TMD's / Stabling Points Next To Stations

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

My favourite was Bristol Bath Road which of course was right by Temple Meads station. I have many happy memories of my mate Ashley and I with a pair of binoculars jotting down the numbers at the end of the platform. Even on a week day there were always class 50's / 33's and western region 47's on shed. And course there were always friendly railway men to help us out with those hard to get numbers.

Any other suggestions for those railway mecca's? All contributions are very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[ac6000cw]

Ipswich (Freightliner) stabling/refuelling point is right alongside the station.

Back in steam days, Cambridge shed was next to the north end of the station (platforms 4/5/6).

 

[RichmondCommu]

Ipswich (Freightliner) stabling/refuelling point is right alongside the station.

Back in steam days, Cambridge shed was next to the north end of the station (platforms 4/5/6).

That's a good shout. There can't be many like it left.

 

[Bevan Price]

A first few thoughts:

Warrington Bank Quay. Arpley diesel depot visible from station. Trouble is nowadays that there are very few locos there on many days. (Plus the inevitable trees getting in the way.)

Crewe. Diesel depot (now largely disused) at south end of platforms. In steam days, Crewe North (5A) depot was at north end of platforms.

Newton Abbot. Depot was adjacent to station - steam, plus a few Warships there when I was on holiday in Torquay many years ago.

York. Steam depot (now the NRM) close to station. You had to leave the station to see the loco yard, but locos going on/off the shed often ran past the station.

 

[RichmondCommu]

A first few thoughts:

Warrington Bank Quay. Arpley diesel depot visible from station. Trouble is nowadays that there are very few locos there on many days. (Plus the inevitable trees getting in the way.)

Crewe. Diesel depot (now largely disused) at south end of platforms. In steam days, Crewe North (5A) depot was at north end of platforms.

Newton Abbot. Depot was adjacent to station - steam, plus a few Warships there when I was on holiday in Torquay many years ago.

York. Steam depot (now the NRM) close to station. You had to leave the station to see the loco yard, but locos going on/off the shed often ran past the station.

Yes I remember Crewe Diesel with it's many class 47's and class 25's. Sadly I think it has now closed for good and is only used to store withdrawn locos.

 

[LowLevel]

Leicester, now in a renaissance with added 56s and the odd missed 37.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Leicester, now in a renaissance with added 56s and the odd missed 37.

That's a good one. That place used to be packed in the 1980's. At that time there was also a DMU stabling point next to the station complete with raised walkways.

Just a quick one, I didn't realise class 37's were now using Leicester TMD.

 

[Taunton]

Well I would have to mention Taunton, wouldn't I? Steam shed right alongside the Minehead/Barnstaple bays, in fact the only walking route to the shed was behind the buffers of these tracks. Still a stabling point for many years of diesels.

Yeovil Town was the same in steam days, but long gone.

 

[Temple Meads]

Exeter TMD is right next to St Davids, usually something to be seen, as long as you like units, of course

 

[the sniper]

Bescot TMD is right next to the station. I'm guessing it's now closed, as though I haven't seen it mentioned, it currently seems to be in the process of being knocked down...

 

[Nym]

How about Willesden TMD and Queens Park Sheds, or Northumberland Park Depot, or Neasden, Northfeilds and Ealing for that matter?

 

[ac6000cw]

Hornsey station is next to the depot (and Harringay is at the south end of it). The new Thameslink depot is just north of Hornsey as well.

Historically, Kings Cross TMD was next to the end of the platforms, and Finsbury Park TMD was alongside the station.

 

[Taunton]

Historically, Kings Cross TMD was next to the end of the platforms.

And a more awkward place for a TMD to be is difficult to imagine. In pre-HST days locomotives from arrivals in the low-numbered platforms on the east side had to do about a 6-point shunt between platform end and the tunnels to get across to the fuelling point, and then the same back again if their departure was from that side. In the days of limited capacity loco fuel tanks this constant manoeuvring seemed to take about 50% of the effort by Kings Cross signalbox, and was of course a huge drain on capacity.

 

[Strathclyder]

Hyndland Depot was located to the south of it's namesake station. It was home to 303s, 311s and from 1979, 314s. It was closed in 1987, being replaced by Yoker Carriage Sidings.

 

[30907]

Well I would have to mention Taunton, wouldn't I? Steam shed right alongside the Minehead/Barnstaple bays, in fact the only walking route to the shed was behind the buffers of these tracks. Still a stabling point for many years of diesels.

Yeovil Town was the same in steam days, but long gone.

Not to mention Basingstoke, Guildford, and Bournemouth - and Ramsgate, Dover and ?Brighton, though I can't remember those.

 

[DarloRich]

Bounds Green?

 

[9K43]

If you went to Healey Mills, and walked along the embankment ,you could see the front of the shed, full of engines, a bit along the service shed on the fuel road. As usual all gone . Only the service stand cos its full of asbestos.

 

[Taunton]

It's interesting, after discussing which depots were the most convenient for stations and the start of service, to think about ones which were the least convenient.

I think pole position there has to go to the DEMU depot at Hastings St Leonards, which looked after the DEMUs on the London to Oxted/East Grinstead lines from the 1960s to 1990s. These trains had to make a huge long empty run, generally starting from Victoria or Selhurst, down the Brighton main line and past Eastbourne. This trip happened every day, generally an empty 9-car lashup, which went down after the morning peak and then came back with different units in the afternoon. I sometimes wondered if any unit that did a same day round trip did more mileage empty than in service.

