Crewe Drawings and Microfilm Lists Description: The drawings relate to the period when the Crewe Locomotive works was engaged in the construction and repair of steam locomotives. As well as a selection from the main series of drawings as listed in the Registers from the Crewe Drawing Office the collection includes many drawings that were not allocated numbers. These have been allocated artificial numbers for ease of access. There are also selections of drawings from the Second World War period relating to 2-8-0 locomotives built for the War Department, drawings from the supplier William Beardmore & Company, and a small series of drawings from the former Lancaster & Carlisle Railway Company. The collection includes drawings of machinery such as the tugboat boilers for the Shropshire Union Canal Co. and pumping equipment for Llandovery and Prestatyn Stations and some details of building works such as the drains at the Mechanics Institute. System of arrangement: The drawings have been listed in six separate sequences: Main Series: numbered drawings as per the company drawing register Un-Numbered drawings for which the NRM has provided an artificial number Folded drawings, mainly historical War Department 2-8-0 Drawings William Beardmore & Company drawings Lancaster & Carlisle Railway Company drawings There are also three series of microfilm: Main Series, Prince of Wales Class and Coronation Class (please see seperate list). Further reference may usefully be made to the drawing office registers, which are accessible through Search Engine. Physical Characteristics: The majority of the drawings are on wax linen and are in good condition for their age. A small minority are on untreated paper or tracing paper and are therefore fragile. Care must be taken when handling these items. Adminstrative History: The Grand Junction Railway opened 1837. In the early period there were many breakages and by mid-1839 the GJR directors had become aware that the railway system would grow substantially. Joseph Locke, engineer in chief, was told to reorganise the whole locomotive department. At that time the GJR locomotive repair shops at Edge Hill, Liverpool were incapable of much enlargement and were fifteen miles away from nearest point on the GJR line. During the take-over of the Crewe and Chester Railway in 1840 it became apparent that C & CR could buy land around the junction at Crewe under the C&C Incorporation Act of 1837, and had already purchased land there for a small workshop. This became the Crewe locomotive works which, although being near the geographical centre of the GJR system, was without any adjacent coal, water or iron workings. The early plans for the site included shops for the building and repair of carriages and wagons. The GJR board authorised construction in 12 August 1840. Thomas Brassey prepared the ground with Buddicom and Norris acting for Locke. In 1841 Buddicom prepared lists of tools and equipment but left the same year to begin building locomotives in France. An essential part of the project was to build a small town to house the workers and their families who were to transfer from Liverpool as there were few people living in the area around the Crewe. A body later known as the Crewe Committee took responsibility for decisions about the station, staff cottages, town and works from about 1841. Its formation was due to four reasons: the consolidation of the GJR with the L&MR and the Bolton &Leigh Railway in July 1845; the proposed extension of the Works to centralise the anticipated additional repair work; the large extension of Crewe station and the forthcoming completion of the trunk line to Scotland; the expansion of the town as the company took on the management of the new settlement. With the formation of the London & North Western Railway in 1846 from the GJR, the London & Birmingham Railway and the MBR, a General Merchandise and Locomotive committee was formed to co-ordinate locomotive and rolling stock activities of the three divisions into which LNWR had been arranged. The divisions formed were the Northern Division, the Southern Division effectively the L&BR and the North Eastern Division effectively the MBR. In 1857 the Northern and North Eastern Divisions were amalgamated into an enlarged Northern division. The Crewe Committee continued to sanction work for the town and the Works until 1858 when the two locomotive divisions came under a General Store and Locomotive Expenditure Committee with two superintendents reporting directly as did the carriage and wagon superintendents. In 1862 the Northern and Southern locomotive divisions were amalgamated under the control of one superintendent with headquarters at Crewe. For most of the period locomotive running of LNWR was under charge of the locomotive superintendent or chief mechanical engineer although the internal divisions changed. The stated purpose of the original establishment was the repair and construction of GJR