Swindon Railway Works closed its doors almost 40 years ago, and now the hooter, which sounded at the start and end of each day, is set to sound again.
On 26 March 1986, the hooter rang out for one final time as the Railway Works closed its doors, marking the end of an era in Swindon.
The Railway Works' legacy can still be seen across the town in benches, plaques and installations, and has been credited for 'shaping Swindon's identity as a railway town.'
Ron Johnson was just 35 years old when he sounded the hooter on its final day on March 26, 1986.
Now Mr Johnson, who is aged 75, will return to sound a replica hooter as part of commemoration events being held exactly 40 years later, at 4.30pm on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
The replica was built by Colin Hatch back in 2016 and will be sounded, powered by steam, from a traction engine boiler.
Ex-railway employees are expected to travel to STEAM Museum in Swindon from as far as Liverpool to commemorate the event.
“The Railway Works was such an important part of Swindon’s history and its closure 40 years ago had a big impact on the town," said Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, cabinet member for placemaking and planning.
“Many Swindon residents will have relatives or friends who used to work at the Works and will have fond memories of their time there as well as the lifelong friends they will have made."
Other events taking place throughout March to commemorate the Railway Works include a pop-up exhibition from local heritage groups featuring images and artefacts from the time of the closure.
The exhibition will be held on Tuesday, March 24 at STEAM Museum.
A rolling slideshow featuring photographs of press coverage from the closure will also be shown until March 29 at Swindon Borough Council's museum alongside displays by Swindon Heritage Preservation, Swindon Society and other groups.
On Thursday, March 26, Swindon Heritage Preservation will hold a ‘Breakfast for the Railway Workers’, in the Railway Village's Central Community Centre, where former workers will gather and reminisce about their time at the Works and their memories.
A new exhibition, The Last Blast, will officially open at STEAM on the same day. This exhibition, which will remain open until 1 March 2027, will tell the story of the demise of 143 years of railway engineering in Swindon.
At 7pm on Friday, 27 March, the 1986 film ‘Railway Town’ by Martin Parry will be shown at STEAM, which charts the story of Swindon.
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Finally, on Saturday, 28 March, a series of talks will take place from 11am to 4pm in Hawksworth Hall at STEAM. Speakers include Tim Bryan, Andy Binks, and Richard Wintle who will talk about different aspects of Swindon’s railway history. The speakers will also be holding book signings along with other local authors.
“I’m glad we’re going to be able to mark this anniversary with the sounding of the iconic hooter and the opening of a new exhibition at STEAM," added Councillor Strinkovsky.
"We’ve also got the showing of Railway Town which, while produced in the 80s, still holds a lot of relevance to the Swindon of today, I watched it a few years back and was fascinated.
"It’s set to be a memorable week and I look forward to seeing it all come together next month."
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