Day 214 - Today we went to STEAM - A museum of the Great Western Railway which is housed in a restored Grade II railway building in the heart of the former Swindon railway works which was once one of the largest engineering complexes in the world.
Swindon was chosen as the site for GWR's locomotive repair facility in 1841, by 1846 not only was it repairing locomotives, it had produced its first engine 'The Great Western'. The works rapidly grew to include a carriage and wagon works, management, administrative offices, a gas works, drawing office, general stores, laboratory, telephone exchange, laundry and even it's own fire station.
At its height in the early decades of the 20th century the works employed around 14,000 men and women, the locomotive department had the capacity to build two engines a week and repair over 1,000 engines a year.
Sadly a decline in the fortune of the works following Nationalisation in 1948 and the end of diesel locomotive production meant that in 1986 Swindon works closed it doors.
@marlboromaam Thank you for your comment - I love doing collages as would take me forever to pick just one picture to use, I'm glad your enjoying them! @louannwarren Thank you for your comments - I do love a ride on a steam train, we are lucky in our town as there is still one that runs for tourists @mittens Thank you for your comment - it was a very interesting place to visit @ludwigsdiana Thank you for the comment - It was well presented from start to finish with lots to read and see @carole_sandford Thank you for your comment - We have a tourist steam train in our town that my Grandad use to drive, many years ago when it serviced the towns papermills
August 14th, 2021
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@louannwarren Thank you for your comments - I do love a ride on a steam train, we are lucky in our town as there is still one that runs for tourists
@mittens Thank you for your comment - it was a very interesting place to visit
@ludwigsdiana Thank you for the comment - It was well presented from start to finish with lots to read and see
@carole_sandford Thank you for your comment - We have a tourist steam train in our town that my Grandad use to drive, many years ago when it serviced the towns papermills