Catalogue description The Shildon Works collection of official photographs

This collection represents the work of Shildon's official photographers who were employed by the North Eastern Railway and its successors, the LNER and then British Railways. There are workshop scenes taken at Shildon and the nearby Walkergate Wagon Works, photographs of many types of newly completed wagons and a small number of images featuring people and events. The collection also contains photographs that clearly did not originate from Shildon Works, including views of railway stations in the north of England in the 1950s.

There is a handwritten register of 530 photographs, mainly featuring newly completed wagons, listed by broad themes in numerical sequence.

A small number of reference prints are available in Reading Room.

• Railway transport

Shildon Works was built for the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1833, and although initially used for locomotive construction was later converted to a wagon works. Following an extensive modernisation programme in the 1960s Shildon, British Rail's larges wagon works, constructed a range of new designs for British and overseas orders, including cement wagons and 'Merry-go-round' coal hoppers. However, increasing competition from road transport meant that orders dwindled, and the works closed in 1984.