Events to mark 40th anniversary of Railway Works closure

On 26 March 1986 the hooter, which was sounded at the start and end of each working day, rang out for one final time as the railway works closed for the very last time, marking the end of an era in Swindon.

Commemorations to mark the anniversary of this event will begin at the town’s STEAM Museum on Tuesday, 24 March with a pop-up exhibition from local heritage groups displaying images and artefacts from the time of the closure. A rolling slideshow featuring photographs of press coverage covering the closure will be shown alongside displays by Swindon Heritage Preservation, Swindon Society and other groups. This exhibition will run until Sunday, 29 March in the Hawksworth Hall at the Swindon Borough Council-owned museum.

On Thursday, 26 March Swindon Heritage Preservation will hold a ‘Breakfast for the Railway Workers’, in the Railway Village's Central Community Centre, where former workers will gather and reminisce about their time at the Works and their memories.

A new exhibition, The Last Blast, will also officially open at STEAM on the same day. This exhibition, which will remain open until 1 March 2027, will tell the story of the demise of 143 years of railway engineering in Swindon. It will feature photographs and original objects that depict the decline of the Swindon Works, the protest marches held throughout the town and the eventual closure of the railway workshops.

Outside the museum on 26 March at 4.30pm the replica Swindon Works hooter, powered by steam from a traction engine boiler, will ring out across Swindon precisely 40 years after the original hooter sounded, as a poignant reminder of the significance of the railway works closure. The replica hooter was installed in 2016 as part of the Swindon 175 celebrations.

Members of the public are invited to come along to hear the hooter sound, followed by the opportunity to visit the local heritage group exhibition for free in Hawksworth Hall.

At 7pm on Friday, 27 March, the film ‘Railway Town’ by Martin Parry will be shown at STEAM. Produced in 1986, the film charts the story of Swindon from its ‘Wild West’ beginnings to being the fastest growing town in Europe. Tickets can be booked on the STEAM website.

Finally, on Saturday, 28 March, a series of talks will take place from 11am to 4pm in Hawksworth Hall at STEAM. Speakers include Tim Bryan, Andy Binks, and Richard Wintle who will talk about different aspects of Swindon’s railway history. The speakers will also be holding book signings along with other local authors.

Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, said: “The Railway Works was such an important part of Swindon’s history and its closure 40 years ago had a big impact on the town.

“Many Swindon residents will have relatives or friends who used to work at the Works and will have fond memories of their time there as well as the lifelong friends they will have made.

“I’m glad we’re going to be able to mark this anniversary with the sounding of the iconic hooter and the opening of a new exhibition at STEAM. We’ve also got the showing of Railway Town which, while produced in the 80s, still holds a lot of relevance to the Swindon of today, I watched it a few years back and was fascinated.

“It’s set to be a memorable week and I look forward to seeing it all come together next month.”