Derby 175: Carriage Building in Derby

2014 marks the 175th anniversary of railways in Derby. To help celebrate the occasion the LMS Carriage Association has compiled a short video using footage courtesy of the British Film Institute showing carriage building at Litchurch Lane Carriage and Wagon Works in Derby. The film shows the construction of a London Midland and Scottish Railway corridor third carriage from the raw materials to finished product. Although originally silent, the film has had sound and commentary added to help explain each step of the process.
Further information is available on our website:
lmsca.org.uk/de...

[@johnlowdon5809]

WOW ! AN ERA WHEN WE MADE THINGS IN BRITAIN .GREAT FILM.

[@rubendaniel8248]

Because of their hardwork and dedication, great people of that time, they are a master. The best video.

[@seanf42]

Fascinating video really well put together thank you! My family have a long history with railway works in Derby, My Grandad came from Glasgow having worked on the Clyde to work in Derby just after the war. He used to take a 12 hour commute back to Glasgow every weekend! My Dad and Uncle worked in the loco works as diesel fitters and my Great Uncle was a coach painter at the Carriage and Wagon. Remember going to quite a few Christmas parties and open days in the 70's!

[@KevinBower-gy5be]

Interesting fact about the MR timber yard = even back in the 19th century, the company's directors were acutely aware of deforestation caused by their use of vast quantities of hardwoods, especially when it came to the use of such timbers for track sleepers - these had to be ultra-durable to withstand the rigours of our wondrous weather. They were also aware of the other demands placed on timber supply by industry at large. They were the first company to take the decision to reduce the width of their sleepers from 9'0" to 8'6". Those six inches saved miles of timber and many hundreds of trees every year. Other pre-grouping companies followed suit, and the 8'6" sleeper because the standard throughout the UK.

[@flippop101]

I enjoyed this film very much. Much appreciated!

[@carlbentley80]

Excellent video.

[@RexLancaster]

An excellent film with the usual LMS monochrome quality. Thanks for the very informative dialogue.

[@K-Effect]

3:19 That’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen in quite some time

[@tango6nf477]

The locomotive is an LMS 4-4-0 Compound, most of which were also built at Derby too. When I was child I used to love travelling on the bus along Osmaston Road as you could see over the fence into the works from the top deck and see the traverse's which sometimes had a carriage on them. So many of us from Derby had grandparents and parents who spent their whole working lives working for the Midland or LMS, or both, Derby was a railway town. There were also lots of other small businesses that supported and were supported by the railway as well. Alas a shadow of its former glory.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Many Thanks for a really grand Film. I remember whilst working on the Railways attending the Railway Technical Centre in London Road and undertaking training in Ultrasonics, at that time the C&W Works were still there.What a great shame so much has been lost, the so called reshaping of British Railways and later Privatisation sadly reduced our Railways to a mere Shadow of what it was.

[@ryandavis7593]

These crafts are not completely lost. Not a common thing but certainly not lost. I worked for Colorado Railcar for a while building Ultra Domes for the Alaska rail service as well as a DMU and trailer car that went to Florida. I also did interior work for American Orient Express as well as several private cars. I got the chance to go into locomotive building in Boise Idaho and have been a composite locomotive mechanic since. I also build wagons and carriages for horse drawn use as well at times. It all started as a cabinet makers apprentice thirty years ago. Thirteen to go. I just want to pass on the information that others have passed down to me with so much care and pride of craft. Greetings from the high plains of Texas. TXNW. Sunray.

[@morrisowen2205]

I worked there 20 years after this film was made, more metal used in the 1960s!

[@simonmcowan6874]

Fascinating, I know this was 4 years ago, but I am researching how to produce a channel for a carriage frame with a prestressed curve.

[@liverpoolandmanchesterrailway]

I enjoyed that! Very well made.

[@tomhiggins4124]

Excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!, Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, sir,s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, total respect sir !!!!!!!.

