Weedon Royal Ordnance Depot

[Dunalastair]

Good to read more about Weedon Depot, thankyou. My original interest was in the narrow gauge network, about which information still seems to be limited, beyond the consensus that it was not loco worked.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/180381-weedon-depot-forced-perspective-diorama/

 

The original magazine at Weedon is less well known, as it still has a high perimeter wall. I don't think that the narrow gauge penetrated this area, which originally stored up to 1000 tons of powder.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/announcing-my-acquisition-magazine-store-weedon-bec-chittenden

 

These buildings have an interesting internal geometry, with a ?parabolic vaulted roof to each chamber.

 

 

Apparently munitions returned in WW2.

 

"In 1940 it was decided that the magazines should once more function for the storage of ammunition, vastly different from the gunpowder for which they were built; the magazine becoming an Intermediate Ammunition Depot. An access road from the north which had long been disused had to be resurfaced and an ‘in’ and ‘out’ entrance provided at the west end of the enclosure. The magazine functioned as an Intermediate Ammunition Depot until 1942 holding bulk ammunition for issue to heavy anti-aircraft sites and equipment ammunition magazines (EAM). After 1942 ths function was transferred elsewhere and the buildings reverted to storehouses."

https://www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/weedon-royal-ordnance-depot/#:~:text=The depot was used for,the two rows of storehouses.

 

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/former-grade-ii-listed-munitions-store-provides-recording-and-performance-space-for-northamptonshire-musicians-3844638

 

Edit : while the 1899 map which I linked before did not enter the magazine area, by the time of the 1923 1:2500 map there were SG sidings in that part of the site.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/114479489

 

If it had at that time been a secure munitions site, then the OS would probably have left one of their intriguing 'blank spaces' on the map thereabouts.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Dunalastair]

Some images which might be of interest from the visitor centre Facebook page

 

Firstly some of the SG sidings in the mid twentieth century

 

 

Secondly the SG diesel shunter

 

 

And thirdly the Scherzer rolling lift bridge in original form - inspiration for my crude model - though I forgot the 'rolling' part. I previously found a ?Royal Engineers report on this bridge.

And this is how the canal was bridged before the tramways (or cameras) were thought of.

 

 

I was wondering if I could find an image of the 1939 goods lift which still has NG track. Found a lift image, but not of the track.

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Tony Teague]

The enclosed but open space on the north side of the magazines is now occupied as an open air 'bus garage' housing a fleet of school and other contract hire buses - manly double-deckers.

 

The first of the lifting bridges across the canal (from the east end) is now completely rusted through in places and only usable by pedestrians; cars and vans have to use the bridge further along or go right around the far, wetsren end of it.

 

Tony