Off The Rails Swindon Works BBC 1985

This is the final episode of 3 documentaries I recorded on to video tape at the time of broadcast, filmed by the BBC in 1985 about Swindon Works and some of the men that worked there up until closure in 1986. A very sad day indeed for all those concerned. No infringement of copyright is intended. Enjoy.

[@saskialavey1994]

Coming from swindon this actually breaks my heart. I was born 10 years after this happened, but you can see the effects from this, 35 years on..

[@inconsolablegraphite2126]

This came up as a recommendation so I’m a bit late. I’m not a native Swindoner but came down from Liverpool in 1981 and worked in the labs at Swindon’s Princess Margaret Hospital until 1990, and remember this going on. I lived on the Park North estate and recall hearing the works hooter going off every morning and missed it when it was gone. It was I believe, a ship’s steam whistle and used to remind me of the sounds from the Mersey so I’d feel a bit homesick. I’d seen the same thing happening on Merseyside with the closure of the Tate and Lyle refinery and many other factories, and was appalled this was allowed to happen in the way it did. It’s infuriating to see how little the platitudes of MPs and others have changed in the intervening 37 years: Oleaginous Mr. Coombs… probably least said the better. There was even a patronising railway themed display in The Brunel Centre at the time featuring some pretty girls. I remember thinking it seemed to be making a mockery of those who’d been made redundant. As the works was gradually demolished one could see some of the older Swindon residents watching in what seemed like disbelief from the higher vantage points along Okus Road and the streets up to Old Town. Some have mentioned the slightly cliquish culture of those ‘inside’ the railway, but during the time I was in Swindon I never encountered it and I suspect the town had diversified by this time. It’s long ago now and I no longer live in Swindon, but the memories of this period are still very clear and I’m glad somebody has preserved them. I hope at least some of the guys in the film did alright in the end.

[@MJB9559]

Absolutely terrible and such a waste…I walk round the Outlet Centre not for the shops but because I can still feel the atmosphere of the building and all the great workers that were once there 🙂🚂

[@CA_I]

It is sad. They should have preserved more of the old site, instead it's a souless shopping centre.

[@bernicewild5979]

I worked as a boilermaker-welder for 50 years i seen so much of this .

[@jiversteve]

Late to this vid, but history is repeating itself with Honda leaving.

[@jiversteve]

@Wallace Carney this is past history, 3 years past history. Things have changed, dramatically.

[@Robbie_B]

If any of you get the chance, check out my Dad's book he just released. It's called 'The End Of The Line - The Last Ten Years At Swindon Works' by Ron Bateman. He started as an apprentice in 1977.

[@andrewtaylor2701]

Hi, did you know of a Ray Taylor? Worked at a Senior Signal Technician in the new exchange on the platform of the station.

[@jiversteve]

Just noticed the critical, topical phrase. There was EEC money available for retraining. Hopefully some would recognise exactly what that means. The U.K. govt offered very little but the EU, did!

[@melissanewton4348]

Oh the memory lives on sure !! It could be alive today instead of buying trains from abroad they could have been built here.

[@84asrd84boxy]

+Melissa Newton Melissa, I totally agree with you, To think we gave railways to the world all those years ago, now we have no capacity or capability to build our own loco's or rolling stock, it's a crying shame that all those skils have been lost. Thanks for looking/commenting, much appreciated...Bill

[@rayrumming7901]

+Melissa Newton At least you fell on your feet in NW, Mel.

[@maghost_rider5698]

It was a sin to close Swindon works

[@84asrd84boxy]

+alex plews Cheers Alex, It was indeed a sad day when Swindon Loco Works closed, so much history of the works lost, now just distant memories for those of us old enough to remember the Works during steam and early Diesel days. So many skills also lost forever, a crying shame that we are now unable to build loco's of our own. To think we once gave railways to the rest of the world, now we have to buy loco's from abroad, a sorry state of affairs. Best Regards...Bill

[@paulbroderick8438]

In this day and age It is critical that any learned skill, or occupation, be transferable. A job for life at the factory down the road are long gone.

[@waltjacob3776]

And the country pretty much went down hill from there.

[@jiversteve]

Got to the end, and realised that someone with skills can move on. Cameraman on this trilogy was none other than Clive North. Who you ask! The Clive of Keith Floyd’s fame.

