Swindon Works 1930-1960

A fully revised and enlarged edition of Working at Swindon Works 1930-1960, first published in 2007. It describes various aspects of the famous railway works of the GWR, later British Railways Western Region. Despite the disruption caused by economic depression, the Second World War, nationalisation and the transition from steam to diesel manufacture, the 1930s through to the 1950s was, in many ways, the greatest period in the Works' long history. It puts the company's range of output into perspective and records the means by which it was achieved, particularly from the viewpoint of the workers but also from that of the company as a business. This account is made up of fragments from many varied sources, not least from firsthand recollections of those who worked 'inside'. It sets out, for the first time, a comprehensive account of this vast subject over a thirty year period. The author also confronts many widely held views and dispels some of the myths.