Swindon
was a small town until the coming of the railways. In 1835 the Great
Western railway built a station in the town on its London
to Bristol line. Six years later the company
decided to build its locomotive works in the town. Swindon was also
chosen as the junction of the Gloucester
and Cheltenham line.
As Swindon was eighty miles from London,
it was considered a good place for changing locomotives, in readiness
for the steeply graded section of line that followed on its western
route. It was also decided to build its new locomotive works at Swindon.
By 1846 the works was completed and soon afterwards it produced the
Great Western, the company's new
locomotive designed by Daniel Gooch.
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