[@jimh2887]

I lost touch witha dear friend from Swindon. I think Paul has passed on. Paul was in the last apprentice class for loco boilers And went on to the merchant navy Your old friend from the states misses you the states misses you

[@MrDannyDetail]

I'm a Swindon based genealogist and have access to things like UK birth, marriage and death indices, and electoral rolls and the like, so I could I try to find out what became of him if you like. You can contact me at [e-mail].

[@chrisadie1432]

Happy days "inside".

[@84asrd84boxy]

+Chris Adie Cheers Chris, thanks for looking/commenting, glad you enjoyed this excellent programme filmed by the BBC. I would imagine you must have worked "Inside" at Swindon Loco Works, it was a sad day when the closure was announced Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, cheers....Bill

[@ms-ex8em]

does any1 have a video of the blue and white building platform 3? from 1985/86???? thanks....

[@Jesusisking2785]

That's horrible I feel bad for these people I mean just 20 30 years before they where important and needed and then thrown away

[@gcfcos]

I really like that guy who wants to open a museum. He seems so happy there. Shame about that young lad who ended up as a builders labourer. I wonder if those railway houses still had railwayman in them and I hope they were allowed to keep their homes

[@84asrd84boxy]

In a way the chap who mentioned part of Swindon Works becoming a museum had his wish granted. I have visited Swindon museum twice, it's well worth a visit just to look back at some of the history of the Works. I have no idea if the men of the works were able to keep their homes, it would be a crying shame if they didn't. Thanks for looking/commenting, cheers...Bill

[@gcfcos]

84asrd84boxy I'll make it my mission to view that museum someday!!

[@84asrd84boxy]

I am sure you will enjoy your forthcoming visit to Swindon Steam Museum as I did. Regards...Bill

[@gcfcos]

84asrd84boxy just arranged with my friend and booked a day off work for 2 weeks time :-) all because of the videos u have put on you tube I wouldn't have known anything about the works otherwise so thank you!

[@84asrd84boxy]

I am sure you will enjoy your visit to Swindon Steam Museum, from memory I think it's open from 10:00am until 17:00pm. Regards...Bill

[@gcfcos]

I would love to have workmates like those Chaps in the pub

[@84asrd84boxy]

I found that during my firing days locomen were a special breed of men I daresay this would apply to most railway employees. I wouldn't think that the same applies today where there is only the driver on the footplate of either a diesel or electric loco. It used to be a pleasure to go to work, I was very lucky in that I had some great drivers although hard work firing steam loco's it was always well worth working with such men we were like one big family. I decided to leave the footplate in 1968 when steam finished. I think the men of Swindon shown in this video portray the comaradory found between railway men at that time.Thanks for looking/commenting, cheers...Bill

[@gcfcos]

84asrd84boxy. Wow I bet that was an amazing job. Such it shame for you guys that it came to an end. Was there any prospects on the railway for fireman once steam had finished?

[@84asrd84boxy]

It was a great job loved every minute of it and all the weird and wonderful hours we had to work, but it was a personal choice when I decided to leave the railway. I was offered a job that paid almost 3 times as much as I was earning on the railway. I could have stayed on but decided to leave basically because of the increase in earnings.Best Regards...Bill

[@saskialavey1994]

WAIT!! WE HAD A WINDMILL??

[@rentonsadboy9366]

I think at 2:19 may not be the best shot for this film

[@stokes8626]

This country has been and continues to be deindustrialised

[@Bertie22222]

The Greater London Council built Park North and South, 20,000 people mainly Londoners. It was nigh on impossible to get into the Railways if you weren't swindonian. The stories are numerous of the nastiness and rudeness of the locals if you weren't one of them, from not serving you in the shops to spitting at people getting on the bus for the Parks.

[@Bertie22222]

@Wallace Carney Who was going to teach you how to read and write?

[@joshuahicks4201]

My Grandad Worked There

[@84asrd84boxy]

I would imagine if your grandad worked there during steam days it must have been a wonderful place to work at. Thanks for looking/commenting, much appreciated, cheers...Bill

[@joshuahicks4201]

He started at the end of steam

[@84asrd84boxy]

Joshua, I am sure your grandad had a wonderful time at Swindon Works, and probably knew most of the people featured in the video. I took my youngest lad around there in October 1985, we had a great time. Regards...Bill