Report - Dinting Engine Shed, Glossop - November 2022

[dansgas1000]

Introduction
This is one of many places I had on my list for my recent peak district trip. I didn’t expect much but I actually really enjoyed this one. Annoyingly I forgot to check out the ruined train station further along the footpath, though I was stretched for time.

History & Information
Dinting Engine Shed, constructed between 1888 and 1898, is a one-track victorian-style shed that was situated alongside a two-track railway. Back in the 70s and 80s the site was visited by numerous train and rail enthusiasts and at its peak, the site was visited by some locomotive icons including the well-known Flying Scotsman.

The first part of the building's life was for repairs and maintenance and was later given a second lease of life after being taken over by the Dinting Railway Centre which was run by the Bahamas Locomotive Society, hence being visited by enthusiasts as highlighted above.

The site was used by the preservation group up until 1991 and closed following the society’s relocation to Ingrow near Keighley, West Yorkshire.

The site is now predominately woodland and all tracks have been removed and there is now a footpath in place. In addition to the engine shed, further along the footpath is a derelict train station but as mentioned before, I forgot to take a look annoyingly so no photos for that one.

The future of the site is unknown, developers want to build on the site but nothing has materialised since planning permission was denied in 2010. It wouldn’t surprise me if the site is transformed into a sea of new builds in the future though.

The Explore
I parked nearby and found the engine shed easily after a short walk. It was very quiet and there was no one around. The building is ruined and contains a lot of graffiti, some of it is simply scribbles but some pieces are quite nice and do add to the atmosphere of the place in a weird way.

If I’m up that way in future I will be sure to check out the ruined train station as it has some nice decay and features such as old fireplaces from photos I’ve seen so I think it would be worth checking that out too.

Onto the photos…

 

[Lndnpdd]

Beautifully photographed!

 

[CantClimbTom]

Lovely pics, nice little chapel to steam

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Still havent made it here but its a really cool shed nicely covered.
Reminds me soo much of the Hornby sheds from my model railway lol

 

[Ferox]

An interesting looking place their mate. Nicley shot also.

 

[dansgas1000]

Beautifully photographed!

Thanks!

Lovely pics, nice little chapel to steam

Thank you mate, it is a nice little place

Still havent made it here but its a really cool shed nicely covered.
Reminds me soo much of the Hornby sheds from my model railway lol

It's definitely worth it - especially if you're into trains/railway stuff which sounds like you are! The station nearby looks good too, which I regrettably missed.

An interesting looking place their mate. Nicley shot also.

It was a nice one, I wish I'd have checked out the old train station too though. Thank you!

 

[Calamity Jane]

That opening shot is cracking. The build of this is so photogenic. In summer this could be completely hidden. Great images.

 

[tigger]

Good to see this again.
I remember going there with my dad around 1974 and getting a footplate ride on Leander and also an industrial saddle tank. Later they had stopped doing footplate rides and used a brake van.
There was a 'new' engine shed (the collection was verry large for such such a small 'railway'. Fairly sure it was ex-MoD and from Handforth. Don't really remember much else except at some point I ended up with a boiler tube section from Bahamas (eventually thrown away as I have no real interest in mobile kettles).

 

[westernsultan]

Good to see this again.
I remember going there with my dad around 1974 and getting a footplate ride on Leander and also an industrial saddle tank. Later they had stopped doing footplate rides and used a brake van.
There was a 'new' engine shed (the collection was very large for such such a small 'railway'. Fairly sure it was ex-MoD and from Handforth. Don't really remember much else except at some point I ended up with a boiler tube section from Bahamas (eventually thrown away as I have no real interest in mobile kettles).

yes my last visit to this site was with working steam locomotives and brake van rides. I believe their new loco shed went to ELR, but not sure if it was ever re-erected

 

[westernsultan]

The Dinting Railway Centre site was owned by a Manchester solicitor who bought the main site in 1967 and later the old Manchester platform buildings after the branch was singled.

The Bahamas Locomotive Society held the site on a fifteen-year lease, but they completely failed to follow advice given to them, or to take the necessary steps to retain their protected status in 1983, with the result that in 1988 they were evicted, finally moving out in 1990

Much of the collection was retained and moved with the Society to Ingrow and the rest was dispersed. The site returned to its derelict condition as it was before the Society moved in, and has remained so because of the contamination present.

The land that formed the car park and much of the yard was, for around one hundred and twenty years, the tip for both Gorton Loco and Gorton Tank and contains boiler lagging from hundreds if not thousands of locos that passed through the works, and ash from the loco disposal process.

It would therefore be a very expensive site to develop and due the narrow nature of Dinting Lane there is a problem for heavy vehicles to access the site for remediation purposes - all of which combines to illustrate the reasons why it has remained unused since the society moved out.

