Thompson Street Works
The works of Robert Stephenson and Co and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns in Darlington
Robert Stephenson and Company Limited was incorporated; the company's works were moved from Newcastle to Darlington.
1902 Originally built as the Darlington works of Robert Stephenson and Co. Fifty-four acres of land were purchased at Springfield, Darlington and the new works were completed in 1902 with all the machinery being moved from Newcastle.
1902 the first locomotive left the shop
1960 Became the Darlington Works of the English Electric Co
Memories
N.M. wrote in July 2010: R.S & Hawthorn works were on the east side of the East Coast Main Line, just south of Thompson Street in the north part of Darlington. To reach the offices and works of Stivvies, one had to turn off Thompson St and drive down a tree lined roadway called, would you believe "Wylam Avenue" so it would appear that the works were there before or were built at the same time as the approach road. There was also, on the little estate of houses, Locomotive St, Furness St, Ajax St and Hercules St. Hercules being the name of a locomotive built in 1838 for the Berlin and Potsdam railway; Ajax the name of another locomotive and Furness with connections to The Furness line in Cumberland.
The offices were Red brick and faced North towards Thompson St across their playing fields. I remember watching my father play cricket in the evenings after work, for the works department team. He would take me in on a Saturday morning and show me the newly finished and painted engines when they were due to go out.
The Darlington Works of R.S.&.H were not known as North Road works - those were the LNER works. The R.S.& H works were known as Thompson Street works.