Wolverton railway works
| Wolverton Railway Works | |
|---|---|
View northward ca.1954, outside the Carriage Works. The locomotives are ex-LNW 'Special' 2F 0-6-0 saddle-tanks, Carriage Dept.
Nos. 3, 6 and 7. |
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 Location within Buckinghamshire
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| General information | |
| Status | In use |
| Town or city | Wolverton, Milton Keynes |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°03′47″N 0°48′58″W / 52.063°N 0.816°WCoordinates: 52°03′47″N 0°48′58″W / 52.063°N 0.816°W |
| Construction started | 1836 |
| Completed | 1838 |
| Client | London and Birmingham Railway |
| Design and construction | |
| Other designers | Edward Bury |
Wolverton railway works, known locally as Wolverton Works or just The Works, was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 miles (180 km)-long route from London to Birmingham. The line was developed by Robert Stephenson following the great success of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway line.
The Victorian era new towns of Wolverton and New Bradwell were built to house the workers and service the works. The older towns of Stony Stratford and Newport Pagnell grew substantially too, being joined to it by the Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway and the Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (a branch line), respectively. The trams were also hauled by steam locomotives: the tram cars were certainly the largest ever in the UK and possibly the world. In modern times Wolverton railway works remains notable as the home of the British Royal Train but otherwise is very much reduced from its heyday.
As of 2013[update], the facility is much reduced: a full-scale train maintenance, repairs and refurbishment works is operated at the western end of the site, the central area is derelict but slated for redevelopment, the eastern end is a Tesco store with canal-side housing development at the extreme eastern end.
The 1833 Act of Parliament approving the London to Birmingham Railway included a clause that specified that a railway works be built around the mid-point, as it was considered scientifically unsafe at the time for railway locomotives to move more than 50 miles (80 km) without further inspection. After surveying all possible sites, Wolverton was chosen due to its co-location alongside the wharfing facilities of the Grand Union Canal, there-by also enabling the railway company to gain an easy agreement to build a viaduct over the canal company's land at this point.
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Wikipedia