 

[RichmondCommu]

And a more awkward place for a TMD to be is difficult to imagine. In pre-HST days locomotives from arrivals in the low-numbered platforms on the east side had to do about a 6-point shunt between platform end and the tunnels to get across to the fuelling point, and then the same back again if their departure was from that side. In the days of limited capacity loco fuel tanks this constant manoeuvring seemed to take about 50% of the effort by Kings Cross signalbox, and was of course a huge drain on capacity.

Many thanks for this, really interesting stuff regarding the use of Top Shed at Kings Cross. Whilst of course St Pancras had the Cambridge Street stabling point, I'm curious to know why loco's didn't simply run to Finsbury Park for refueling? Surely this would have been easier than the complicated shunting moves that you have described?

Talking of Cambridge Street and St Pancras, I can't remember whether the stabling point could be viewed from the platforms but it was certainly very close by.

 

[Taunton]

Many thanks for this, really interesting stuff regarding the use of Top Shed at Kings Cross.

If I am not mistaken, "Top Shed", alias Kings Cross steam loco shed (34A) was out beyond the first tunnels, to the west of the line, where the large goods yard also was, quite a walk from the station. What was described here was the loco sidings and fuelling point to the west of the station throat itself. These were built by the LNER, on a site which used to be a canal spur to serve the St Pancras gasworks, so presumably even then it had become a nuisance for locos to go to and fro through the tunnels to the shed.

 

[tsr]

It's interesting, after discussing which depots were the most convenient for stations and the start of service, to think about ones which were the least convenient.

I think pole position there has to go to the DEMU depot at Hastings St Leonards, which looked after the DEMUs on the London to Oxted/East Grinstead lines from the 1960s to 1990s. These trains had to make a huge long empty run, generally starting from Victoria or Selhurst, down the Brighton main line and past Eastbourne. This trip happened every day, generally an empty 9-car lashup, which went down after the morning peak and then came back with different units in the afternoon. I sometimes wondered if any unit that did a same day round trip did more mileage empty than in service.

Similar runs do occur these days, though at different intervals, usually to/from Eastbourne (at least for the first or last leg of the journey), and not necessarily immediately before/after service. I have to admit that, in and of itself, Selhurst is not an especially convenient location for storing units for some of the first Northbound Uckfield services of the day, but it is probably the most convenient!

As for Southern/GTR depots visible today from stations, Selhurst and Three Bridges surely count.

 

[khib70]

The now long gone Dalry Road shed in Edinburgh was right next to the station of the same name on the ex-Caledonian Leith North branch. It was also ten minutes walk from where I lived until I was 10. I would all too frequently harass my parents to take me down there and spend a couple of hours watching the Black 5's , Stanier Pacifics etc, come and go. And return home happy, but extremely sooty!

 

[RichmondCommu]

If I am not mistaken, "Top Shed", alias Kings Cross steam loco shed (34A) was out beyond the first tunnels, to the west of the line, where the large goods yard also was, quite a walk from the station. What was described here was the loco sidings and fuelling point to the west of the station throat itself. These were built by the LNER, on a site which used to be a canal spur to serve the St Pancras gasworks, so presumably even then it had become a nuisance for locos to go to and fro through the tunnels to the shed.

Many thanks for this information, much appreciated! I've heard and read about "Top Shed" many times over the years and had assumed that it was located by the station throat.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The now long gone Dalry Road shed in Edinburgh was right next to the station of the same name on the ex-Caledonian Leith North branch. It was also ten minutes walk from where I lived until I was 10. I would all too frequently harass my parents to take me down there and spend a couple of hours watching the Black 5's , Stanier Pacifics etc, come and go. And return home happy, but extremely sooty!

Many thanks for this. I'm assuming here that Dalry Road was the main LMS shed in Edinburgh?

 

[khib70]

Many thanks for this information, much appreciated! I've heard and read about "Top Shed" many times over the years and had assumed that it was located by the station throat.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Many thanks for this. I'm assuming here that Dalry Road was the main LMS shed in Edinburgh?

Yes, it was. Situated just where the Leith North branch left the main line out of Princes Street Station, so a good spot for watching the main line comings and goings as well. The LNER sheds, as you know, were at Haymarket and St Margaret's. St Margaret's is long gone, but the road which passes under the ECML at that point is still known as the Smokey Brae!

 

[Controller1701]

Finsbury Park TMD was alongside the station.

Finsbury Park (Diesel Depot) was located south of the station alongside the former Clarence Yard and was I think (feel free to correct) next to the Down Canonbury line.

Paul C

 

[ac6000cw]

Finsbury Park (Diesel Depot) was located south of the station alongside the former Clarence Yard and was I think (feel free to correct) next to the Down Canonbury line.

Paul C

You are correct - I was locating it from (long ago) memory

 

[RichmondCommu]

You are correct - I was locating it from (long ago) memory

I remember seeing the clock on the front of the shed. Given that it was home to the Deltic fleet the place never seemed to be that big.

 

[306024]

In steam / diesel locomotive days Norwich, now a Morissons supermarket.
Clacton, lots of EMUs, but only at night, dead during the day.
Ipswich is the most interesting, with DMUs and the odd class 321 as well as the Freightliner stuff. But if or when the fuelling moves to Felixstowe and more use is made of the Bacon Factory Chord, it's days may be numbered for loco moves.

 

[Ash Bridge]

The stabling point at Guide Bridge was close to the station. Good for Class76s 24s/25s/40s/47s etc.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The stabling point at Guide Bridge was close to the station. Good for Class76s 24s/25s/40s/47s etc.

Yes I'd forgotten about Guide Bridge. I often wondered why Guide Bridge was used given how close Reddish was. So much was swept away when the Woodhead route was closed.