Bank Hall Locomotive Depot in 1948: two ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire engines outside the smaller through Shed: ex-L&Y 1F 0-6-0T No. 11535, fitted with dumb buffers and swinging spark-arrestor for working in the Docks; behind it is Class 30 6F 0-8-0 No. 12782. (Beyond can be glimpsed an 8F 2-8-0 with the unusual combination of 'M' as well as the BR initial '4' added to its number). Photo: 20 June 1848 by Ben Brooksbank, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

Recording Locomotive Sightings 1943 - 1968
A generation of enthusiasts recorded the movements of locomotives around the railway system. These records of visits to locomotive depots have been collected and carefully analysed to provide an overall portrait for the period 1943 to 1968. During that period of steam's final years, there was a marked change from the pre-grouping types that still found work at a few depots, to the modern BR designs that worked until the end in 1968. The handling of freight and passenger services was a major undertaking from town and cities, ports, coal mines and factories. All of it traversed the labyrinth of lines that criss-crossed the country. There were numerous 'sheds' spread throughout the length and breadth of the land that provided and serviced the vast army of steam locomotives (20,000 in 1948). Here is just a taste of that history.

Visits to Locomotive Works

Visits to British Locomotives Works

A Robinson built class O4 2-8-0 63693, on the scrap road at Doncaster Works on 15th October 1961.  Photo: David J. Desborough

British Locomotive Works
Ashford Locomotive Works 1946 - 1962
Ashford1946 - 19541530-Dec-16
Ashford1955 - 1962167-Jan-17
Barry Locomotive Works 1938 - 1959
Barry1938 - 19592920-Mar-18
Bow Locomotive Works 1939 - 1959
Bow1939 - 19592323-Dec-15
Brighton Locomotive Works 1946 - 1960
Brighton1946 - 19602219-Nov-16
Caerphilly Locomotive Works 1938 - 1962
Caerphilly1938 - 1962219-Apr-18
Cowlairs Locomotive Works 1936 - 1966
Cowlairs1936 - 19612311-Jun-16
Cowlairs1962 - 1966924-Jun-16
Crewe Locomotive Works 1955 - 1958
Crewe195537-Jun-13
Crewe1956215-Jun-13
CreweSeptember 1956319-Jun-13
Crewe1957215-Jul-13
Crewe1958 Part 1221-Jul-13
Crewe1958 Part 2215-Aug-13
Darlington Locomotive Works & Shed
Darlington1955 - part 128-Jan-14
Darlington1955 - part 238-Jan-14
Darlington1955 - part 338-Jan-14
Darlington Works & Shed1964 - part 1315-Dec-13
Darlington Works & Shed1964 - part 2327-Dec-13
Darlington Works & Shed1964 - part 3427-Dec-13
Darlington Works & Shed1965 - part 1427-Dec-13
Darlington Works & Shed1965 - part 2527-Dec-13
Derby Locomotive Works 1957 - 1960
Derby1957827-Jun-14
Derby1958113-Jul-14
Derby1959119-Jul-14
Derby19601016-Jul-14
Derby Sidings1958 - 196019-Jul-14
Doncaster Locomotive Works 1955 - 1964
Doncaster1955528-Sep-13
Doncaster195661-Oct-13
Doncaster1957124-Oct-13
Doncaster1958146-Oct-13
Doncaster19591515-Oct-13
Doncaster1960 (Jan - Sep)1116-Oct-13
Doncaster1960 (Oct - Dec)417-Oct-13
Doncaster1961 (Jan - Sep)1213 Nov 13
Doncaster1961 (Oct - Dec)616-Nov-13
Doncaster1962 (Jan - Oct)1222-Jan-20
Doncaster1962 (Sep - Dec)624-Jan-20
Doncaster1963 (Jan - July)153-Feb-20
Doncaster1963 (Aug '63 - May '64)136-Feb-20
Eastleigh Locomotive Works 1946 - 1965
Eastleigh1946 - 195595-Oct-17
Eastleigh1956 - 196095-Oct-17
Eastleigh1961 - 1965115-Oct-17
Gateshead Locomotive Works 1948 - 1958
Gateshead1948 - 19521122-Jan-14
Gateshead1954 - 19581124-Jan-14
Gorton Locomotive Works 1950 - 1963
Gorton1950 - 19521512-Feb-13
Gorton1953 - 195695-Mar-13
Gorton1957 - 1959913-Mar-13
Gorton1960 - 19632425-Mar-13
Horwich Locomotive Works 1949 - 1961
Horwich1949 - 19511026-Oct-12
Horwich1952 - 1954928-Oct-12
Horwich1955 - 1956141-Nov-12
Horwich1957 - 19581219-Nov-12
Horwich1959 - 1960114-Nov-12
Horwich1961111-Apr-13
Horwich19621411-Jun-20
Horwich1963/641219-Jun-20
Hull Springhead Locomotive Works 1937 - 1954
Hull Springhead1937 - 19541119-Dec-12
Inverurie Locomotive Works 1939 - 1954
Inverurie1939 - 19653410-Apr-16
Kilmarnock Locomotive Works 1946 - 1952
Kilmarnock1946 - 19591525-Apr-13
Loch Gorm Locomotive Works 1939 - 1958
Lochgorm1939 - 19582729-Apr-16
Newton Abbot Locomotive Works 1946 - 1960
Newton Abbot1946 - 1960304-Nov-16
Oswestry Locomotive Works 1939 - 1964
Oswestry1939 - 19644827-Aug-14
Rugby Locomotive Works 1938 - 1959
Rugby1938 - 19593023-Nov-14
St. Rollox Locomotive Works 1947 - 1963
St. Rollox1947 - 19552320-May-13
St. Rollox1956 - 19633020-May-13
Stratford Locomotive Works 1934 - 1961
Stratford1934 - 195093-Apr-17
Stratford1951 - 19561311-Apr-17
Stratford1957 - 19611516-Apr-17
Swindon Locomotive Works 1952 - 1960
Swindon1952 - 1954627-Sep-15
Swindon1955 - 195765-Oct-15
Swindon1958 - 1960611-Oct-15
Swindon1961 (part 1)414-Aug-22
Swindon1961 (part 2)521-Aug-22
Swindon1962 (part 1)63-Nov-22
Swindon1962 (part 2)511-Nov-22
Swindon1963 (part 1)727-Jan-23
Swindon1963 (part 2)63-Feb-23
Wocester Locomotive Works 1937 - 1965
Worcester1937 - 19653827-Jun-15
Wolverhampton Locomotive Works 1955 - 1963
Wolverhampton1955 - 19631810-Nov-14
Bo'ness & other Scottish Dumps 1961 - 1963

Revised: 19th June 2023