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ND878
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Long Marston in Warwickshire, situated approximately 6 miles south west of Stratford upon Avon, close to the borders of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, on the edge of the Cotwolds is the location of a former MOD Depot.
Although now sold, the Depot is a highly secure area, and access is strictly controlled. There are also a considerable number of CCTV cameras, and anyone ("loitering" or "acting suspciously", or not booked into the area where they are seen, are rapidly intercepted by the various security patrols, indeed even peopl authorised to be around are sometimes stopped and challenged !
The Long Marston Depot is connected to the national railway network by means of a longish branch line, and that together wiht the security means that it is the principle location where much railway rolling stock is stored.
Indeed some of the carriages from the Virgin train involved in the derailment at Lambrigg in Cumbria back in 2007 are stored there as well as at least one other train that was involved in an accident.
I managed to get into Long Marston last week for a quick look about.
I didn't have much time, and there is a lot to see, however I plan to return there again sometime soon when I will have more time.
In the meantime here are a few photographs that I took whilst I was there.
These electric locomotives were part of British Rails principle locomotive fleet until about 5 years ago. Now they are waiting the cutters torch.
A 110mph AC electric Class 86 mainline locomotive, stands alongside a rusting Class 20 diesel freight locomotive.
A Diesel Multiple Unit was a common sight until the late 80s/early 90s on all BR's branch lines. Here one lies quietly in a corner, as the dog is sniffing out rabbits.
In the 90's British Rail painted a mainline diesel locomotive in British Transport Police colours, and it was used for a time as a special response locomotive which carried BT Police Officers to the scenes of vandalism.
These trains were called "Q" trains, and were sent out to travel through and wait near to known vandal areas. When vandals were reported, the train went to the site and Police Officers jumped out and caught the scroats.
Now long out of use, the locomotive waits the breakers torch.
Until recently, these big 100tonne tankers carried anything from aviation fuel to petrol to diesel, to heavy oil. This particular wagon carried diesel and heavy oil, but is now stored waiting cutting up.
A close-up of the wheels and bogie, showing the discharge pipe. On arrival at destination, these pipes were connected to flexible hoses which in turn connected into the pipeline system at the oil terminal. Note the special message about earthing the wagon before discharging it !
The handbrake mechanism. Is it "ON" for maybe the last time ?
Coupled up to her sister !
These Class 20 single-ended diesel freight locomotives were the backbone of coal services to a lot of Britain's power stations, when this was stilll the principle means of power generation. Now they wait to be cut up amd melted down into domestic goods or worse still, cars !
This is a photgraph of one of the sand boxes on a Class 20 loco. The locomotives used to carry sand which could be sprayed onto the rail to assist the wheels to grip the rails when it was wet or greasy. Amazingly the sand in this one is as good as the day it was delivered to BR.
A lonely ballast wagon ! Men used to stand on the end platforms of these wagons whilst they were moving and operate underframe doors to let the ballast flow out onto the track, when the track was being re-laid. Most have been cut-up, but here is a survivor.
In the old days, the top of the ballast was finished offf with a layer of ash, as can be seen here on this rusting section of track.
This locomotive has been restored and is being preserved, as it is famous for being the first locomotive on BR to run at over 100 mph. During special trials on the 1970s when it was fitted with a nose cone design for the then proposed High Speed Trains, it reached 129mph on the West Coast Main Line at Tring in Herts.
"OI", said a voice in the distance, but it was not meant for me ! Time to take the hint and go
Although now sold, the Depot is a highly secure area, and access is strictly controlled. There are also a considerable number of CCTV cameras, and anyone ("loitering" or "acting suspciously", or not booked into the area where they are seen, are rapidly intercepted by the various security patrols, indeed even peopl authorised to be around are sometimes stopped and challenged !
The Long Marston Depot is connected to the national railway network by means of a longish branch line, and that together wiht the security means that it is the principle location where much railway rolling stock is stored.
Indeed some of the carriages from the Virgin train involved in the derailment at Lambrigg in Cumbria back in 2007 are stored there as well as at least one other train that was involved in an accident.
I managed to get into Long Marston last week for a quick look about.
I didn't have much time, and there is a lot to see, however I plan to return there again sometime soon when I will have more time.
In the meantime here are a few photographs that I took whilst I was there.
These electric locomotives were part of British Rails principle locomotive fleet until about 5 years ago. Now they are waiting the cutters torch.
A 110mph AC electric Class 86 mainline locomotive, stands alongside a rusting Class 20 diesel freight locomotive.
A Diesel Multiple Unit was a common sight until the late 80s/early 90s on all BR's branch lines. Here one lies quietly in a corner, as the dog is sniffing out rabbits.
In the 90's British Rail painted a mainline diesel locomotive in British Transport Police colours, and it was used for a time as a special response locomotive which carried BT Police Officers to the scenes of vandalism.
These trains were called "Q" trains, and were sent out to travel through and wait near to known vandal areas. When vandals were reported, the train went to the site and Police Officers jumped out and caught the scroats.
Now long out of use, the locomotive waits the breakers torch.
Until recently, these big 100tonne tankers carried anything from aviation fuel to petrol to diesel, to heavy oil. This particular wagon carried diesel and heavy oil, but is now stored waiting cutting up.
A close-up of the wheels and bogie, showing the discharge pipe. On arrival at destination, these pipes were connected to flexible hoses which in turn connected into the pipeline system at the oil terminal. Note the special message about earthing the wagon before discharging it !
The handbrake mechanism. Is it "ON" for maybe the last time ?
Coupled up to her sister !
These Class 20 single-ended diesel freight locomotives were the backbone of coal services to a lot of Britain's power stations, when this was stilll the principle means of power generation. Now they wait to be cut up amd melted down into domestic goods or worse still, cars !
This is a photgraph of one of the sand boxes on a Class 20 loco. The locomotives used to carry sand which could be sprayed onto the rail to assist the wheels to grip the rails when it was wet or greasy. Amazingly the sand in this one is as good as the day it was delivered to BR.
A lonely ballast wagon ! Men used to stand on the end platforms of these wagons whilst they were moving and operate underframe doors to let the ballast flow out onto the track, when the track was being re-laid. Most have been cut-up, but here is a survivor.
In the old days, the top of the ballast was finished offf with a layer of ash, as can be seen here on this rusting section of track.
This locomotive has been restored and is being preserved, as it is famous for being the first locomotive on BR to run at over 100 mph. During special trials on the 1970s when it was fitted with a nose cone design for the then proposed High Speed Trains, it reached 129mph on the West Coast Main Line at Tring in Herts.
"OI", said a voice in the distance, but it was not meant for me ! Time to take the hint and go
