Ashford Museum
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Ashford Museum
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Ashford Railway Works
The
railway works came to Ashford in 1847 and grew to be the third largest works in
the country. Initially locomotives were built and in 1850 the carriage and
wagon works opened. The growth of the works can be illustrated by the number
employed – 1851 : 600, 1861 : 950, 1882 : 1300. In the 1900’s almost one third
of the town’s population were employed at the works. Much of South Ashford was
developed as housing for the workers centered on Beaver Road and Newtown. The
locomotive works closed in 1962, the carriage and wagon works in 1982 and the
wheel shop in 1993. |
