Gateshead & Darlington Collection

but was taken over by the North Eastern Railway within a few months. It turned out its first

locomotive, the long boilered 0-6-0 'Contractor', in 1864 and although production of larger

classes was initially concentrated at Gateshead, subsequently built engines for the LNER and

then British Railways, including the B17, D49, A1, V2 classes. The LNER's experimental water

tube boilered locomotive No 10000 was also built at Darlington, as well as the NER's first

electric engine and steam railcars. During the First World War construction of new

locomotives was greatly reduced, and the works concentrated on repair work and the

manufacture of munitions, employing over 1,000 women on the site. In 1923 the LNER

opened a wagon works at the nearby Faverdale site. In 1933 the first diesel locomotives were

maintained at North Roads works and following the Second World War Darlington began

construction of diesel electric shunters. The introduction of diesel locomotives by British

Railways, however, led to a great reduction in new orders and repair work and Darlington

Works was closed in 1966, some eighteen months after turning out its last locomotive, the

Type 2 diesel D7597.

This collection represents the work of official company photographers, and includes views of

the locomotive workshops at Darlington, Gateshead and York Carriage Works and of newly

completed locomotives and carriages.