View source for Crewe Works

{{Short description|British railway engineering facility}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox factory
| name                 = Crewe Works
| image                = Crewe-lnwr-works-c1890.jpg
| image_size           = 
| alt                  = 
| caption              = The erecting shop at the [[London & North Western Railway]] Crewe Works, {{circa|1890}}
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| coordinates          = {{Coord|53.10|-2.46|type:landmark_region:GB_scale:10000|display=title,inline}}
| built                = 
| operated             = 1840-present
| location             = [[Crewe, Cheshire]]
| industry             = [[Railway]]s<br>[[rolling stock| Rolling stock manufacture]] 
| products             = [[Steam locomotives]]
| employees            = 
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| defunct              = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
}}
'''Crewe Works''' is a British [[railway]] engineering facility located in the town of [[Crewe, Cheshire]]. The works, which was originally opened by the [[Grand Junction Railway]] in March 1843, employed around 7,000 to 8,000 workers at its peak.  In the 1980s much of the engineering works were closed. Most of the site has been redeveloped, but the remaining parts are owned and operated by [[Alstom]].

During the late 19th century, the [[London and North Western Railway]] used Crewe Works to produce many famous locomotives such as the [[Francis Webb (engineer)|Webb]] {{whyte|2-4-0}} [[LNWR Improved Precedent Class|Jumbo class]] and the [[Compound locomotive|compounds]], the [[George Whale|Whale]] [[LNWR Whale Experiment Class|Experiment]] and [[LNWR Whale Precursor Class|Precursor]] classes, and the [[Charles Bowen-Cooke|Bowen-Cooke]] [[LNWR Claughton Class|Claughtons]]. In particular, Whale's 1912 [[Superheater|superheated]] [[LNWR Class G1|G1 Class]] {{whyte|0-8-0}} developed from a locomotive introduced by Webb in 1892, lasted, in many cases until 1964, near the end of steam in 1968.

After [[Railways Act 1921|grouping]], the works were taken over by [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] which was the successor to the LNWR. It was during this period that the works reached its zenith in size and output. Creating notable steam engines such as [[Sir William Stanier]]'s locomotives as well as the [[LMS Jubilee Class|'Jubilee']] and [[LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0|Class 5]] 4-6-0s, the [[LMS Princess Royal Class|'Princess Royal']] and the [[LMS Coronation Class|'Princess Coronation']] 4-6-2s.

The works continued to produce engines under [[British Railways]] such as the [[BR Standard Class 7|Britannia 4-6-2s]] and the [[BR Standard Class 9F 92020-9|Franco-Crosti boilered Class 9]] freight locomotives. In the 1980s, a large part of the works was sold for redevelopment. Due to the scale of the works, it had its own internal narrow gauge tramway, the [[Crewe Works Railway]], which was used from 1862 until 1932.

== History ==
{{Crewe Works|collapse=yes}}

=== Grand Junction Railway ===
The directors of the Grand Junction Railway determined to construct a works on a {{convert|3|acre|m2}} site at Crewe in 1840 with the first locomotive, No. 32''Tamerlane'' completed in October 1843.{{sfn|Larkin|2009|p=39}} By 1846, the demand for space was such that wagon building was moved, first to [[Edge Hill railway works|Edge Hill]] and [[Manchester]], then to a new works at [[Earlestown]]. By 1848, the works employed over 1,000 producing one locomotive a week.

=== London and North Western Railway ===
In 1845, the [[Liverpool and Manchester Railway]] was merged with the Grand Junction. These, in turn, merged in 1846, with the [[London and Birmingham Railway]] and the [[Manchester and Birmingham Railway]] to form the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR). All four had their own workshops but, in time, locomotive building was concentrated at Crewe.

In 1857, [[John Ramsbottom (engineer)|John Ramsbottom]] became Locomotive Superintendent. He had previously invented the first reliable [[safety valve]] and the scoop for picking up water from troughs between the tracks. He went on to improve the precision and interchangeability of tools and components.

In 1862, locomotive work was transferred from [[Wolverton railway works|Wolverton]]. Wolverton became the carriage works, while wagon building was concentrated at [[Earlestown]].

In 1853, Crewe had begun to make its own [[wrought iron]] and roll its own rails, and in 1864 installed a [[Bessemer process|Bessemer]] converter for manufacturing [[steel]]. In 1868 it became the first place to use [[Open hearth furnace|open-hearth furnaces]] on an industrial scale. It also built its own [[brickworks]]. Later the works was fitted with two [[electric arc furnace]]s.

