Thornaby TMD - Steam History

Steam History

Existing in the area were also four older steam sheds, which BR also planned to rationalise and close:

• North of the River Tees:
  • Stockton (51E)
  • Haverton Hill (51G) near Port Clarence and the Tees Transporter Bridge
• South of the River Tees:
  • Newport (51B) next to the once electrified Erimus marshalling yard
  • Middlesbrough (51D) located just east of the station

BR began construction in 1957, building its last roundhouse for steam locomotives. Developed on a 70 acres (28 ha) site for the shed and its associated facilities alone, it was equipped with:

• 300 feet (91 m) diameter octagonal roundhouse, containing 22 covered sidings accessed via a 70 feet (21 m) turntable
• A running shed with covered preparation sheds and wet ash pits
• A repair shed with two wheeldrops, a blacksmith, coppersmith and machine shop
• A 350 tonnes (390 tons) mechanised coaling plant, capable of fuelling four locomotives simultaneously
• A 200,000 imperial gallons (910,000 l; 240,000 US gal) water tank with 15 distribution points, and a second 70 feet (21 m) turntable

All the structures were made from pre-stressed and pre-formed concrete pieces, and when the shed opened in June 1958 with shed code (51L), the total construction had been completed for £1.25million.

On opening, the shed initially took over the allocations at Newport (depot code 51B) and Middlesbrough (51D). In June 1959, the depots at Stockton (51E) and Haverton Hill (51G) were closed and the bulk of their locomotives added to Thornaby's allocation. At this time, the depot had the largest allocation of any single depot in the country, although Stratford (30A) had a larger allocation but shared with 6 sub-sheds. The depot was closed to steam in December 1964.