Darlington Locomotive Works official photographs

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.

Darlington Locomotive Works was completed in 1863 for the Stockton & Darlington Railway 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.