Catalogue description Derby Locomotive Works, official photographs

An extensive archive which covers the construction and repair of locomotives, carriages and wagons, civil engineering, stations, goods depots, road vehicles, people, scenic views, places, publicity and events.

Derby Locomotive Works

• Railway transport
• Civil engineering

Handwritten photographers' registers listing negatives chronologically and alphabetically by subject. There are also many reference prints in binders in the Reading Room and albums of prints produced by the LMS. Some of the photographs taken in the late 1950s and early 1960s were also listed by the Railprint Joint Venture scheme which marketed these images for a short period.

The collection was created by Thomas Scotton, the first photographer employed at the works in 1882, and his successors.

Derby Locomotive Works was constructed in 1840 for the North Midland Railway, and in the years that followed 2,995 steam engines were built there for the Midland, LMS and British Railways. They included the famed Midland compounds, Stainer's Pacifics, the Royal Scots and British Railways' Standard locomotives. Derby produced diesels from 1934 onwards, and in 1947 built Britain's first main line diesel locomotives, so when construction of steam engines ended work was concentrated on diesels and diesel electrics. This continued until 1962, when production was transferred to Crewe and Derby Works was used for repair work.