Locomotive roundhouse

Built: 1912
Closed: 1970’s
Capacity: Currently 4 restored (Originally 7 bays)

The Loco Shed November 2019

The original seven bay part-roundhouse was built in 1912 and included seven inspection/ash pits, all with drainage.

One of the roads had a wheel exchange pit and to the western side was a machine shop (allowing wheel repairs, and general machining of loco parts). At the back of this shed was an engine room, and next to the machine shop was the railmotor shed with an ash pit as well. The loco office and store was also a part of all this.

All of this infrastructure was completely demolished and removed in the 1970s and the inspection pits filled in.

Apart from the turntable, nothing remained of the original roundhouse when SDSR arrived in 1995.

The rebuilding of the roundhouse, on it’s original footing began in 1996.

Currently, only four of the original seven bays have been restored. This has necessitated the excavation of the ash and inspection pits which are approx 4ft (1m) deep, and then the excavation of the wheel exchange pit, which is another 8 feet deep (12ft in total). It was here SDSR found the original air-over-water hoist used for exchanging the wheels, and it has been found to be in working order.

From here SDSR has recreated the locomotive shed over the four pits as we see it today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loco shed under construction late 1990s.      Loco shed finished, alongside the restored turntable and new hexagon office building. [c. 2002]