Prototype Archival Plans catalogues searchable online (GWR and Lloyd's Register)

AJC

Western Thunderer
In my work capacity I've just had an email from my colleagues at the Wiltshire and Swindon Heritage Centre in Chippenham. In a heroic bit of cataloguing they have made a fully searchable listing of the 18,000 or so GWR plans they hold available to researchers.

The file references are 2515/401-410 and the first of these can be found on the catalogue here:


That should be enough to keep a few of you busy (NB - you'll have to go to Chippenham to actually view these documents, and much else in the GWR archive - WASHC also hold the records of United Dairies, which is interesting, too).

Adam
 
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simond

Western Thunderer
thanks Adam

mooching through your link, I found a nice coaster, Fullagar, built in Birkenhead (rather like me) and dating from 1920, so tried to download some of the plans - this is possible individually - but it seems that they are not scanned at any significant resolution, which is a bit of a shame. It seems one can download lots of data, but the drawings don't seem to be included in the data download .

Am I being dim?

cheers
Simon
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
thanks Adam

mooching through your link, I found a nice coaster, Fullagar, built in Birkenhead (rather like me) and dating from 1920, so tried to download some of the plans - this is possible individually - but it seems that they are not scanned at any significant resolution, which is a bit of a shame. It seems one can download lots of data, but the drawings don't seem to be included in the data download .

Am I being dim?

cheers
Simon

Probably not (though I'd need to check): my understanding with all these things is that this constitutes a catalogue rather than - in itself - a resource. That's quite common: server space has a cost and money for archival material is not easy to come by (witness the pay-per-view nature of the 1921 census release: it's fine for genealogists but almost no use for anyone else).

Adam

EDIT - The PDF here: Plan Of Midship Section For No 882 Fullagar 17 August 1918 | Documents | Archive & Library | Heritage & Education Centre could be higher res' but when I scroll up to 100% it's entirely readable on my screen. Worth getting in touch to check (I guess that the images have been compressed somewhat?).
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Thanks Adam,

I’ve just followed your link, and it has downloaded onto my iPad in an entirely readable fashion, which it did not seem to do on my work (W10) ‘puter at lunchtime.

I shall investigate further
thanks again
Simon
 
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AJC

Western Thunderer
Thanks Adam,

I’ve just followed your link, and it has downloaded onto my iPad in an entirely readable fashion, which it did not seem to do on my work (W10) ‘puter at lunchtime.

I shall investigate further
thanks again
Simon

How odd. I'm on a Windows laptop and it works for me...

Adam
 

simond

Western Thunderer
downloaded three, all super detail, then a further one, no download link, copied it down as a photo, but the resolution is much lower and the smaller text is not legible. Curious. Shall have a try on the laptop.
 
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