Where were your locos based?

[VESPA]

Having quite a few locos from Hornby I never really paid much attention to where the real loco was allocated. Having just got stuck into a book "Shedside on Merseyside" I was surprised to see that many of my locos were Liverpool based at some time. This book also mentions out of area locos shedded for a few days only. The sheds include all the Liverpool city sheds, and Birkenhead, with sub sheds also mentioned. From what I can see you can run any region loco except SR without going far wrong from reality. In one Birkenhead shot there are BR locos with a tank loco still in GWR livery. All great stuff for those that like a bit of this and that on their layouts. How about a nice A3 next to your Stanier Black 5 with a Castle class. All reasonable from what I can make out.

[Graskie]

Vespa, I did loads of loco-spotting and shed bashing in the mid 50s to early 60s, including the Liverpool area. Yes, some locos often changed sheds within the same BR region but, from what I remember, it was pretty rare to see a "stranger" appearing from another region, apart from a few obviously mixed region sheds such as, say, Woodford Halse. We used to get the odd B1 on Northampton Midland Region shed but that was only because there was a line to Peterborough on the Eastern Region.

 

I myself nevertheless break all the rules with mixed region locos on my layout, even including a newly built "Tornado". I really don't think you would ever have seen the wonderful setup you suggested, though, in reality! Perhaps towards the end of steam, by which time I had packed up and gone to uni.

[VESPA]

With having a book as reference it is very hard to show how frequent ER locos visited Edge Hill. Anything from B1's to A3's and most tender locos inbetween. Some stayed for a couple of days before taking a train back to the ER, or so the book implies. I do remember seeing my first ER based loco in my neck of the woods on a Liverpool Leeds express 61016 Inyala. I also remember several Hall class locos on the WCML. Probably, Grand National day though.

[Fazy]

Leicester GCR had 4 Halls for a time and a few A3 including flying scotsman with rebuilt scots, jubilees etc a great mix. GT1 i think it was ended her days  there too.Were Leicester MR had the odd  O1 O4 could be seen plus GT3.  And the Midland pullman crosti and Midlands 2-6-0+0-6-2. 

[dynax]

On my layout i run what i like with what i like, although i am struggling to decide wether or not my Gadwall looks better pulling a rake of maroons or some blood and custard, but then the contrast looks great between it and some mk1 blue and greys,

[Graskie]

Well, strictly speaking, of course, dynax, it didn't run with any of those in whatever combination. They are all BR coaches and you really need some nice Gresley teaks, Pullmans or other LNER stock. However, a combination of the first two you mention would look interesting. I don't know about the last ones, though;I refuse to buy any of those.

[Graskie]

I remember being just a bit disappointed at constantly seeing the old regulars which had been allocated to our local shed for what seemed years and years. I'd love to see any of them now, though.

[dynax]

it's currently pulling a rake of 5 maroons, looks ok, but want something that's got a bit more of a wow factor, pullmans might look better, or maybe some VSOE stock,

[LCDR]

Generally my locos were shedded in London and  south east area, particularly 73A, 73B, 73C, 73D, 73E, 73F, 74A, 74B 74C, 74D, 74E.

[Graskie]

LC, on checking my Ian Allan Winter 1960/1 Edition Combined Volume, I see I went round 73A Stewarts Lane and 73B Bricklayers Arms. It then shows 73C to 73J. For some reason no 74 sheds existed then and it jumps to the 75s. I know there were shed number changes at various times but, as a matter of interest, what period are you referring to?

[sparkhill]

I believe after I left the UK in 1957 that a few LNER B1s, GWR locos used to run between New St and Bristol, talking about regulars I used to complain about seeing 45690 Leander at least three times a week, then they had to preserve the old girl.

[Postman Prat]

 

Hi Sparkhill,

 

B1s were the most likely locos to wander from the ex LNER lines but I don't know how often they got to Bristol. The GWR locos running New St to Bristol I've never heard of, but that wasn't my part of the country so it quite possibly escaped me.

 

Late 50s onwards, until 1964, about the only foreigners I recall in Newcastle were the odd Black 5 and I recall a couple of ex-works Britannias turning up.

 

One of the A1s (I think 60114 W P Allen) made it to Worcester on a special and the famous escape by a GWR Grange (I think) that got to Huddersfield, where it clipped the platform with it's cylinder and it was removed from it's train forthwith!!!

