| Book Review | Labour History, 93 | The History Cooperative

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to Labor History online. About 226 words from this article are provided below; about 522 words remain.

If you are a individual subscriber to Labour History, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a subscriber to Labour History, you can:: • subscribe here.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of Labour History (82 - present).
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

Book Review

Patrick Bertola and Bobbie Oliver (eds), The Workshops: A History of the Midland Government Railway Workshops, University of Western Australia Press, Crawley, 2006. pp. 300. $45.00 paper.

Railway workshops have held some appeal for historians. This is not surprising given the general characteristics. Typically workshops were the dominant establishment in a locality, both physically and in terms of employment, and they were close-knit communities. The construction and repair of railway rolling stock was a complex process which required a wide range of skills and this often gave rise to a diverse and highly unionised labour force with strong lines of demarcation and ingrained custom and practice. Railway workshops were usually long-established, self-sufficient and their production largely free from competitive forces. Many of these features have been highlighted, for example, in the work of John Brown (the Baldwin works in the United States), Lucy Taksa (the Eveleigh works, New South Wales, Australia), and Diane Drummond (Crewe works, Britain). The field has also been covered in a number of doctoral theses over the last decade. In addition, the subject has attracted a strong enthusiast literature, either in the form of books and articles describing the output and products of these plants, or in the reminiscences of former employees. The latter genre can be traced back to Alfred Williams' classic Life in a Railway Factory.

. . .

There are about 522 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.