In 1985 the closure of Swindon railway works was announced and in February 1986 workers began to leave the site, but some workers were involved in the close down of the works staying on for a year or two longer.

We all appear to know far more about the closure of the works than we do about its opening period.

The works was opened in January 1843. It was built by JD and C Rigby for a cost of £35,000 between June 1841 and December 1842.

The GWR was having problems paying for the works, which was called Swindon Engine House, and agreed an instalment plan with Rigbys.

Much of the stone for it came from the Kingshill Quarries, although Bath stone was quarried from the Bath and Corsham areas.

Sandstone and Blue Lias were also used in some of the buildings. Bricks came from the manufacturer E Oldham.

I worked for Stothert and Pitt Engineers, and I know that this Bath company actually has a connection with the construction of Swindon Works.

Henry Stothert employed an apprentice named Edward Snell. On completing his apprenticeship as a fitter, aged 22, he was snapped up by the GWR in February 1843.

Snell was paid £2 a week and today is best remembered for his watercolour of the works, which he painted in 1849.

Snell must have shown talent as he worked his way up to head draughtsman in 1845.

Shortly after this he was sent on a fact finding tour of the North of England. On his return he began to draw up the plans for the 1846 extension of the works.

He was now the superintendent of the works and Brunel gave him a budget of £70,000 to build some new workshops and equip them.

A Cornish Beam engine was installed in a new boiler house to provide power to the works.

Traversing tables and overhead cranes were installed.

In the meantime, Gooch had his workload reduced by promoting Archibald Sturrock to works manager.

Brunel was not impressed with this and described Sturrock was as “swellish”, or, as we might say today “full of himself.”

But Sturrock’s promotion was an astute move by Gooch, as it also let him off the hook. He lived at Clewer Park, in Windsor, and was being pressured to move to Swindon, which was something he never did, choosing to bunk down in his office when required.

Steam hammers were installed and the forges expanded.

None of this layout changed much during the next 120 years.

A gas works and coke ovens was also installed on the site, it must have been quite a sight glowing in the darkness of the shops.

In 1848 Snell still had 200 workers under his supervision building the works, despite the fact that the GWR was in a financial crisis and had laid off contractors.

It was also cutting wages and other costs, and Snell was given the last job he completed at Swindon which was the famous watercolour of the works.

He and Sturrock did not get on well and when Sturrock cut his pay from £2.15s a week down to £2 as a cost cutting measure Snell resigned and went to Australia.

Today much of Snell’s work is still standing and, apart from the watercolour, his instrumental work in extending the works from an engine shed into a production facility is largely overlooked and forgotten.