The last planning application for housing was c2017 and was rejected

This is a video of the early days and open days when the preservation group were there

 

[westernsultan]

Skip if not interested in railways but this is a timeline for the site when it was a preservation centre

Below is a very brief resume of activities at the Centre following the purchase of the site by J G Warburton in 1968 for £1500.
1968 Working parties commence at Dinting. ‘Jacob’ arrives.
1969 Nunlow, Scots Guardsman and Warrington arrive. Limited Company incorporated.
1970 Tiny and the ‘steam tram’ arrive. Bahamas Locomotive Society registered as a Charity. The first Standard Gauge Steam Convention organised in Manchester. First Vintage Transport Day with Bahamas visiting Glossop.
1971 Southwick arrives. Nunlow returns to steam after overhaul – the first restoration project.
1972 Bahamas returns to the main line on a railtour between Shrewsbury and Hereford.
1973 The ‘new shed’ is completed. Leander, ‘Coal Tank’ and Cheltenham arrive. Bahamas attends the Reddish Motive Power Depot Open Day. Warrington attends Transpo 73 in Trafford Park.
1974 Diesel Hydraulic shunter RS8 arrives. Visit by Flying Scotsman.
1975 0-6-0ST 1883 arrives. Leander attends the 150th anniversary of the S&DR at Shildon.
1976 GCR 2-8-0 arrives.
1977 Brake Van rides replace footplate rides for visitors. Visit by LMS 4-6-0 5305. Miniature Railway opens. Cheltenham returns to the NRM at York.
1978 Blue Peter and Bittern arrive. Scots Guardsman restoration complete and hauls two mainline railtours. Visit by Sir Nigel Gresley and the ‘Midland Compound’. New power signalling system commissioned on No.4 road.
1979 Leander departs. Visit by Flying Scotsman and Green Arrow.
1980 ‘Coal Tank’ restoration complete and attends the 150th anniversary of the L&MR at Rainhill and Scots Guardsman attends the celebrations at Liverpool Road, Manchester. Visit of Clan Line, LMS 0-6-0 7298, Cheltenham, Hardwicke, Lion, ‘Midland Compound’.
1981 Visitors exceed 27,000. ‘EM1’ and the Steam Crane arrive. Return visit of Lion.
1982 Blue Peter returns to steam.
1983 Protection of the Landlord & Tenant Act lost through solicitor’s negligence. New refreshment room opens. The platform on No. 4 road is completed.
1984 Hardwicke and the ‘EM1’ return to the NRM at York. ‘Coal Tank’ out on the main line for Wilson’s Brewery shuttle service from Manchester Victoria.
1985 Visit by LMS 2-8-0 8431. Blue Peter visits the Didcot Railway Centre.
1986 Diesel shunter James arrives. Blue Peter and Bittern depart. ‘Coal Tank’ visits KWVR, the Severn Valley Railway, and returns with a railtour on the main line from Shrewsbury.
1987 Visit by Lion.
1988 The Society celebrates its 21st birthday. Bahamas overhaul complete.
1989 Bahamas returns for its second period of mainline activity. Scots Guardsman departs to Tyseley.
1990 Following a previous disagreement with the landlord, the Dinting Railway Centre closes to the public and the nucleus of the collection is relocated to Ingrow.

 

[princethorpe]

Would anything have stood in the alcoves above the front main entrance? They make it look a bit chapley. Loverly building thanks for taking the time to photograph and post

 

[HughieD]

Nice pics @dansgas1000
Hasn't changed much since I went here back in 2016.
Shame you missed the station bit...

 

[dansgas1000]

@westernsultan Nice job on gathering the info for the timeline of the site when it was in use, it definitely seems like Dinting had a lot of railway heritage. It's amazing how much history is attached to places like this, to most, it's just an old shed in some woodland. Thanks for sharing the link to that video, I love seeing sites I've visited when they were in use. It's definitely changed a lot in terms of overgrowth haha.

 

[dansgas1000]

That opening shot is cracking. The build of this is so photogenic. In summer this could be completely hidden. Great images.

Thank you, Jane! It is very photogenic indeed, it can be easy to miss and did seem to be somewhat disguised by the autumn colours.

Good to see this again.
I remember going there with my dad around 1974 and getting a footplate ride on Leander and also an industrial saddle tank. Later they had stopped doing footplate rides and used a brake van.
There was a 'new' engine shed (the collection was verry large for such such a small 'railway'. Fairly sure it was ex-MoD and from Handforth. Don't really remember much else except at some point I ended up with a boiler tube section from Bahamas (eventually thrown away as I have no real interest in mobile kettles).

For a site with so much history, I'm surprised there isn't some sort of information sign or a plaque nearby unless I completely missed it.

Would anything have stood in the alcoves above the front main entrance? They make it look a bit chapley. Loverly building thanks for taking the time to photograph and post

It does, I thought much the same. For what is simply an old shed it does have some nice external features, I think it's just the architectural style at the time, victorian I'd say. Thanks for the comment.

Nice pics @dansgas1000
Hasn't changed much since I went here back in 2016.
Shame you missed the station bit...

Cheers Hughie, there's always next time though, I'm sure I'll be up that way at some point next year!