[@michaelchristian5089]

I'm from Derby [up the Rams!] & I live quite close to the Bombardier works. I used to think that the height of UK rail popularity was the inter war period but in fact more people travel by rail now than ever before. If the government backs the industry instead of giving contracts to foreigners, the future looks rosy.

[@thisisbob1001]

Very interesting

[@benbisley]

A superb presentation - thanks

[@NickRatnieks]

It seems, the famed "Birmingham Screwdriver" was also a Derby Screwdriver! Good to see a film with a knowledgeable presenter and narrator- which is how it should be but is not the case with today's mistake filled TV productions. Avery interesting 14 minutes, thank you.

[@zonkozonko]

I worked in the Sawmill until it closed. The Ransome horizontal log mill was in operation until the end late 1980's. The sawmill was most famous for the cellar below the floor where the dust extraction and the line shafting and belts where routed below the floor of the machine shops "5 bay" and "Toy shop". Although originally the whole of "A" shop was the sawmill.

[@zonkozonko]

I must say I missed out the people who helped me progress in the Derby carriage works, Bill Cheatham, Howard Moore Alan Chrispin and Trevor Bachelor amongst so many others.

[@silas184]

Great insight into Carriage building, my grandfather William Bant was a riveter at Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick with a company House overlooking the back of their works.

[@lmscauk]

Glad it brought back some memories for you, zonkozonko. Thanks for sharing. It would be great if we could put some names to the faces of the people in the film.

[@zonkozonko]

Sorry I have a free bus pass but my experiences are 1979 onwards, I was an "Outsider" Taken on when a bloke sadly died my career was snakes and ladders I hit mostly ladders and ended my Derby carriage works career in the planning office I also did a bit in York carriage works.

[@zonkozonko]

In my years at the C&W the Traversa was electrically driven and had a headstock which when I first saw it I knew I had seen before? It was the headstock fitted to single deck trams in Blackpool cannot give more detail a job for tram enthusiasts. I do believe Crich Tramway Museum have a Derby carriage works Traversa. We were always warned to stay clear of the Traversa as if the winch cable came off or broke your life was at risk! A coach was once allowed to run straight through the shop I was working in and out of the closed doors at the opposite end! Some suits came down to inspect!

[@ddpeak1]

zonkozonko yes a winch is a dangerous but immensely useful thing.

[@fordlandau]

Great film. Wooden bodies were out of date and dangerous in an accident. Pullman in the US was building all steel cars from the 1920s at least.

[@lavettelee9999]

ALSO NOW IM YOUR 145TH SUBSCRIBER!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

[@andystonebridge5061]

These railway films are one of the few places the trade of French Polishing can be seen in action albeit fleetingly, and the fact that it was an overwhelmingly female dominated trade back in those day whereas now the reverse is true.

[@adamwigley1318]

My late grandad worked at Litchurch carriage works from about 1942-87. Is there a way to find out more about his career and work?

[@lavettelee9999]

NOW ITS 180!!!!!

[@fordlandau]

Can Britain make a railway carriage now ???

[@manxman8008]

steel would be stored outside to stress relieve, especially castings and forgings

[@manxman8008]

buffers would be supplied externally by olio for example

[@simontaylor2319]

Was the timber treated, kiln dried etc? No glue used on the joinery? V informative video, thanks

[@zonkozonko]

I once thought I saw an old bloke bending down I looked and blinked. I then saw the shop cat sitting on a crate of wood what was scary was only only six of us were working at the time, On the night shift.

[@manxman8008]

hmm the team photo omitted the women - probably gone home to make the tea! VG Video and narration

[@paulmason329]

Gee whizz white hot metal hammer blow only inches away! No eye protection either? If you werent deafened by the noise you could be blinded by white hot metal sparks . Some life choice, not that these workers had much sadly.

[@hcwcars1]

How much longer until mahommad is the number one baby name in the UK??

[@tango6nf477]

Why dont you put a sock in it

[@robertsteinman4417]

@@tango6nf477 Totally agree. It's Muhamed not Mahommad as Maria exclaimed

[@kyleglenn2434]

It is interesting that everyone except the foundry men wore neckties. (And of course the women)