Production increased steadily and, with the sale to the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] of ten [[2-4-0]] and eighty six [[0-6-0]] locomotives, privately owned manufacturers took out an injunction in 1876 to restrain the railway from producing anything but its own needs. This remained in force until [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] was established in 1969.

By 1920 Crewe Works had grown into a poorly laid-out establishment with nine separate erecting shops, four of which could only handle smaller locomotives, and the LNWR sanctioned plans for a new large erecting shop which placed on hold until revised and implemented later by the LMS.{{sfn|Whitehouse|Thomas|1987|pp=165−166}}

=== London, Midland and Scottish Railway ===
[[File:46123_Royal_Irish_Fusiliers_at_Crewe.jpg|thumb|right|Rebuilt [[LMS Royal Scot Class|Royal Scot Class]] No. 46123 ''Royal Irish Fusilers'' receiving attention at Crewe Works with other locomotives]]
When the LNWR became part of the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS) in 1923, its passenger locomotives were eclipsed by those of the former [[Midland Railway]], which offered light, fast and frequent services. As traffic density increased, there was a need for longer trains and more powerful locomotives to haul them. In 1932, [[William Stanier]] became Chief Mechanical Engineer and set out to rationalise production. Since Crewe had experience with heavier locomotives and had its own steel making facilities, he chose it as his main production location.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

There followed the [[LMS Princess Royal Class|Princesses]] and [[LMS Princess Coronation Class|Duchesses]], along with the [[LMS Jubilee Class|Jubilees]] and the "[[LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0|Black Fives]]". Crewe produced all the new boilers for the LMS, and all heavy drop stampings and forgings. It also produced most of the heavy steel components for the track and other structures. The 1935 documentary ''[[No. 6207; A Study in Steel]]'' about the construction of an LMS Princess Royal Class engine was filmed at the works.<ref>{{cite web|title=No. 6207; A Study in Steel (1935)|publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b69c2d15b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306042913/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b69c2d15b |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2019 |accessdate=26 July 2022}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], Crewe produced over 150 [[Covenanter tank]]s for the army.
[[File:Crewe railway works geograph-2150701.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48133 on the Crewe Works internal railway in 1948]]

=== British Railways ===
[[File:G2a 48932 LNWR 0-8-0.jpg|thumb|right|Bowen-Cooke Class G2a 0-8-0 <br/> No. 48932, built at Crewe in 1902 as a Webb Class B four-cylinder loco, was later rebuilt to two-cylinder status. Buxton shed August 1960.]]
After [[British Rail]]ways (BR) was formed in 1948, [[Robert Riddles]] introduced the [[BR standard classes]], and Crewe built [[BR standard class 7|Britannia]] and [[BR standard class 6|Clan]] mixed traffic engines and some of the [[BR Standard Class 9F|Class 9F]] freight locomotives. The last steam locomotive built at Crewe, Class 9F number 92250, was completed in December 1958. Crewe Works built 7,331 steam locomotives.<ref>Last Steam Locomotive from Crewe Works ''[[Railway Gazette International|Railway Gazette]]'' 26 December 1958 page 762</ref>

Diesel production commenced, with [[British Rail Class 24|D5030]] the first main line example completed in 1959.<ref>Crewe Works Builds Its First Main-Line Diesel-Electric Locomotive ''Railway Gazette'' 26 June 1959</ref> The final diesel locomotives built at Crewe Works were the [[British Rail Class 56|Class 56]] with the last completed in 1984, while the final class of electric locomotives were the [[British Rail Class 91|Class 91]] with the last completed in 1991.<ref>The Making of Crewe and What Made Crewe ''[[The Railway Magazine]]'' issue 1254 October 2005 pages 14-23</ref>

==Modern ownership==
Crewe Works became a part of [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] when the former BR Workshops were set up as a separate business in 1969 and was privatised in 1989. In the mid-1980s, much of the Crewe Works site was cleared and sold for major redevelopment. Around this time, British Rail Engineering Limited was sold to [[ASEA Brown-Boveri]], which merged with [[Daimler Benz]] in 1996 to form [[Adtranz]]. Adtranz was itself taken over by [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] in 2001.<ref>[https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/bombardier-cleared-to-buy-adtranz.html Bombardier cleared to buy Adtranz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402180124/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/bombardier-cleared-to-buy-adtranz.html |date=2 April 2019 }} ''[[Railway Gazette International]]'' May 2001</ref> Via the  [[Bombardier Transportation#2021: Sale to Alstom|sale of Bombardier Transportation to Alstom]] in January 2021 the plant became part of Alstom UK & Ireland.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

