Doncaster Works
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway workshop and manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Workshops in Boston and Peterborough |
| Founded | 1853 in Doncaster, England |
| Founder | Great Northern Railway |
| Headquarters | Doncaster , England |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Patrick Stirling (Locomotive Superintendent from 1866) |
| Products | Locomotives, railway carriages, wagons, railway refurbishment |
Number of employees | 4,600 (circa 1913) |
| Parent | Wabtec (current partial management) |
Doncaster Railway Works is a railway workshop situated in Doncaster, England.
Commonly referred to as The Plant, this facility was founded by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, succeeding earlier workshops located in Boston and Peterborough. Originally dedicated to repair tasks until 1867, the site is currently partially managed by Wabtec.
History
In 1866, Patrick Stirling took on the role of Locomotive Superintendent, and by 1886 the first locomotive of the 875 class was produced. The works broadened its scope to include coach manufacturing, introducing the UK’s initial sleeping cars in 1873, followed by dining cars in 1879, and corridor coaches by 1882. By 1891, annual production reached 99 locomotives, 181 carriages, and 1,493 wagons.
A specialized carriage construction facility was inaugurated in 1889, while wagon production ceased around 1890. By 1913, all coach manufacturing was centralized within three buildings featuring a workshop with 12 tracks.
Among the distinguished locomotives built were the Stirling Singles, Ivatt Atlantics, and the famed Gresley Pacifics, including the Flying Scotsman, which was the first locomotive to reach 100 mph and complete a non-stop journey from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley. The Mallard set the world steam locomotive speed record at 126 mph in 1938—a record that remains unbroken. These locomotives were responsible for hauling prestigious services such as the Flying Scotsman, Silver Jubilee, Coronation, and Elizabethan. Doncaster also manufactured carriages for the latter train.
By 1913, approximately 4,600 employees worked at "The Plant" across its facilities. Throughout its operation under both Great Northern Railway and later LNER, it maintained production of various locomotives and rolling stock. During World War II, the works supported wartime manufacturing efforts by producing items like Horsa gliders. After a fire destroyed the carriage shop in 1940, new buildings constructed in 1949 were intended for producing British Railways Mark 1 all-steel coaches.
The final steam locomotive constructed was BR Standard Class 4 no. 76114 in 1957. Steam overhaul activities concluded in November 1963 with 60009 Union of South Africa. Although carriage construction ended in 1962, modernization efforts introduced a diesel locomotive repair facility. Under British Rail Engineering Limited, Doncaster manufactured diesel shunters, electric locomotives, as well as diesel-electric classes including the Class 56 and Class 58.
In October 1987, the wagon manufacturing division was sold by the British Rail Board through a management buyout to RFS Industries. RFS was later acquired by Westinghouse Air Brake Company in 1998 and rebranded as Wabtec in March 2000.
Bombardier Transportation ceased operations at its section of the works in 2007. The primary locomotive repair building was demolished early in 2008 to make way for residential development. Currently, Wabtec continues to handle carriage refurbishment at Doncaster.
See also
References
Further reading