LSWR Eastleigh Works Celebrates its Centenary
[photo: Jon Jolliffe]
The London and South Western Railway built its own locomotives and rolling stock for most of its life. The company works was originally sited at Nine Elms in Battersea, but successive widenings of the approach tracks into Waterloo made the site too cramped. In the 1890s carriage and wagon building was moved to Eastleigh, near Southampton, and the decision was taken in 1898 to build a new locomotive works there too. A new running shed opened in 1903, while the locomotive building and overhaul shops were up and running in 1909. The first brand new locomotive left Eastleigh works in September 1910. The picture shows a typical Eastleigh product, SR 850 Lord Nelson, the most powerful locomotive in the country at the time it was built in 1926
The rationalisation of BR workshops in the 1970s started a rundown culminating in closure in May 2006. Demolition was averted, however, and the works is again active as a repair shop in the hands of Knights Rail Services.
Celebrating the centenary of the works, ‘Eastleigh 100’ is aiming to be one of the biggest railway events on the 2009 calendar. SR 850 Lord Nelson should be there. Spread over three days 23-25 May, and supported by both railway enthusiasts and the local community, together with the valued support of many leading rail industry companies, the Eastleigh Centenary Open Weekend’s primary aim is to raise money for a number of local and national charities. For more details click here.