the war effort, producing twelve howitzer
s by the end of the year.
, Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1921 to 1941, greatly improved the works' boiler making and its facilities for working heavy gauge sheet metal. In 1927 the GWR's most powerful and largest locomotive, the King class
, was introduced to become the "flagship" of the GWR fleet. The Kings had been developed from the Castle Class
which, along with the Halls
, were the foundation of the GWR's reputation and image.
This was the heyday of Swindon Works, when 14,000 people were employed and the main locomotive fabrication workshop, the A Shop was, at 11.25 acres (45,527.2 m²), one of the largest covered areas in the world.
During World War II
Swindon was once again involved with military hardware, producing various types of gun mountings. Loco wheel-turning lathes were also ideally suited for making turret rings for tanks. The works also built landing craft and parts for midget submarines.
In 1947 the works were still producing 60 new locomotives in the year, falling to 42 in 1954. Between 1949 and 1960 some 200 of the various BR Standard locomotives were produced. British Rail
way's last steam locomotive BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star
was built in 1960 and the first diesel-hydraulic main line locomotive in 1957.
diesel-hydraulic locomotives. Locomotive repairs and carriage and wagon work continued, though the original carriage and wagon workshop was sold. The works closed in 1986, but one building currently houses a museum
dedicated to the Great Western Railway
. The engineers' office is now the headquarters of English Heritage
. Purpose-built storage now houses the archive of the National Monuments Record
Most of the remaining buildings are part of the Designer Outlet Village
.
' book Life in a Railway Factory has been described as "the most important literary work ever produced in Swindon, about Swindon". At the time, the town of Swindon, with a population of about 50,000, was almost entirely dependent on the railway works for its survival and prosperity. The book is a frank account of the very hard working conditions in this enormous industrial complex, which then employed 12,000 people (almost all men), and includes information both about how locomotives were made and the people who made them.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1841 in Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
History
In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of a railway between London and BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
.
From 1836, Brunel had been buying locomotives from various makers for the new railway. Few of them were satisfactory, some suggest, because of Brunel's specifications. In 1837, Brunel recruited Daniel Gooch
Daniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
and gave him the job of rectifying the situation.
It became clear that the GWR needed a central repair works so, in 1840 Gooch identified a site at Swindon because it was at the junction of the Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
branch and also a "convenient division of the Great Western line for engine working". With Brunel's support, Gooch made his proposal to the GWR directors, who, on 25 February 1841, authorised the establishment of the works at Swindon. Construction started immediately and they became operational on 2 January 1843.
Location
There are several stories relating to how the railway came to pass through Swindon, with a well-circulated myth that Brunel and Daniel GoochDaniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
were surveying a vale
River Valley
River Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
north of Swindon Hill and Brunel either threw a stone or dropped a sandwich and declared that spot to be the new location of the works.
The works transformed Swindon from a small market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
into a railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
, boosted the population considerably and provided medical and educational facilities that had been sorely lacking.
The Great Western Railway was originally planned to cut through Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
near Marlborough, but the Marquess of Ailesbury
Marquess of Ailesbury
Marquess of Ailesbury is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 17 July 1821 for Charles Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury....
, who owned the land, objected. The Marquess had previously objected to part of the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
running through his estate (see Bruce Tunnel
Bruce Tunnel
The Bruce Tunnel is on the summit pound of the Kennet and Avon Canal between Wootton Top Lock and Crofton Locks in Wiltshire, England.This is the only tunnel on the canal and it is 502 yards long...
).
With the railway needing to run near to a canal at this point, and as it was cheaper to transport coal for trains along canals at this time, Swindon was the next logical choice for the works, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of the original route.
The line was laid in 1840, but the location of the works was still undecided. Tracks were laid at Didcot
Didcot
Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
in 1839 (chosen as Lord Wantage
Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron Wantage
Brigadier-General Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron Wantage, VC KCB was of Scottish descent; soldier, politician, benefactor to Wantage, one of the founders of the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War latterly called the British Red Cross Society, for which he...
did not want the railway passing close to Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
) and for some time this seemed a more likely site.