[VESPA]

I believe after I left the UK in 1957 that a few LNER B1s, GWR locos used to run between New St and Bristol, talking about regulars I used to complain about seeing 45690 Leander at least three times a week, then they had to preserve the old girl.

I have driven Leander many years ago.

[LCDR]

LC, on checking my Ian Allan Winter 1960/1 Edition Combined Volume, I see I went round 73A Stewarts Lane and 73B Bricklayers Arms. It then shows 73C to 73J. For some reason no 74 sheds existed then and it jumps to the 75s. I know there were shed number changes at various times but, as a matter of interest, what period are you referring to?

The  South Eastern Division modernisation took place between 1957 and 1962. The first stage was the dieselisation of the route to Hastings using DEMUs, and much of St. Leonard's steam allocation was moved away. Then in June 1959 the first phase of the Kent Coast electrification was energised, reducing the steam passenger requirement at sheds between Victoria and Ramsgate via Chatham. Phase 2 took place in June 1961 electrifying the route to Dover and Ramsgate via Tonbridge and Ashford. Diesels took over the Maidstone East to Ashford and Ashford to Hastings, but Maidstone to Ashford was finally energised in 1962.

 

In anticipation of this in the Ashford group sheds (74 series) were rationalised between 1959 and 1960 and certain sheds demoted to sub-sheds, of the 73 (Stewarts Lane) area. After 1962 some sheds closed altogether, but a few remained as diesel sheds (electric and DEMU depots were excluded). Stewarts Lane remained 73A, Hither Green 73C, Faversham 73E but Ashford was now 73F.  and Tonbridge  73J.   Stewarts Lane had the Electric Locos (Later classes 71 and 73) , and Hither Green the main line diesels (later class 33), the others were sheds for class 08 and 09 diesel shunters. 73B Bricklayers Arms,  and  73H Dover remained to service locomotives from other sheds. Although Dover did have a few 03s for a while. Ramsgate and Folkestone were sub-sheds for servicing too but lost their shed codes.

 

Steam remained on the Central Division for a few more years and steam locomotives did work to Tonbridge, and at Victoria, London Bridge and Stewarts Lane. For a while Stewarts Lane became a sub-shed of Brighton (75A).

 

My datum year is 1956. However I do admit some diesels to represent the change-over, so I work on a time span 1946 to 1966.

[Graskie]

Thanks very much for that, LC. Incredible detail there, as usual.

[the ferret]

Being a Southern England person, my locos are SR and GWR and were based in Eastleigh (class 700, M7, T9), Brighton (E4), Nine Elms (Urie Arthur, Schools), Old Oak Common (4073, 6106, 2918), Newton Abbot 5011. Others like GWR Mogul 5328  and 0-4-2T 1466 are unknown. Perhaps one of you could advise me. The last mentioned may have been an Ashburton loco.

 

[Postman Prat]

 

Hi Ferrt

 

Give me a date and I'll try to give you the loco allocation for the last 2  -   the Mogul and also the Auto-tank 

[Tony57]

 Hi Ferret

Mogal 5328 was based at Weynouth Shed

14XX 1466 based Newton Abbot

61XX 6106 based at Slough

Info from E Lyons book An histrorical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds 1947

[Graskie]

Not sure whether this will be relevant era-wise but my Ian Allan "abc Locoshed Book" of Autumn 1961 shows:

 

5328 missing and presumably withdrawn from service/scrapped.

1466 based at 83C Exeter.

6106 based at 81F Oxford.

[walkingthedog]

They were based in the attic but now in the spare room. 

[Graskie]

Not in the basement then?

[walkingthedog]

No I had to fill that in because the pit ponies kept coming up the stairs into the kitchen. 

[Fazy]

Not sure whether this will be relevant era-wise but my Ian Allan "abc Locoshed Book" of Autumn 1961 shows:

 

5328 missing and presumably withdrawn from service/scrapped.

1466 based at 83C Exeter.

6106 based at 81F Oxford.

5328 Withdraw 7/1958 probably from Swindon 82c after sent there on the 1/1958

[LCDR]

  So far as I know the Ferret models pre-Nationalisation so all these will have been around then.

 

The first ABC Locoshed book was issued in 1950, but Railway Societies like RCTS did publish shed allocation lists from time to time, back to at least the mid 1930s. Old copies of 'The Railway Observer' are a gold mine of information.

[Fazy]

BR daterbase and Shed bash uk can be useful websites