Stratford depot

[Downendian]

One of those threads that gets the grey cells twitching and recalling - funny how we remember different things- forgot about the Bryant and May factory.

 

Went round Stratford at least ten times in the 1970s and funnily enough the only time we were turned down was with an Inter-city railway society trip.

Did both routes to the depot - but the tunnel from the station the most fun although in fear and trepidation.

 

Brilliant place though circa 1975/6. 03s, class 15 carriage heating units, 31/0s, split box 37s, ER duffs....heaven for us WR folk. Stratford was to 31/0s as Toton was to 44s.

Happy days, now long gone.

 

Neil

[Colin]

Occasional visits by Southern Region steam locos on freights from Feltham to Goodmayes Yard annoyed the ER authorities right into 1965 with Q1's, and Standards most common, but they didn't go on to Stratford shed (banned), but were sent straight back to the SR via Winchelsea Junction.

When the Clapham Railway Museum closed, before work started at York, the collection was housed in part of the New Works, before being sent on to Hellifield.

 

Further to the "last Steam loco" sub-thread, there was reference in the Railway Magazine for July '64 of several BR2MTs arriving at Stratford for "open store". At least 2 of these locos (78018, 78019) and possibly others of the batch ended up at Barry and ultimately passed into preservation.

Standard 2-6-0s off the Southern would probably have been 76xxx 4MTs, unless the solitary 3MT 77014 from Guildford ever got a run north of the Thames!

[BrushVeteran]

Whether it was the smell of the various paint factory's or just the anticipation of a 'surprise' visitor to the depot the lure for me was the ease of photography and the variety that went with it. I always entered the depot from the 'tunnel' and always went to the running foremans office which was in the older offices by the massive water tower. I never got refused although more often than not I got redirected to the shed foremans office which used to be on the northen side of the back to back sheds B & C I seem to remember.

I would visit quite regularly between 1964 and 1974, usually four or five times per year. In the early seventies I even got roped in to washing the foreman's car!, but he did at least remember me on subsequent visits when he would take me over for a tour of the repair shop, which was usually locked at weekends.

Yes I can honestly say this was the best of the London depots and certainly the most photographed by me, but then it was full of Brush Type 2's (31's)! Sad to see it has all gone but very glad I recorded it in the diesel heyday. I think that applies to most of the railway scene today though.

[trisonic]

Return of the Undead! Anyone else got memories and/or Pics?

 

Best, Pete.

[trisonic]

For SXHall. Not so much about LIFT, though, but. Perhaps somebody will contribute some photo-links.

 

Best, Pete.

[weirworn]

In answer to Simon G about those locos in the locked shed. (The new shed) There was :- King George V, Lord Nelson, King Arthur among them. I worked there at the time. But they were put in at night in case someone saw them and broke in to steal bits off of them.

[rob D2]

Anybody an expert on startford silver/grey roof set ups ?

 

I have seen it written elsewhere on the site that you can use normal BR grey from the blue/grey because as they ran out of silver this is what they used .

[Gwiwer]

I'm no expert but was based at Liverpool Street during part of the "Stratford Effect" era. From my observations it certainly appeared to be the case that later roof repaints were grey rather than white or "silver" but I ascribed that at the time to simply having the lighter colour applied over the BR blue without a rub-back first.

[BernardTPM]

A friend of mine who was a driver at the time told me that the roofs were painted Rail Grey because it was much cheaper than the silver paint used on the first one, being a standard colour they had in bulk.

[rob D2]

OK thanks guys

[darren01]

HI

Stratford shed did have a tendency to paint the roof of their loco’s silver ,This would have been in the late 70's , my father has lots of photo of Stratford shed in the early 70’s and 80’s , I do member the shed very well as I used to bunk it a lot in my loco spotting days .

Next time I get over to see my father I will dig out all the photo of Stratford I can find.

Darren

[birdseyecircus]

I think i made two visits one with a permit and once - amazingly we were allowed to go round just as it was getting dark.

I can certainly remember turning a corner and seeing 47007 named Stratford TMD stood outside all bullied up white wheels etc. Pristine! Wow!

 

Paul

[Classsix T]

Here's a few images of SF, taken at the July 11th 1981 Open Day by my Dad, enjoy!

 

 

C6T.

[trisonic]

Really good photos! Thanks for posting.

 

best, pete.

[JeffP]

I have quite a few of Stratford from the early 70's to the late 80's. Unfortunately, all are in albums here and not scanned in.

 

Great place, will be sadly missed..........as is 95% of the Uk network.

