Life in a Railway Factory

First published in 1915 this is a truly fascinating look at every
aspect of locomotive manufacture. Alfred Williams spent twenty-
three years, up to the First World War, working at the Great
Western Railway's Works at Swindon, known as `the locomotive
capital of the West'. Almost all of Swindon's population depended
on the factory for its survival. Alfred unflinchingly depicts
every aspect of what could be a very tough life in the factory,
including the terrible working conditions in the foundries, the
blast furnaces, blacksmith's shops and engine shed which
comprised the sprawling industrial complex. Extensively
illustrated throughout this startlingly vivid and accessible
account is a must read even for non-enthusiasts but of course
will be of particular interest to those who want to know not
only how each component was made to create `living, breathing'
steam engines but also about the lives of the men who brought
them into being.