Derby Then and now : Alstom/Carriage and wagon works site from the air 1921 to 2025. Railway200

Photos by Drone
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I specialise in then and now photography and have spent weeks trying to retake a view from 1921 using my drone, this is the best I can get after multiple attempts.
In this Derby then and now I’m flying my drone above Derby Litchurch Lane Works, formerly Derby Carriage and Wagon Works now Alstom.
This view is over the works looking Northwest over where the Fletcher and Stewart factory used to be located.

I’ve been trying to make this then and now for many weeks but its extremely difficult to match the same position as the original but I thought I would get this one published seeing as its The Greatest Gathering event this weekend in Derby at Alstom for railway200.
Most of the buildings at the bottom of the image line up but as you go higher up they are quite a bit off but its still pretty interesting.

2025 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, Railway200 is a celebration of this and will be celebrated with events around the UK, Derby has a long history with the railways and will be celebrated at Alstom at their Derby Litchurch Lane Works by “The greatest gathering” 1-3rd August 2025.

Derby Carriage and Wagon Works started producing rolling stock in 1840 for the Midland Railway who owned the works. In 1970 it became British Rail Engineering Ltd, 1992 became ABB, in 1996 Adtranz then in 2001 Bomardier Transportation and finally in 2021 became Alstom.

if your not sure where abouts we are, that road on the far left side is Osmaston Road, the road coming off that one to the right is Litchurch Lane.

Photo A taken : 1921
Photo B taken : 9th June 2025
Time elapsed : 104 years

Past & Present - in fading Photographs.
High quality resolution fading photos showing local scenes as they were and how they are today from exactly the same view point. Then and now, Now and then, Past and Present, Old and New, Before and After. Call it what you want, just try one and see the effect!

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Lovely comparison. Apart from the area around Rosehill, ( in the background) very little seems to have changed on the actual site of the carriage works over the years. :+1::+1:

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@comedyhunter Bit greener now Andy! :grin::wink:

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Oh yeah, Derby City Council are very keen on green initiatives. ( just as long as us council tax payers are funding them ) :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

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Thanks, yes trying to line up longitude, latitude, Altitude, Vertical camera angle, Rotation, Lens size, focal depth and aspect ratio, pixel matching spread with the original photo was so time consuming.

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yes less industry since then

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I love seeing these, very talented ! Superb :clap::clap:

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Thanks, well if you like that one check out my dedicated then and now playlist as a specialise in making high accuracy ones I have over 100 of them..

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Thank you, will do mate I have seen a few but not all :+1:

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Again brilliant those, mad how things change so much which you can really get a sense/feeling of then & now, the backing tune really does them justice too, brilliant work I’m guessing it takes much time effort & planning, would love to see those in the town I was brought up, makes me realise how maybe the world/country used to be a better place, even in the years I grew up !
Keep them coming ! :clap:

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Thanks, yes if I hadnt have made that one then you would never have guessed it was the same shop. yes it takes me a very long time to take a photo from the same place. got loads more coming.

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Look forward to seeing them ! :slightly_smiling_face:

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