Purpose Built Diesel Depots

[Ch4lkst3r]

Hi, my layout under construction is based in the early 1960s Western Region somewhere in the Midlands around Birmingham.  I've got an area that will consist of 3 sidings for fuelling/stabling my hydraulics.  My question is when did BR start building purpose built diesel depot buildings such as the Scalescenes one below?  Hope someone might have an idea as to whether this type of building would be prototypical at that time or whether it would be too modern and that the stabling roads would just be plain sidings with some hardstanding.  Thanks in advance for any advice

[Oldddudders]

BR did not usually build such expensive structures for simple stabling, but for scheduled maintenance depots. These would have been essential to keeping the new diesel fleets in peak condition. By 1961/2 I had certainly toured new facilities at Finsbury Park and Laira.

[keefer]

I think the problem in the early years of diesels was that new purpose-built depots were fairly rare, hence the brand-new technology being maintained & serviced in stream sheds (alongside steam locos).

A refuelling point might be more possible as it requires less money & effort but even then, chances are the locos would still be in the open (unless there was an old disused steam shed which could be easily repurposed).

Edited August 12, 2023 by keefer

[The Stationmaster]

 I can't think of any WR loc stabling location that wasn't out in the open.  servicing was normally carried out in servicing sheds but thes were fairly limited in number and loco fuelling facilities that weren't in shed were very uncommon.

 

The smallest WR servicing sheds for mainline locos which I knew the single road building s at Swindon (probably really intended for DMUs,  the strange divided two shed arrangement at Westbury which was oroiginally to service 3 car DMUs with teh centre car standing out in the open between the two sheds, and the 2 road dea end shed at Reading capable of holding a Type on each road.  it would be difficult to justify anything bigger than the latter in an area served by a main depot

[Halvarras]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

 I can't think of any WR loc stabling location that wasn't out in the open.  servicing was normally carried out in servicing sheds but thes were fairly limited in number and loco fuelling facilities that weren't in shed were very uncommon.

 

The smallest WR servicing sheds for mainline locos which I knew the single road building s at Swindon (probably really intended for DMUs,  the strange divided two shed arrangement at Westbury which was oroiginally to service 3 car DMUs with teh centre car standing out in the open between the two sheds, and the 2 road dea end shed at Reading capable of holding a Type on each road.  it would be difficult to justify anything bigger than the latter in an area served by a main depot

 

If the building at Swindon you refer to was on the inside of the Gloucester line curve, this was used almost exclusively by the local Class 08s. Very occasionally a mainline type might find its way into it, locos running a little low on fuel would occasionally get a pop-up at the refuelling point just outside the entrance (the strangest sight I ever saw was on 23/8/84, an HST power car just outside the shed apparently being refuelled with the rest of the set strung out across the stabling point and up behind the station! I have a photo somewhere....)

[Knapdale]

The On Shed Bookazine series should give you ideas. It provides history for each shed/depot in the BR regions. 
 

https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/product/railways-of-britain-10-on-shed-part-7-western-region-london-south-west-and-southern-region

 

[Clive Mortimore]

8 hours ago, Ch4lkst3r said:

Hi, my layout under construction is based in the early 1960s Western Region somewhere in the Midlands around Birmingham.  I've got an area that will consist of 3 sidings for fuelling/stabling my hydraulics.  My question is when did BR start building purpose built diesel depot buildings such as the Scalescenes one below?  Hope someone might have an idea as to whether this type of building would be prototypical at that time or whether it would be too modern and that the stabling roads would just be plain sidings with some hardstanding.  Thanks in advance for any advice

Hi

 

The best book on early diesel depots is Diesel Depots the Early Years by Chris Hawkins, Irwell press ISBN 1-871608-01-5 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chris-Hawkins-Diesel-Depots-Early/dp/B00NBK9YQC

 

The best looking WR loco shed is the Bachmann two road one as it it based on the two buildings at Ebbw Junction

From

 

 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Ebbw_Junction_TMD

 

From Rainbow Models.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Clive Mortimore

[Clive Mortimore]

10 minutes ago, Knapdale said:

The On Shed Bookazine series should give you ideas. It provides history for each shed/depot in the BR regions. 
 

https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/product/railways-of-britain-10-on-shed-part-7-western-region-london-south-west-and-southern-region

 

The series were excellent this was the only one I didn't buy, as it had no track plans.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

I don't know about Birmingham, but WR diesels at Wolverhampton used the former steam shed at Oxley (I'm not sure whether diesels ever used Stafford Road, but I don't recall seeing any in photographs), and at Shrewsbury they used the very run down former LNW steam shed (they might previously have used the GW steam shed, but this closed fairly early on, I think).

 

The Wikipedia page for Ebbw Junction appears to be confusing the steam shed with the diesel depot. The latter closed in the 1980s if I remember correctly. I would hazard a guess it wasn't even built until the steam shed closed in 1965.

 

Severn Tunnel Junction had a single road diesel shed built in 1967.

[Davexoc]

I used the Bachmann offering but for the 70s onwards, well actually 2 of them plus a cut down low relief signal box to add some extra space for the likes of office and messroom areas. I think that if you deem it to be a servicing shed rather than stabling point, it is perfectly acceptable.

The main thing I think you need to do on the Scalescenes model, is to back date the signage quite a bit. The structure itself is good, but alot of the warning signs are way too modern. Look at the servicing shed at OC even in the 80s, and you'll find the signage looking more from the era you are looking at, none of the more modern warning symbols, but more of the raised letter style boards.

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

12 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

The best looking WR loco shed is the Bachmann two road one as it it based on the two buildings at Ebbw Junction

 

An amalgam IMHO, with a bit of 81A thrown in, especially in the side window area.

 

[Ch4lkst3r]

Hi all.  Thanks for the responses.  The proposed area is attached to the already build steam shed (pictured below) which also has a coaling stage and turntable etc.  My use of the term stabling was probably the wrong word so if I could slightly reword the query for further advice.  The area of 3 sidings is linked to the established steam shed so was thinking that they may have built a new diesel shed for the new incoming diesel replacements.  Would this have been likely in the early 1960s on the Western Region or would they have been using the steam shed for maintenance etc.  Thanks again for your replies

 

[Davexoc]

14 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

An amalgam IMHO, with a bit of 81A thrown in, especially in the side window area.

 

 

Who has nicked the table? Just imagine how that would look if done today, a mass of fencing and warning signs...

 

12 hours ago, Ch4lkst3r said:

Hi all.  Thanks for the responses.  The proposed area is attached to the already build steam shed (pictured below) which also has a coaling stage and turntable etc.  My use of the term stabling was probably the wrong word so if I could slightly reword the query for further advice.  The area of 3 sidings is linked to the established steam shed so was thinking that they may have built a new diesel shed for the new incoming diesel replacements.  Would this have been likely in the early 1960s on the Western Region or would they have been using the steam shed for maintenance etc.  Thanks again for your replies

 

 

If you look at this site which details some of the transition work at OC in the 60s

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=191&t=1920564

 

I think you can easily believe what you want to do is well within the realms of prototypical possibility...