Page 26 - link magazine

SwindGn Wide
26
Swindon Works comes into its own

Railway historian Steve Wakefield continues his series of articles marking the 175th anniversary
of the Great Western Railway by explaining how Swindon Works became established.
When Swindon railway works minutes to com- ficulties with a and in 1861 he reached the pinna-
^ OQ pi ING 1> 5 ^^
opened in 1843 the GWR was still plete the journey. board that want- cle when he opened his own mill
purchasing locomotives from Fen- At an average ed to know all at Swindon to produce rails. This
ton, Murray and Jackson which had speed of 67mph, 1 835 2010 the minor details partly came about because in No-
recently built 20 of the Firefly class. it was an unbe- of what was hap- vember 1854 the GWR absorbed
sw N00
However the boom for them was lievable feat for pening at Swin- the standard gauge Shrewsbury
now over and they shut later that its time; Swindon don Works, as & Chester Railway and in 1855
year. The Bristol Firm of Stothert was now at the forefront of world- well as the operation of the railway. the first standard gauge locomo-
and Slaughter also built Fireflys wide locomotive construction. Incidentally. 1846 was also tive was constructed at Swindon
for the GWR and continued build- It has passed into folklore but another milestone for Swindon works. This diversification gave the
ing special banking locos for the at the time Gooch pointed out to as it sounded the death knell for GWR a competitive advantage.
GWR after 1846. the GWR board that as they were the broad gauge. In that year the Building locomotives and equip-
Brunel's locomotive superin- paying him and some of the most Gauge Commission reported that ment for both gauges, in 1861 on a
tendent Daniel Gooch had relied highly skilled engineers in the the narrow gauge (now standard 999 year lease the GWR absorbed
heavily on Stephenson who had country, why were they still having gauge) of 4ft 8'/2 was to be the fa- the West Midland Railway consist-
an interest in the Vulcan Foundry locomotives built in the north of voured gauge though broad gauge ing of 200 miles of standard gauge
in Newton le Willows in the North the country. A director wondered remained until 1892. track and a large amount of equip-
West of England, that had built as to `why they should pay their Even to this day, some believe ment. To maximise its use of the
several locomotives for the GWR engineer (Gooch) a large salary, this was a short sighted decision dual gauge rolling stock it now
and the board was content with as the best man in his trade and because, had broad gauge been owned, the GWR added a third
this arrangement. then disregard his advice.' favoured, it would have put the rail between the broad gauge rails
All that was about to change Gooch took full advantage of railways in a more competitive ad- already laid between Paddington
when, in 1846, Gooch wrote his the comment and from 1846 it vantage over road transport. and Reading, and soon after to
place into railway history with his wasn't only locomotives the Swin- Gooch nevertheless pushed on Swindon, Exeter and Gloucester.
design for a `colossal locomotive don Works was going to make.
working with all speed.' It started producing more of the Mayors linked in rail works photos
Swindon Works out shopped equipment needed to operate an
Roy Nash, the unofficial photographer in Swindon Works in the years
'Great Western,' a 2-2-2 later con- efficient railway.
before it closed welcomed former works engineer and now Swindon
verted to a 4-2-2-wheel arrange- This diverse and complex pro-
ment. On its first run from Pad- cess of making everything the mayor Rex Barnett and his wife Sandra at an exhibition of his pictures
recording mayoral visits to the works from the 1960s to 1980s.
dington to Didcot it took only 47 GWR needed caused Gooch dif-

Call now f • a intm nt
en Ob793 8^ 120
or 0 967 36 322
HOME VI ITS A ILABLE

RO N crsl
SWIF
Roy Nash presents Rex and Sandra Barnett with a photograph of Evening
Star, the last locomotive built in Swindon, with former mayor Steve Wakefield
V They had never met but quickly ex- ing section and used to serve tea
changed memories of life inside the to Mr Diamond in his grand office
With 250 bikes works and all the people they knew which had its own bathroom which
of and worked with .They discovered
on show that Roy, 83, had attended Pinehurst was amazing.
"He was such a lovely kind man,
THE price is right School with Rex's sister Ruby. I was in awe of him."
Roy worked in the drawing office But then she got her own man
THE parking is free
whilst being called to cover photo when she met Rex at the weekly
opportunities when VIPs visited Majestic Dances atthe covered over
the works. Rex became a fitter and Milton Road baths.They married two
laughed when he sawformer mayor years later in 1960 and completing
Parts, repairs, accessories, Reg Clarke and his wife sitting on the circle they became mayor and
back up stock the bed in the Royal coach. "I fitted mayoress fifty years later.
the plumbing to it and remember The mayor said, "it's superb to see
Open: Monday to Saturday /
having to pack huge amounts of Roy's pictures, they make the link
9am to 5.30pm pa sound proofing into the toilet walls." between the railways and Swindon
Closed Sundays
Not to be left out mayoress San- Council. In the first seventy three
dra Barnett said she was delighted years of the council, before the
to see Roy's picture of head engi- works closed, forty eight mayors
neer AWG Diamond when he was had worked for the railways."
mayor of Swindon in1965.1 was an The exhibition at West Swindon
office girl aged 15 in the engineer- Library continues until 16 July.