Swindon Works – The Final Years

Our speaker for the start of the 2023/2024 Season was Canon Brian Armon and the subject was “Swindon – The Final Years”. The standardisation of BR Diesel locomotives away from the Western Region Hydraulic locos resulted in a major loss of work. The last new BR locomotives were the Class 14 Diesel Hydraulics built in the 1960’s. At this time Harry Roberts was appointed as Swindon Works Manager when many feared the end of Swindon Works. Harry was impressed with the capacity and skills available and set about finding new work for the works to undertake.  This included building small cabin cruiser boats, overhauling Bristol Buses, and manufacture of cooling groups for Class 56 locos. This was the early days of Steam Loco preservation and the restoration of the Adams Radial Tank to working order was undertaken. British Railways still had a considerable number of Diesel Shunters and maintenance work on Class 03 and 08 diesel locos was carried out. The Carriage works had closed previously so maintenance work was carried out on Western Region DMU’s. The biggest contract carried out was the total refurbishment of the Kent Coast EMU’s built between 1956 and 1963 for the Southern Region. This involved more than 550 carriages between 1979 and 1984. The last new locomotives built were 0-8-0 diesel hydraulic shunters built under licence for Kenyan Railways. There followed a decline in work and reduction in staff and Swindon Works finally closed in 1987 when Tarmac took over the site for redevelopment.  However some of the works buildings still remain today as part of the “Designer Outlet Village” and the Swindon Steam GWR Museum. Thanks to Brian for a very interesting presentation.