Catalogue description Swindon Locomotive Works, photographs

The Swindon collections include the E1 to E5 series, featuring newly completed locomotives, usually in 'works grey' paint; the C-C series of carriages, the S-series images of workshops and the Swindon 5x4 series showing construction and maintenance of steam and diesel locomotives in the 1950s and 1960s. The ED-series concentrates mainly on detailed views of locomotive components, while the EO-series covers engine sheds.

Some of the negatives relating to Welsh subjects are currently on loan to the National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cathays Park Cardiff, CF1 3NP which provides a print service.

Great Western Railway, Swindon Locomotive Works

• Railway transport
• Transport engineering

Registers, ordered chronologically and part listed by the Railprint Joint Venture scheme which marketed these images in the late 1970s and early 1980s - see Railprint list P2, P3, P6 and P11-13.

In 1840 the Great Western Railway took the decision to site its works at Swindon, on the main line from London to Bristol, and by 1843 the works was already in operation. The first locomotive built entirely at the works, appropriately named the 'Great Western', was completed in 1846 to be followed over the years by famous GWR designs which have included the City, Saint, Star, Castle, Hall and King classes. At its peak the works employed over 10,000 people and to serve their needs the GWR constructed a new town, with company houses, a school, church, library, hospital, swimming pool and Mechanics Institute. Expansion of the Swindon site saw the construction of a carriage and wagon works in 1869, followed by a gasworks and chemical laboratory.

During both World Wars Swindon Works manufactured munitions and components for weapons and military hardware. In 1939 Swindon had built its first diesel railcar, and following nationalisation in 1948 construction of diesel shunters began. The first main line diesel-hydraulic locomotive was built at Swindon in 1958 and then in 1960 the works produced British Railway's last steam locomotive, 'Evening Star'. Production of diesels for British Railways ceased in 1965 and the works then turned to maintenance and refurbishment of existing stock. The works gradually contracted and was closed in 1986. The works has been redeveloped as a commercial and heritage centre. It already houses the Monuments Record Centre and business units, and will soon become the site of a massive retail park and the new GWR Museum.