Horwich Drawings and Microfilm List Description: The bulk of Horwich records held by the National Railway Museum are locomotive engineering drawings, with some charts, tables, diagrams and electrical engineering drawings. These drawings relate to the construction, running and maintenance of locomotives built at Horwich Locomotive Works, and also include other contractor/works drawings for locomotives and parts sent to Horwich. The drawings span the administration of Horwich Locomotive Works (c1876 –1960) by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the London & North Western Railway, the London, Midland & Scottish Railway and British Railways (London Midland Region). The collection also contains drawing registers and official works photographs, which are aren't listed here but are accessible via Search Engine. System of Arrangement: The majority of drawings are marked with a drawing number. However, due to the shortage of corroborating records (registers) relating to the bulk of the engineering drawings, it has not been possible to firmly establish the original arrangement of these records. The scheme of arrangement employed is based on the only surviving drawing register, i.e. with each drawing listed numerically by it’s drawing number. The realisation that duplicate drawing numbers existed, and that many of these did not correspond with those documented in the register, suggests that there were several drawing series that ran independently of main series of Horwich created drawings. These drawings have been extracted from the main series and grouped into individual series according to creator or function. Physical Characteristics: The majority of drawings are on wax linen and are in a fair condition. There are also some paper prints/tracings and drawings on cartridge paper on linen that are in a more fragile condition. The registers are in fair condition. Photographic negatives are mainly silver gelatin glass with some on silver gelatin contact prints, silver gelatin, platinotypes and printing paper. Administrative History: The title, "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company" (L&Y) was adopted by the Manchester & Leeds Railway Company in July 1847 following several amalgamations with smaller railway companies. During the 1840’s and 1850’s the company had absorbed smaller railways throughout the Yorkshire, Lancashire and Liverpool region to establish a dense network of lines. Although the lines covered relatively limited miles, the increased demand for goods/coal transportation and short-haul passenger trains meant that both goods and passenger traffic was heavy. This demand on the Company’s locomotives meant that they were overused and poorly maintained. Diverse stock inherited from its amalgamated railways only exacerbated its maintenance problems and, combined with the L&Y Board’s preference to pay shareholders profits rather than invest in the company itself, the L&Y gained a poor reputation for service. The appointment of Barton Wright in 1875 as the Chief Locomotive Superintendent (bringing all of the company’s locomotive departments under his influence) signalled a change in the Board’s direction. As an advocate of standardising the locomotives and utilising interchangeable parts to ease their maintenance, Barton Wright also raised the issue of establishing proper works facilities. Until then, repair work had been difficult to standardise as it was split between Miles Platting, Bury and various other L&Y locomotive sheds. Since 1846, Miles Platting had served as home to both the L&Y’s locomotive building department and the carriage and wagon works. A fire at the Miles Platting site in 1873 meant that the carriage and wagon works were later transferred to a new site at Newton Heath (1877). The locomotive sheds at Miles Platting were salvaged and it continued to be responsible for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s locomotives (along with the Locomotive Department at Victoria Station Manchester). Although it was then able to concentrate on building locomotives, Miles Platting was still overwhelmed by demand and resorted to commissioning some privately built locomotives. With little potential for expanding the facilities at Mile Platting’s cramped site, a new site was sought to accommodate a modern works that could meet the demand. With John Ramsbottom (ex-London & North Western Railway) advising, the L&Y sought an alternative site that was centrally located and able to supply a workforce, water and coal. In 1884 the land for a new works at Horwich, in Bolton was purchased and building work began the following year. When Barton Wright left the company in 1886, his successor John Aspinall, (with the new title of Chief Mechanical Engineer) inherited an improved L&Y. He too would advocate the standardisation of engines. By 1887 Miles Platting was closed and all repairs were transferred to Horwich. Although the following year saw work begin on the first Horwich built locomotives, it wasn’t until 1892 that the works, with its foundries, forge, smithy and comprehensive range of shops (signal/telegraph/points, etc), was operational. Horwich became responsible for the L&Y’s locomotive building, repair, mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineering, and within the first 10 years had produced 677 new locomotives. Between 1902 and 1918, the L&Y also experimented with electrification (both third rail and overhead), with Horwich designed motor/trailer cars and bogies being built at Horwich and later Newton Heath. Its collaborative experiments on electrification with contractor Dick Kerr even carried on during World War I. However as Horwich became involved in the war effort (manufacturing ammunition shells and fuses and supplying chassis’ for motor lorries) the construction of passenger engines ceased while some goods engines were constructed using spares. In 1922 the close working relationship of the L&Y and the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) was cemented by their amalgamation, with the L&Y taking the LNWR title. One year later in 1923 they collectively became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Although the effects on Horwich were not immediate, the existence of large-scale works at Crewe and Derby meant they collectively became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Although the effects on Horwich were not immediate, the existence of large-scale works at Crewe and Derby meant that the LMS would later look to centralise its operations to avoid duplication of work. Firstly, the concentration of steel manufacture at Crewe meant that the steel foundry at Horwich closed. By 1927 the telegraph shop, signal shops and points and crossing shop had all closed down at Horwich, with work transferred to other LMS sites. Locomotive building continued at Horwich until it was temporarily suspended during economic depression in 1931. As the slump hit the locomotive building industry, Horwich focused on repairs. With the closure of the carriage & wagon works at Newton Heath in 1932, Horwich also took on the repairs of the Electric Motor Units. Horwich was given over to ammunitions production as well as production of vehicle and plane parts during World War II and locomotive production didn’t resume until 1944. Following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, Horwich became part of British Railways (London Midland Region). While repair work continued, Horwich experienced not only a steady decline in the demand and output of steam powered locomotives, but also an eventual cessation of general locomotive building. In 1952 work began on the first Horwich produced BR Standard locomotive. However, by 1957 Horwich had built its last steam locomotive. Steam had been superseded and Horwich had built its first diesel shunters by 1958. This transition was short-lived and by 1962 Horwich had also built its last diesel locomotive. At the same time, nationalised railway works such as Horwich passed from their designated British Rail region to the "Workshop Division". Further rationalisation ensued and in 1963, with the closure of other BR works at Gorton, the manufacture of points and crossings was resumed at Horwich. At about the same time Horwich was increasingly taking on work from Earlestown Wagon Works - another BR works that was being wound down. The conversion of the railways from steam to diesel meant that gradually there were fewer steam engines to maintain and in 1964 the last steam repair was made at Horwich. The re-organisation of the "Workshop Division" in 1970 meant that as part of the newly formed British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) and as a subsidiary of BR, Horwich was now able to take on work from external customers. Work continued at Horwich until 1983 when BREL announced its closure. (Sources: Marshall, J. ‘The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’, (Volumes 1-3, 1969-1972); Smith, M.D. Horwich Locomotive Works, 1996; Marshall, J. “Horwich Works- Part 1,” Railway World, Jan’ 1965, pg22-26, “Horwich Works- Part 2,” Railway World, Feb’ 1965, pg 62-65; Blakemore, M. “Every facility for progress,” Backtrack 4 (1), Jan-Feb 1990, pg 16-20; Coates, N. ‘150 Years of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’, 1997; Nock, O.S. ‘The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway- a concise history’, 1969). Microfilm Roll Contractor Series Prefix Drawing No Suffix Title Date Additional Notes Copy Index sheet to Beyer Peacock drawings , 136 Yes No number 26/9/1887 Beyer, Peacock & Co drawing No goods engine & tender 129 Yes 1 No title. [Arrangement 0-6-0 goods engines] 26/9/1887 Beyer, Peacock & Co drawing No 136 Yes 2 Cylinders