Evening all,
Had these pictures sitting around for weeks now, so thought i better do a report. Hope you enjoy.
Most of it has been ripped down and only one main building is left standing.
Heres some back ground info on the site:
South Eastern Railway
Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new 185-acre (75 ha) site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London.[1] By 1850 over 130 houses had been built for staff (called Alfred Town by the railway but New Town by everybody else),[2] The works employed about 600 people in 1851 increasing to about 950 by 1861, and around 1,300 by 1882.[3] A carriage and wagon works was opened on an adjacent 32-acre (13 ha) site in 1850.[4]
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
On 1 January 1899, the railway entered into a working union with the London Chatham and Dover Railway, forming the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR).[5][6] Each antecedent company had its own locomotive works, but Ashford was larger than Longhedge works and so became the principal locomotive works for the new organisation. The latter facility was gradually run down and converted into a subsidiary works.[6][7][8]
Southern Railway and British Railways
Following the grouping of the SECR with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway to form the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923, most new locomotive and carriage design and construction was transferred to the more modern facilities at Eastleigh Works. Nevertheless, Ashford continued to operate both building and servicing locomotives and wagons until well after the nationalisation of the railways to form British Railways in 1948.
The locomotive workshops eventually closed on 16 June 1962, the last locomotive to be repaired at Ashford being N class 2-6-0 no. 31400 on 9 June.[9] The wagon works continued for a further two decades[4] producing continental ferry vans, Freightliner vehicles, merry-go-round coal hopper wagons and the Cartic4 articulated car transporter.[10] [8] It became one of BREL's main wagon works, but as trade declined it operated on an ever-decreasing scale until it closed down in 1982
"
Front of main building
The guard house and clock tower, still in use by security
Another view and also location of where the other main building was
Door of substaion, could not gain access
One of the hangers
These cranes must of been used to lift the carrages
Another shot of another craine in oposite hanger
Another craine
View attachment 328342
Amazing how wildlife takes over
view from room oposite
This is the main part of building that runns off from the old train track
Another shot of main building
This room used to house a car repair company just before the closure, looks like some sort of camp by kids or homeless
28 days later shot
.
only thing i found in there was an old phone, all has been gutted.
Rusty old rad..
I tried getting into the old gym but door screwed shut, going there again soon maybe someone has got in and done me a favour.
Hope you liked.
Stigg
Had these pictures sitting around for weeks now, so thought i better do a report. Hope you enjoy.
Most of it has been ripped down and only one main building is left standing.
Heres some back ground info on the site:
South Eastern Railway
Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new 185-acre (75 ha) site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London.[1] By 1850 over 130 houses had been built for staff (called Alfred Town by the railway but New Town by everybody else),[2] The works employed about 600 people in 1851 increasing to about 950 by 1861, and around 1,300 by 1882.[3] A carriage and wagon works was opened on an adjacent 32-acre (13 ha) site in 1850.[4]
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
On 1 January 1899, the railway entered into a working union with the London Chatham and Dover Railway, forming the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR).[5][6] Each antecedent company had its own locomotive works, but Ashford was larger than Longhedge works and so became the principal locomotive works for the new organisation. The latter facility was gradually run down and converted into a subsidiary works.[6][7][8]
Southern Railway and British Railways
Following the grouping of the SECR with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway to form the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923, most new locomotive and carriage design and construction was transferred to the more modern facilities at Eastleigh Works. Nevertheless, Ashford continued to operate both building and servicing locomotives and wagons until well after the nationalisation of the railways to form British Railways in 1948.
The locomotive workshops eventually closed on 16 June 1962, the last locomotive to be repaired at Ashford being N class 2-6-0 no. 31400 on 9 June.[9] The wagon works continued for a further two decades[4] producing continental ferry vans, Freightliner vehicles, merry-go-round coal hopper wagons and the Cartic4 articulated car transporter.[10] [8] It became one of BREL's main wagon works, but as trade declined it operated on an ever-decreasing scale until it closed down in 1982
"
Front of main building
The guard house and clock tower, still in use by security
Another view and also location of where the other main building was
Door of substaion, could not gain access
One of the hangers
These cranes must of been used to lift the carrages
Another shot of another craine in oposite hanger
Another craine
View attachment 328342
Amazing how wildlife takes over
view from room oposite
This is the main part of building that runns off from the old train track
Another shot of main building
This room used to house a car repair company just before the closure, looks like some sort of camp by kids or homeless
28 days later shot
.
only thing i found in there was an old phone, all has been gutted.
Rusty old rad..
I tried getting into the old gym but door screwed shut, going there again soon maybe someone has got in and done me a favour.
Hope you liked.
Stigg