Gooch noted that the nearby Wilts and Berks Canal
Wilts and Berks Canal
The Wilts & Berks Canal is a canal in the historic counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire, England, linking the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Melksham, to the River Thames at Abingdon. The North Wilts Canal merged with it to become a branch to the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton near...
gave Swindon a direct connection with the Somerset coalfield
Somerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
. He also realised that engines needed to be changed at Swindon or close by as the gradients from Swindon to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
were much more arduous than the relatively easy gradients between London and Swindon. Drawing water for the engines from the canals was also considered, and an agreement to this effect was completed in 1843.
Gooch recorded at the time "I was called to report upon the best situation to build these works and, on full consideration, I reported in favour of Swindon, it being the junction with the Cheltenham branch and also a convenient division of the Great Western Line for the engine working. Mr. Brunel and I went to look at the ground, then only green fields, and he agreed with me as to its being the best place."
Once the plan was set for the railway to come to Swindon, it was at first intended to bring it closely along the foot of Swindon Hill so as to be as close as possible to the town without entailing the excessive engineering works of building on the hill. However, the Goddard family (Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Swindon), following the example the Marquess of Ailesbury (and many other landowners of the day) objected to having it near their property, so it was laid a couple of miles further north.
Early years
The first building, the locomotive repair shed, was completed in 1841 using contract labour, with the necessary machinery installed within it by 1842.Initially only employing 200 men, repairs began in 1843, with the first new locomotive, the "Premier", built in 1846 in under two weeks and renamed "Great Western". This was followed by six more, the "Iron Dukes
GWR Iron Duke Class
The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class 4-2-2 was a class of broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work.-History:The prototype locomotive, Great Western, was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846, but was soon converted to a 4-2-2 arrangement...
", including "The Lord of the Isles", considered the fastest broad-gauge engine of its day. By 1851 the works were employing over 2000 men and were producing about one locomotive a week, with the first standard-gauge engine built in 1855. A rolling mill for manufacturing rails was installed in 1861, attracting workers from South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Although some rolling stock was built at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton railway works
Wolverhampton railway works was in the city of Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire, England. It was almost due north of the city centre, and is commemorated with a small display of level crossing gates and a plaque...
(producing 800 standard-gauge locomotives up to 1908), Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and Saltney
Saltney
Saltney is a small town in Flintshire, Wales. It is immediately to the west of the border with Cheshire in England and is contiguous with the Chester urban area.The name is derived from the former salt marshes on which it is built, lying on the River Dee...
near Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, most of the work was concentrated at Swindon.
Like most early railways, the GWR was built with gentle gradients and the minimum of curves, which meant that it was able to operate fast lightweight 'single-wheelers', 2-2-2
2-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
and 4-2-2
4-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle....
. However, from 1849 Gooch also built 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
saddle tanks for the hillier routes in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
In addition to locomotive building, from 1850 standardised goods wagons were produced and in 1867 Swindon was made the central workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
for the construction of carriages and wagons, with extensions and 13 miles (20.9 km) of additional sidings. In 1864, when Joseph Armstrong
Joseph Armstrong (engineer)
Joseph Armstrong was a British locomotive engineer and the second locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway...
took over, he took on the responsibility of improving the passenger stock. In 1878 a separate carriage and wagon works was built on land north of the station. The first Royal Saloon was built in 1874 and converted to standard gauge in 1899.
1875 saw the opening of the boiler and tender making shops, eventually used to also produce parts for locomotives, and marine engines for the GWR's fleet of ships and barges.
In 1892 the GWR made the decision to convert rolling stock to standard gauge. All locomotives, wagons and carriages were brought to Swindon for conversion. Those that could not be converted were scrapped.
Expansion
At the turn of the century, the works were employing an estimated ¾ of Swindon's entire workforce.Churchward
George Jackson Churchward
George Jackson Churchward CBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1922.-Early career:...
