2023 sees the 180th anniversary of the Grand Junction Railway Engineering Works moving from Edge Hill to Crewe. To mark this historic event, Crewe Town Council is in the midst of planning an exhibition at Crewe Heritage Centre which will run from 1st July to 10th September 2023 on weekends and Bank Holidays.
The exhibition theme will be How Locomotives were a catalyst for change in Crewe and visitors will be able to explore the following topics:
Crewe Works:
- Experience the sights and sounds of arriving for a shift at Crewe Works
- Understand why Crewe Works was built and what was made there
- Sit in the Drawing Office and design your own loco or learn what tools were used in the Erecting Shop
- Meet the workers and learn about their lives
- Drive a train
How did Crewe Works affect people’s lives?
- Find out how the technologies and innovations from Crewe Works influenced railway development across the world
- Discover Crewe’s record holders and award-winning locomotives
- Explore how the Works contributed to the war effort in 1914 and 1939
How did Crewe Works affect the development of Crewe?
- Learn how the Works shaped the town of Crewe
- Have dinner in a railway cottage
- Go to school in Victorian Crewe
- Discover how railway accidents at the Works informed developments in health
Looking to the future:
- Find out what is still made at Crewe Works today
- Add to a community exhibition about what we are proud of in Crewe
A wraparound programme of pop up events will also be on offer, including drama, town trails, school’s session, heritage skills demonstrations and talks.
If you would like to be involved or to find out more, please contact: [email protected]
A spokesperson at Crewe Town Council said:
“The decision to move the Grand Junction Railway Engineering Works to Crewe shaped the town, building it from a community of a few hundred people to a town of 40,000 in just thirty years. As a result, Crewe became a hub of innovation in engineering, design and the organisation of large-scale industry. We are excited to bring this commemorative exhibition to the Heritage Centre to tell the story of Crewe Works and get people actively involved in exploring its history.”
Photo credit: Crewe & District Local History Association.