locomotives, carriages and wagons. As locomotive work increased wagon building and repair created space problems and in 1847 the Committee decided to remove the wagon department to the Edge Hill repair shops formerly of the L&MR and to put it under independent supervision of Owen Owens. The locomotive department vacated Edge Hill gradually but in 1847-48 fourteen new locomotives had to be built at Edge Hill due to pressure of work at Crewe. Crewe retained some wagon space for a few years. In return a number of heavy and light locomotive repairs continued to be carried out at Edge Hill until the Jones & Potts locomotive and general engineering works at Newton-le-Willows was rented in 1853, eventually bought and renamed as the Earlestown wagon works. To get more locomotive repair capacity at Crewe after the amalgamation of the Northern and North Eastern division, coach building was transferred to Saltley, Birmingham in 1859 until it was concentrated at Wolverton. Gradually the coaching shop at Crewe was given over to locomotive work and all Wolverton’s locomotive building and repair were moved to Crewe. Work carried out Work carried out The Regulation of Railways Act 1889 made automatic continuous brakes compulsory for all passenger trains, resulting in increased activity in the erecting shops until 1893 as the different methods of braking were altered. Under F W Webb the Locomotive Department also took charge of the electric lighting system all over LNWR, the provision of water and coal and supply and repair of all cranes weighing machines and hydraulic equipment used by the traffic department. Construction and maintenance connected with all these matters was centred at Crewe working through the outdoor department. The Crewe Works produced its own gas supply, initially for the works only but later supplying the town. Similarly the supply of water to Crewe town was the responsibility of the locomotive department. Principal activities were locomotive building and repairing including: all new boilers for standard London Midland & Scottish Railway locomotives; steel castings, drop stampings and heavy forgings for all LMSR works; chair castings and points and crossing manufacture for the Chief Civil Engineer’s Department; manufacture of signals, locking frames and crossing-gate work for the Signal and Telegraph Department. The Works had its own 18” gauge railway using engines such as Billy and Dicky for transporting items around the main workshops. Key Dates in Crewe Works History 1840 Directors of the Grand Junction Railway agreed to build a Locomotive Works at Crewe occupying a site of about three acres. 1843 Transfer of work from Edge Hill Works officially completed. First locomotive completed, No 32 Tamerlane Completion of building the Works celebrated with a ball and banquet. 1845 No 49 Columbine completed, the first official locomotive built at Crewe. Grand Junction Railway amalgamated with the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. 1846 London and Birmingham, Grand Junction and Manchester and Birmingham Railways merged to form LNWR 1858 DX class produced, first example of standardisation and mass production Ramsbottom’s Lady of the Lake class, 2-2-2 built 1862 No 531 Lady of the Lake awarded Gold Medal at International Exhibition Size of works extended considerably. Tiny completed, the first 18” gauge locomotive for the Works tramway system. Crewe became locomotive centre of LNWR. Wagon and carriage work transferred to Earlestown and Wolverton respectively. 1863 Works further extended including opening of Bessemer steel plant 1866 1,000th locomotive completed, 2-2-2-2 compound No 600. 1870 Works extended again 1876 2,000th locomotive completed, Webb 2-4-0T No 2233 1886 Company built a gas works and later introduced the water supply from its own reservoirs to service the needs of the townspeople. 1887 3,000th locomotive completed, 2-2-2-2 compound No 6000 1888 0-6-0 No 2153 assembled in 25½ hours, a world record. 1893 Queen Empress 2-2-2-2 compound awarded a gold medal at Chicago World’s Fair. 1897 First locomotives constructed in the Steel Works, 4-4-0s No 1501 and 1502. All previous locomotives had been built in the Old Works. 1900 4,000th locomotive completed, Jubilee class 4-4-0 No 1926 La France Works ambulance room and hospital erected at north end of Mill Street 1903 No 9 Erecting Shop completed at Steel Works and after which Old Works used for repairs only 1911 5,000th locomotive completed, George the Fifth class 4-4-0 No 5000 Coronation 1913 Royal Visit by King George V and Queen Mary. 1923 LNWR became part of LMSR. 1926 Works reorganised and No 10 erecting shop built. 1930 Official 6,000th locomotive built, 2-6-0 No 13178 1937 Streamlined ‘Princess Coronation’ 4-6-2 built, No 6220 Coronation 1940s 161 Covenanter Army tanks built to Derby designs, also parts for heavy guns 7 –8,000 men and boys employed throughout much of century and town housed over 45,000 people.