Monument record MDR10002 - Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Works, London Road/Litchurch Lane, Derby

Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Works. A 50 acre area of land was purchased in November 1873 and work commenced in March 1874, initially with the erection of a saw mill, machine and fitting shop, smithy, stores and foundry. Plans for new offices were approved in June and in March 1875 instructions were issued for the erection of a new wagon shop, carriage buiding and carriage painting shops. In 1877 machines were moved from the old works (SMR 32111) to the new and carriage repairs had begun. By 1878 some 13½ acres were covered by workshops. In addition to carriages, goods vehicles were also produced, including cattle wagons, timber trucks and coke wagons. In July 1888 the MR completed the purchase of the entire Osmaston Park Estate comprising some 235 acres to be used for further extension of the workshops area. This included Osmaston Hall itself, later used for headquarters purposes. In the late 1920s part of the Works was given over to road motor vehicles, fitting bodies to Karrier and Morris vans and lorries. Mass production of wagons provided a weekly output of 200 open wagons, 20 cattle wagons and 47 covered goods wagons as well as seven new carriages. (1) The Midland Railway's carriage and wagon stock was maintained and some new stock built in the original Derby Works complex (SMR 32111) until the scale of operations exceeded the capacity of the original shops and a new Carriage Works was constructed adjacent to London Road. Over the years the works have produced a large amount of vehicles for the Midland, LMSR and British Rail as well as vehicles for export to many different countries. (2)