[mcowgill]

I managed to go round Stratford a few times on permits I arranged for the school transport society, here are a few of the photos I have, sadly before I acquired a decent camera.

 

20th April 1979: 31002 & 31017

 

20th April 1979: 31 013 outside the DRS

 

20th April 1979: 03047 & 03154

 

29th March 1980: 47130 & 37116 at the fuelling point

 

29th March 1980: 03160

 

And an extra one of old Liverpool Street, 47539 on 6th March 1982

 

I'll see if I can find the others that I didn't scan as the quality was poorer but they might be of interest here.

 

Martin

[mcowgill]

Here are the others that I took, firstly two from the 1979 visit:

 

37076 and the DRS:

 

A general view of the running shed, class 15 heating unit just visible down the left hand side of the shed:

 

Two from the 1980 visit, 47557:

 

03168 outside the office builidings:

 

Hope they are of interest to someone,

 

Martin

[96701]

I managed to go round Stratford a few times on permits I arranged for the school transport society, here are a few of the photos I have, sadly before I acquired a decent camera.

 

 

20th April 1979: 03047 & 03154

 

 

I'll see if I can find the others that I didn't scan as the quality was poorer but they might be of interest here.

 

Martin

That's Pete Robinson's Gresley Living Van behind those two shunters. He was seriously unimpressed with the replacement Mk 1 Living Van.

[Gwiwer]

Such images are always of interest and the quality should not detract from the content. Many a picture has been taken on the likes of an elderly 120 or cheap and cheerful 126 camera which now provide precious detail and evidence from what has become a bygone age.

 

The 03s were often frustratingly parked out of general sight around Stratford and without an official visit one sometimes had to rely on finding them at work in Poplar Docks for a "cop". The cleanliness and decoration inside of the shed from the open day strikes me as well.

 

I made numerous trips in my younger says when a decent pair of binoculars was required from platform 8 at the station and you then took the (very infrequent!) train up to Tottenham Hale and back for a ride around the back of the sheds and through Temple Mills yard. One a couple of such ventures the booking clerk looked down at this young lad requesting a BR ticket to Tottenham with an "Are you sure?" attitude and pointed out that I could get the underground far more frequently.

[trisonic]

Post-Olympics boost for any more photos/memories of Stratford (and Temple Mills etc).

 

Best, Pete.

[rusty]

hi all

new here,

just been to the olympics, brought back memories when i worked at stratford loco 1973-76

does anyone have photos going back to them days, when the old buildings oppisite the station wehe still there

and does anyone have links to old aerial photos of the loco etc, when i was walking aound the olympic park i could not work out where the shad was, channelsea and thronton fields sidings stand etc

I had not been to the area since early 80's, as i moved up north

thanks

[flapland]

I am also interested to know how the shed etc relates to the Olympic park and Westfield especially as I am visiting tomorrow. I have a feeling Westfield is sort of where the shed was but not certain and the park on where the EMU siding where.

[Gwiwer]

I am also interested to know how the shed etc relates to the Olympic park and Westfield especially as I am visiting tomorrow. I have a feeling Westfield is sort of where the shed was but not certain and the park on where the EMU siding where.

 

Westfield sits over the southern part of the depot area and over an area once occupied by multiple running tracks which led from the north side of the station around the curve and off towards Temple Mills. There always were platforms on a couple of those tracks but most of the structure there today is new. The depot itself sat where International station now is. The DLR from Stratford to International makes use of the old alignment of the North Woolwich - Tottenham Hale (later Richmond) tracks including the dive-under beneath the main lines before curving sharply to the right through what was a part of the shed area.

 

The site of Thornton Fields sidings lies beneath the Olympic stadium itself. The Olympic Village (marked as Victory Park on Google Maps) sits over the site of the London International Freightliner Terminal. The Olympic Velodrome is appropriately on the site of the former Eastway cycle racing track just behind the depot and LIFT site.

[rusty]

Gwiwer, thanks for that, its the trouble when you get old things change and you try to fit your old memories into that space

i had forgotten about the tunnel under the tracks that lead from the station platforms to the depot

we used to run accross the track to get that last train that got us to upminster in time to get the last ockendon train,

remember the driver would say where do you live , "ockendon" i would answer, right make some tea you need to be away shortly

great memories

[BernardTPM]

LIFT was actually the London International Freight Terminal, the site now occupied by the 'Hospitality Zone'. This dealt with International wagon load freight - ferry vans and the like. The Freightliner terminal was called Stratford Freightliner Terminal, the road access being off Temple Mills Lane.