's tenure, first as Assistant Chief Superintendent in 1897, then Locomotive Superintendent in 1902 , produced heavier locomotives, firstly the 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
City class
GWR 3700 Class
The Great Western Railway 3700 Class, or City Class, locomotives were a series of twenty 4-4-0 steam locomotives, designed for hauling express passenger trains.-Construction:...
, then the County class
GWR 3800 Class
The Great Western Railway County Class were a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives for express passenger train work introduced in 1904 in a batch of ten...
. Later in 1906, "North Star", originally 4-4-2
4-4-2 (locomotive)
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
, was rebuilt as the first four-cylinder 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
. Later four-cylindered engines were 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
built and, in 1908 the first "Pacific" 4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
, the only one of its type in the country for many years. It was later rebuilt as a 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
.
The first GWR through corridor train was built in 1891, with electric lighting introduced in 1900.
From 1914 the works turned to aiding the war effort, producing twelve howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s by the end of the year.
Heyday
C. B. CollettCharles Collett
Charles Benjamin Collett was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1922 to 1941. He designed the GWR's 4-6-0 Castle and King Class express passenger locomotives.-Career:...
, Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1921 to 1941, greatly improved the works' boiler making and its facilities for working heavy gauge sheet metal. In 1927 the GWR's most powerful and largest locomotive, the King class
GWR 6000 Class
The Great Western Railway 6000 Class or King is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. With the exception of one Pacific , they were the largest locomotives the GWR built. They were named after kings of the United Kingdom and of England, beginning with the reigning...
, was introduced to become the "flagship" of the GWR fleet. The Kings had been developed from the Castle Class
GWR 4073 Class
The GWR 4073 Class or Castle class locomotives are a group of 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway. They were originally designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains.-History:A development of the earlier...
which, along with the Halls
GWR 4900 Class
The Great Western Railway 4900 Class or Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 mixed traffic steam locomotives designed by Charles Collett. A total of 259 were built, numbered 4900–4999, 5900–5999 and 6900–6958. The LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 and LNER Thompson Class B1 both drew heavily on design features...
, were the foundation of the GWR's reputation and image.
This was the heyday of Swindon Works, when 14,000 people were employed and the main locomotive fabrication workshop, the A Shop was, at 11.25 acres (45,527.2 m²), one of the largest covered areas in the world.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Swindon was once again involved with military hardware, producing various types of gun mountings. Loco wheel-turning lathes were also ideally suited for making turret rings for tanks. The works also built landing craft and parts for midget submarines.
In 1947 the works were still producing 60 new locomotives in the year, falling to 42 in 1954. Between 1949 and 1960 some 200 of the various BR Standard locomotives were produced. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
way's last steam locomotive BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star
BR standard class 9F 92220 Evening Star
British Railways Standard Class 9F number 92220 Evening Star, is a preserved British steam locomotive completed in 1960. It was the last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways. It holds the distinction of being the only British main line steam locomotive ear-marked for preservation from...
was built in 1960 and the first diesel-hydraulic main line locomotive in 1957.
Decline and closure
New building of locomotives at Swindon finished in 1965 with construction of the Class 14British Rail Class 14
The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance...
diesel-hydraulic locomotives. Locomotive repairs and carriage and wagon work continued, though the original carriage and wagon workshop was sold. The works closed in 1986, but one building currently houses a museum
Swindon Steam Railway Museum
STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, also known as Swindon Steam Railway Museum, is located at the site of the old railway works in Swindon, England – Wiltshire's 'railway town'...
dedicated to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. The engineers' office is now the headquarters of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. Purpose-built storage now houses the archive of the National Monuments Record
Most of the remaining buildings are part of the Designer Outlet Village
Swindon Designer Outlet
thumb|right|Swindon Designer Outlet, a shopping complex built within the disused Swindon railway engine works.thumb|right|A Swindon-built locomotive on display in the eating area of the Outlet...
.
Superintendents and Chief Engineers
- Sir Daniel GoochDaniel GoochSir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent 1837-1864 - Joseph ArmstrongJoseph Armstrong (engineer)Joseph Armstrong was a British locomotive engineer and the second locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway...
, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent 1864-1877 - Major William Dean, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent 1877-1902
- G. J. ChurchwardGeorge Jackson ChurchwardGeorge Jackson Churchward CBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1922.-Early career:...
, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent 1902 to 1916, and Chief Mechanical Engineer 1916-1921 - C. B. Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer 1921-1941
- F. W. HawksworthFrederick HawksworthFrederick W. Hawksworth , was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway ....
, Chief Mechanical Engineer 1941-1949
Organisation
A great many different activities were carried out within the works and most of the components used to make locomotives, carriages and wagons were made on site. The works were organised into a number of shops:-| Shop | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Erectors, Boilermakers, Painters, Machine and Wheel Shop |
| B | Erectors, Boilermakers, Painters and Tender Shop |
| BSE | Engine Reception and Preparation |
| C | Concentration Yard (recovery of scrap metal) |
| D | Carpenters and Masons |
| E | Electrical Shop |
| F | Smiths, Springsmiths and Chainmakers |
| G | Millwrights |
| H | Pattern makers |
| J | Iron Foundry |
| J2 | Chair Foundry |
| K | Coppersmiths and Sheet Metal Workers |
| L2 | Tank Shop |
| M | Electric Sub-Station |
| N | Bolt Shop |
| O | Tool Room |
| P1 | Steaming and Boiler Mounting |
| PL | Platelayer Platelayer A platelayer or trackman is a railway employee whose job is to inspect and maintain the permanent way of a railway installation.The term derives from the plates used to build plateways, an early form of railway.... s; Loco. Works, Rails, Roads and Water Mains Maintenance |
| Q | Angle Iron Smiths |
| R | Fitters, Turners and Machinemen |
| SP | Springsmiths |
| T | Brass finishers |
| TH | Testing House |
| U | Brass Foundry |
| V | Boilermakers |
| W | Turners and Machinemen |
| X | Points and Crossings, Fittings for Permanent Way |
| Z | Transport |
| Shop | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sawmill (West End) |
| 2 | Sawmill |
| 3 | Fitting and Machines |
| 4 | Carriage Body Building |
| 5 | Electric Train Lighting |
| 7 | Carriage Finishing and Polishers |
| 8 | Carriage Painting |
| 9 | Carriage Trimming |
| 9a | Lining Sewers (female) |
| 10 | Laundry (female) |
| 11 | General Labourers |
| 12 | Carpenters |
| 13 | Wagon Frame Building |
| 13a | Carriage Frame Repairs |
| 14 | Smiths |
| 15 | Fitting, Machining, Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters, Sheet Metal Workers and Coppersmiths |
| 16 | Wheel |
| 17 | Road Vehicle Building and Repairing |
| 18 | Stamping |
| 19a | Carriage Trimmers Repairs |
| 19b | Carriage Finishers Repairs |
| 19c | Carriage Lifters |
| 19d | Vacuum Brake and Carriage Bogie Repairs |
| 20 | Horse Box and Carriage Truck Repairs |
| 21 | Wagon Building and Repairs |
| 22 | Oil and Grease Works |
| 23 | Platelayers’ Yard, Maintenance and Breaking-up Yard |
| 24 | Carriage Repairs |
Literature
Alfred WilliamsAlfred Williams (Poet)
Alfred Mason Williams was a poet who lived in the vicinity of Swindon, UK. He was almost entirely self taught, producing his most famous work, Life in a Railway Factory , at night after completing a gruelling day's work in the Great Western Railway works in Swindon...
' book Life in a Railway Factory has been described as "the most important literary work ever produced in Swindon, about Swindon". At the time, the town of Swindon, with a population of about 50,000, was almost entirely dependent on the railway works for its survival and prosperity. The book is a frank account of the very hard working conditions in this enormous industrial complex, which then employed 12,000 people (almost all men), and includes information both about how locomotives were made and the people who made them.
External links
- STEAM museum
- Swindon's Railway Heritage
- Jobs on the Line - BBC TV documentary about Swindon Works and the redundancy threats in 1982
- Requiem for a Railway - Three-part BBC TV documentary from the mid-80s about Swindon Works and the closure