▁county ▁of ▁Kent ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁South ▁Eastern ▁Railway ▁Ash ford ▁locomot ive ▁works ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁South ▁Eastern ▁Railway ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁ ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁replacing ▁an ▁earlier ▁locomot ive ▁repair ▁facility ▁at ▁New ▁Cross ▁in ▁London . ▁By ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁over ▁ 1 3 0 ▁houses ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁for ▁staff ▁( called ▁Alfred ▁Town ▁by ▁the ▁railway ▁but ▁New ▁Town ▁by ▁everybody ▁else ). ▁The ▁works ▁employed ▁about ▁ 6 0 0 ▁people ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁increasing ▁to ▁about ▁ 9 5 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁and ▁around ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁A ▁carriage ▁and ▁w agon ▁works ▁was ▁opened ▁on ▁an ▁adjacent ▁ ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁The ▁works ▁led ▁Ash ford ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁largest ▁industrial ▁town ▁in ▁east ▁Kent . ▁ ▁South ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Ch ath am ▁Railway ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁the ▁railway ▁entered ▁into ▁a ▁working ▁union ▁with ▁the ▁London ▁Ch ath am ▁and ▁D over ▁Railway , ▁forming ▁the ▁South ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Ch ath am ▁Railway ▁( SE CR ). ▁Each ▁ante ced ent ▁company ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁locomot ive ▁works , ▁but ▁Ash ford ▁was ▁larger ▁than ▁Long h edge ▁works ▁and ▁so ▁became ▁the ▁principal ▁locomot ive ▁works ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁organisation . ▁The ▁latter ▁facility ▁was ▁gradually ▁run ▁down ▁and ▁converted