mushroomchow
Member
Do the above plans mean no future use for the old Workington shed then I guess?
I suppose this is the cheaper option at the moment.
Where are the parts for Workington shed nowadays?
The Workington shed is sitting in pieces in a warehouse somewhere. There may be scope to incorporate the brickwork into the extended shed - the plans include a frontispiece to the existing entrance that bears notable similarities to it. However, the plans for a shed elsewhere are dead in the water - the GCR note increasingly stringent planning laws and environmental constraints as the main barrier. The "existing use" loophole lets them continue to use the current shed while expanding it.
I think the shed and loco dept generally, already in a pretty constrained site, will struggle to function effectively with even more constraints on its operation - no car parking (and very limited parking on surrounding streets!), limited access for deliveries (presumably by a key-locked level crossing leading straight onto the shed front 'apron'), loss of storage space - let alone expand the engineering function to take advantage of the main line connection. It's positive to see the benefit recognised of extending the double track as far north as possible though!
The plans include a 40+ space car park with access from Holbein Close, which will replace the existing access and sit north of the extended shed with no need to cross running lines. If anything, it will make the site more accessible.