Crewe

Town in Cheshire, England; population (2001) 67,700. It grew as a major railway junction, containing the chief construction workshops of British Rail. Crewe is also the centre of the dairy industry, providing cattle breeding, management, and animal health services. Other industries include food-processing and the manufacture of chemicals, clothing, and vehicles.

History Between 1837 and 1858 Crewe became the hub of a six-point star of railway lines, leading to London (through Birmingham), Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Shrewsbury, and Stoke. Locomotive works were established in 1840. The population of Crewe in 1841 was 300, and houses for workers were initially built by the railway company. A local board was established in 1860 and the town became a municipal borough in 1877. Some workers from Crewe settled in neighbouring villages, as well as in the town of Nantwich, 7 km/4 mi to the south. Britain's last steam engine was constructed here.