At its height, Crewe Works employed between 7,000 and 8,000 people; in 2005 fewer than 1,000 remained on site, with a further 270 redundancies announced in November of that year and more cutbacks or even closure possible. Current work is largely focused on general maintenance and the inspection of seriously damaged stock. Much of the site once occupied by the works has been sold off and is now occupied by a supermarket, leisure park and a large new health centre. In 2019 another part of Crewe Works was demolished for a new housing estate.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

In December 2021 the contract for delivery of [[HS2 rolling stock]] was awarded to a partnership between Hitachi Rail and Alstom. Alstom's share in manufacturing of the 54 trains will take place at [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works]] and Crewe Works. All the [[bogie]]s, which house the [[Wheelset (rail transport)|wheelsets]], will be both assembled and maintained at Alstom's Crewe facility.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 December 2021 |title=Hitachi and Alstom win order to build and maintain High Speed Two trains in Britain |url=https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/hitachi-rail-global/pressreleases/hitachi-and-alstom-win-order-to-build-and-maintain-high-speed-two-trains-in-britain-3149776 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209111722/https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/hitachi-rail-global/pressreleases/hitachi-and-alstom-win-order-to-build-and-maintain-high-speed-two-trains-in-britain-3149776 |archive-date=9 December 2021 |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=Mynewsdesk |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://thenantwichnews.co.uk/2021/12/16/historic-crewe-works-to-receive-upgrade-amid-new-hs2-contract/ Historic Crewe Works to receive upgrade amid new HS2 contract] Nantwich News, 16 December 2021</ref> Manufacturing is expected to start in 2025.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

== Notes==
;Citations
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Awdry |first1=Wilbert |author-link1= Wilbert Awdry |last2=Awdry |first2=G.  |year=1987 |title=[[List of Railway Series Books#The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways|The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]] |publisher=Kaye & Ward |isbn=0-434-92762-7 }}* {{cite book| first=Martin| last=Evans| title=Inverness to Crewe: The British 4-6-0 Locomotive| publisher=Model Aeronautical Press| location=UK| year=1966}}
* {{cite magazine|title=This is Crewe|first=Peter|last=Kelly|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=EMAP National Publications|date=December 1981 – January 1982|pages=16–19|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
* {{cite book| last1=Larkin| first1=E.J.| last2=Larkin| first2=J.G.|year=1988| title=The Railway Workshops of Britain 1823-1986 |location=London|publisher=Macmillan Press|isbn=0-333-39431-3}}
* {{cite book| last1=Larkin| first1=Edgar J.| date=2009 | title=An Illustrated History of British Railways' Workshops : Locomotive, Carriage, and Wagon Building and Maintenance, from 1825 to the Present Day
      | orig-year=1992<!--?1998?-->|publisher=Heathfield Railway Publications | isbn=9781906974022|oclc=59982877}}
* {{cite book|title=Stafford to Chester|first1=Vic|last1=Mitchell|first2=Keith|last2=Smith|at=figs. 76-80|publisher=Middleton Press|location=West Sussex|year=2012|isbn=9781908174345|oclc=830024480}}
* {{cite book| first=Brian| last=Reed| title=Crewe Locomotive Works and its Men| publisher=David and Charles| year=1982| isbn=0-7153-8228-4|ol=3244524M}}
* {{cite book| last=Simmons| first=J.| year=1986 |title=The Railway in Town and Country 1830-1914|location=Newton Abbott| publisher=David and Charles|isbn=0-7153-8699-9|ol=2295938M}}
* {{cite book| last1=Talbot| first1=E.| last2=Taylor| first2=C.|year=2005|title=The Crewe Works Narrow Gauge System|location=Derby|publisher=The London & North Western Railway Society|isbn=0-9546951-1-9 |edition=2nd|ol=32859270M }}
* {{Cite book | last1 = Whitehouse | first1 = Patrick | last2 = Thomas | first2= David St John | year = 1987 | title = LMS 150 : The London Midland & Scottish Railway A century and a half of progress
      | publisher = David & Charles  | location = Newton Abbot | isbn = 0-7153-8740-5 | ol=2078605M}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://uk.bombardier.com/en/about-us/bombardier-in-country/sites/site.transportation-crewe.html}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Locomotive manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Railway workshops in Great Britain]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Crewe]]
[[Category:Bombardier Transportation]]