British Railways Board Chief Architects Library photographic archive

Hello,

This is my first ever post on this forum and hopefully not my last.

I'm trying to track down the whereabouts of the British Railways Board Chief Architects Library photographic archive as part of some research I'm doing of Woburn Sands Railway Station where photographs seem to be few and far between.

There's limited reference to the archive on the web and the statement that this became part of the highways agency at the time of privatisation isn't necessarily the case; it came as a surprise to the DoT when I enquired of them.

Neither NR nor Railway Heritage have any material or know of the whereabouts of the archive.

Any ex-BR Architects out there? Any help would be appreciated.

Have you tried the National Archives at Kew or The (national) Railway Museum at York?

John Webb said:

Have you tried the National Archives at Kew or The (national) Railway Museum at York?

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Thanks John but yes I have.

I'm guessing that at privatisation the due diligence of preserving such archive material may have been compromised.

Is it likely the archive was taken over by the BR Residual Board which was wound up finally last year? Have you tried the photographic archive housed, I think, at Swindon? (Sorry - forgotten what it's called!). Another potential source may be http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/default.aspx which links to a number of heritage sources, national and local. There is also the Community Rail Partnership for the Marston Vale line, based in the Old School at Cardington, and a mini-museum at Ridgmont Station which might have possible information on the station.

John Webb said:

Is it likely the archive was taken over by the BR Residual Board which was wound up finally last year? Have you tried the photographic archive housed, I think, at Swindon? (Sorry - forgotten what it's called!). Another potential source may be http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/default.aspx which links to a number of heritage sources, national and local. There is also the Community Rail Partnership for the Marston Vale line, based in the Old School at Cardington, and a mini-museum at Ridgmont Station which might have possible information on the station.

Click to expand...

Are you thinking of Steam museum or Historic England's Archive (both are very close to each other)

SwindonBert said:

Are you thinking of Steam museum or Historic England's Archive (both are very close to each other)

Click to expand...

Thanks - it was the Historic England's Archive I meant.

John Webb said:

Is it likely the archive was taken over by the BR Residual Board which was wound up finally last year? Have you tried the photographic archive housed, I think, at Swindon? (Sorry - forgotten what it's called!). Another potential source may be http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/default.aspx which links to a number of heritage sources, national and local. There is also the Community Rail Partnership for the Marston Vale line, based in the Old School at Cardington, and a mini-museum at Ridgmont Station which might have possible information on the station.

Click to expand...

John,

Thanks. My search is becoming two; one born from the other.

The first being my original quest to source photographs of Woburn Sands and now the second to 'find' the original photographic archive.

Your help in directing me to local sources is welcomed and I'll certainly follow these up. In respect of the archive the challenge is finding those in the know; certainly the breadcrumb trails that might lead to national archive sources soon end. However a few former BR colleagues are on the case so you never know......... watch this space.

There is a Network Rail record centre in York on the Clifton Moor estate.

https://www.addressesandpostcodes.c...etwork-rail-ltd-audax-road-york-yo30-4us.html