Diesel TMD's

[russ p]

I wish I'd kept my diaries from my early days on the railway. Always been terrible at writing stuff down,even today I often think I should keep a proper diary but....

[Mr chapman]

How were points operated in a depot? Ground frames or electric motors? Circa 1980-90

[rob D2]

Neither mate, mainly hand operated points

[Mr chapman]

Lovely! Thanks

[Grimleygrid]

Very interesting Paul, thanks for sharing.

[lippy]

As Baby Deltic has said, a book worth getting is Diesel Depots - The Early Years. I recently purchased a copy from Amazon for a reasonable price. I would thoroughly recommend getting a copy.

 

image by AP474, on Flickr

I have just listed a coy of this book on Ebay. It was part of a joib lot donated to the club I am a member of. All proceeds go to the club. 

[royaloak]

How were points operated in a depot? Ground frames or electric motors? Circa 1980-90

As stated they are hand points, even the new Exeter depot which they have just started the preliminary work on will be hand points.

[sb67]

Interesting thread, more so Seeing as I want to build a small depot layout soon. I have a Bachmann single road engine shed and wondered what that would be used for, as a stand alone servicing and refuelling shed or as part of a larger depot. Would it also be appropriate to have the ratio overhead crane in front of it.

I can also recommend the above book, some great early depot pictures in there.

Steve.

[Clive Mortimore]

Interesting thread, more so Seeing as I want to build a small depot layout soon. I have a Bachmann single road engine shed and wondered what that would be used for, as a stand alone servicing and refuelling shed or as part of a larger depot. Would it also be appropriate to have the ratio overhead crane in front of it.

I can also recommend the above book, some great early depot pictures in there.

Steve.

AHHHHHHH!!!!! You have gone and mentioned the Ratio overhead crane thing that appears on every other depot layout. As far as I am aware only the WR had similar monstrosities rescued form some of their steam roundhouses. Laria had one, so did Canton, off the top of my head I cannot recall any other sheds having one. So unless a modeller is building a large WR shed plonking one on a layout is a definite rule one. 

 

The Bachmann single road shed is based on Peterborough, a late ER addition. If you have read the Early Years book you will have noticed that each region went and done its own thing. Too many depot layouts suffer from mixing of regional items, ideas etc, as well as inoperable track plans. I am sure the same modellers would never think of placing Gresley LNER teak coaches in between a pair of HST power cars.

 

Sorry Steve, didn't mean to pick on you but the above is more of a general comment about depot layouts.

[sb67]

Not at all Clive, that's the sort of info I'm after. I'd like to build a small depot and I'd like to get it half right. I'd like to get a trackplan right as well.

So I guess if I used the Bachmann shed it should be an ER based layout, which suits me.

Thanks.

Steve.

[sb67]

 

How would this do as a small depot? The fiddle yard would be on the right as a sector plate and there would be a fuel point or Bachmann Engine shed in the middle of the loop so any locos would refuel then go to a siding or back off to the sector plate?

It's a rough plan but could it work as a small depot? 

Hope that's clear as my anyrail skills aren't up to much.

Steve.

[Calimero]

Neither mate, mainly hand operated points

And in some locations spring points, Ripple Lane springs (tut!) to mind and also exiting Stratford via the outlet, many coming to grief!

[Calimero]

AHHHHHHH!!!!! You have gone and mentioned the Ratio overhead crane thing that appears on every other depot layout. As far as I am aware only the WR had similar monstrosities rescued form some of their steam roundhouses. Laria had one, so did Canton, off the top of my head I cannot recall any other sheds having one. So unless a modeller is building a large WR shed plonking one on a layout is a definite rule one. 

 

The Bachmann single road shed is based on Peterborough, a late ER addition. If you have read the Early Years book you will have noticed that each region went and done its own thing. Too many depot layouts suffer from mixing of regional items, ideas etc, as well as inoperable track plans. I am sure the same modellers would never think of placing Gresley LNER teak coaches in between a pair of HST power cars.

 

Sorry Steve, didn't mean to pick on you but the above is more of a general comment about depot layouts.

Didn't Workington have a Ratio crane?

[Banger Blue]

Neither mate, mainly hand operated points

  

As stated they are hand points, even the new Exeter depot which they have just started the preliminary work on will be hand points.

