Overview

It was often joked that Swindon Works' men came with 'GWR' stamped on their bottoms, so much so that even in the BR era they considered themselves Great Western! Those who worked 'Inside' as locals called it, possessed a fierce price in their work and in their worldwide reputation. Using material from numerous interviews with workshop men and women as well as official documents, Swindon expert Rosa Matheson examines the differences of each era - GWR / BR; conditions in the Works; the idiosyncrasies of work practices, such as odd names of jobs like 'holder-upper' and generational family work histories. She also explores the relationships between the workers - men ad women, shopfloor and management, foremen and men and especially 'Loco' versus Carriage and Wagon! Whilst many books have been written about the Works, few, if any, have given a chance to those who worked in its workshops to have their voices heard in the telling of that story. This beautifully illustrated book uses their words and experiences to tell the good, the bad and the ugly of working Inside.

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9780752445267

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Dr Rosa Matheson is Swindon’s best-known railway author. A long-time enthusiast of Swindon Works, GWR and women’s railway history, she has a large collection of memorabilia, has written a number of books and articles, and is active in presenting talks to the community. She has previously written Death, Dynamite and Disaster: A Grisly Railway History, Terror in the Tunnels, The GWR Story, Apprenticeship and Training in GWR’s Swindon Works, TRIP: The Annual Holiday for GWR’s Swindon Works, and The Fair Sex: Women and the GWR for The History Press.

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