 

Surprised they are going for hand points only.

 

 

And in some locations spring points, Ripple Lane springs (tut!) to mind and also exiting Stratford via the outlet, many coming to grief!

Appreciate it was only built just over 5 years ago but Reading TCD is all motorised points and fully signalled with Ground Position Lights. All operated from a workstation within the Depot Control Room. Interfaces with the Reading West Jn & Reading Station Signallers at the Thames Valley Signalling Centre.

 

[royaloak]

Re the new Exeter depot-

   Surprised they are going for hand points only.

Not half as 'surprised' as the shunters are.

 

Us drivers spend a lot of time waiting for the shunters to pull the points (no fault of theirs, it takes quite a while to walk between the points) so we can make the moves and it was assumed the new depot would be all power points to save time and keep them dry, but alas even with the funding in place there doesnt appear to be the funds available.and as for the layout they have gone for, oh dear!

[18B]

The Irwell Press did an excellent book called 'Diesel Depots - The Early Years' which gave details and had plans of the early modernisation MPD's of the late 50s and early 60s. The book is rare now, but can still be hunted down, although it can be expensive. The 'Diesels On Shed' series of books can still be found at book stalls, as can 'BR Motive Power Depots' a book giving details of all MPD's and Sheds on BR in the 1970s/80s.

 

If you;re modelling the LMR then there are the On Shed series, Part one and Two which cover most of the LMr's depot's and their buildings/history.

[Duffy]

Hi,

 

Very informative thread, thank you all.

 

Please could anyone let me know if engines would enter a TMD via a headshunt or loop siding, or could they enter straight off of a main line?

 

If they can enter directly from the main line, would they need to reverse in i.e. have to stop on the main line and effectively go wrong line working into the depot?

 

Thanks in advance

[HullCityB17]

I would have thought that the first stop would be the Fuelling Point like at Toton, Knottingley, Bescot and Tinsley from memory.

[Swindon 123]

Hi,

 

Very informative thread, thank you all.

 

Please could anyone let me know if engines would enter a TMD via a headshunt or loop siding, or could they enter straight off of a main line?

 

If they can enter directly from the main line, would they need to reverse in i.e. have to stop on the main line and effectively go wrong line working into the depot?

 

Thanks in advance

 

To get on and off Finsbury Park depot required at least one reversal, and access from the north required two reversals. Movements off the depot required a reversal, unless departing north. If you look at my diagram below, all access on and off the depot was signalled by a Ground Position Light at red X in the top right corner.

 

 

Paul J

[Clive Mortimore]

This is a wee bit before Paul started to work at Finsbury Park but it does show the sequence of a loco coming on shed, sand boxes being refilled, refueling, then on to the shed for inspection and repair if needed. 

 

 

Odd thing is the two Type 2s come on shed from the shed end of Finsbury Park?

[Duffy]

Thanks Paul, Clive, that’s really helpful.

 

Cheers

Edited August 22, 2018 by Duffy

[Davexoc]

Odd thing is the two Type 2s come on shed from the shed end of Finsbury Park?

Note there is a tail lamp on the front. I reckon they've already passed the camera once.

 

Dave

[Swindon 123]

This is a wee bit before Paul started to work at Finsbury Park but it does show the sequence of a loco coming on shed, sand boxes being refilled, refueling, then on to the shed for inspection and repair if needed. 

 

 

Odd thing is the two Type 2s come on shed from the shed end of Finsbury Park?

A slight bit of artistic license with the sequence there. Nice shot of a Brush 2 (31) Trip Cock isolating handle in the first bit. By the time I was going on there the sand towers, on the approach to the fuel points, where no longer in use. First port of call on arrival was the fueling point, where the incoming crew left the loco. Subsequent moves around the shed where by the Shed Movements Driver and D/A. If needing attention for repairs or exam, loco went into one of the shed roads, usually 5 or 6, unless the work was major. When ready loco would then be moved out to one of the outside roads, 7-11, unless a crew arrived to take it off shed. otherwise locos would depart from the outside road it was stabled on. The diagram below should help.

 

 

Looking from the fueling poit towards the shed at Finsbury Park.

 

 

Paul J.

[russ p]

Unusual in that no1 road is furthest from running line