Posting this here as I'm apprehensive about posting live rail stuff in public as well as having unfinished business here...
I decided to have a look at the Toton traction maintnance depot, which from my research was believed to be semi disused with a large stock of mothballed trains.... a train graveyard so to speak. After much hesitation (the rail trespass laws are sketchy ones) thought sod it and went for it.... and it was good.
Toton Traction Maintenance Depot is located near Nottingham is one of the largest rail depots in the UK, since privatisation it has been operated by EWS, now DB Schenker. At its peak Toton was the largest marshalling yard in Europe with five yards (Old Banks, New Banks, North Yard, West Yard and Sandiacre Ballast Sidings) and handled much of the coal traffic from the East Midlands coal fields as well as iron and steel from Stanton Ironworks at nearby Ilkeston.
The depot went into decline in the 70s and 80s and was extensively remodelled as Stanton's rail freight ceased and the coal industry started to decline. By the 1990s much of the traffic was imported coal from Avonmouth, Immingham and Liverpool, which was then directed to the UK's coal power stations. Another source of traffic is Network Rail infastructure services such as ballast trains. In 2009 due to the current economic climate, the Old and New Bank yards were closed and is currently used for storage of mothballed rolling stock, such as a large number of Class 60 diesel locomotives. Today it is also the only depot where heavy maintenance on locos takes place.
Life in the four foot....
Start of a line of mothballed class 60s.....
A rail freight train stood amongst the numerous Class 60s, this was in a worse state however was at least accessible...
Warning - flashtastic shot (I omitted the tripod for this trip)
I decided to have a look at the Toton traction maintnance depot, which from my research was believed to be semi disused with a large stock of mothballed trains.... a train graveyard so to speak. After much hesitation (the rail trespass laws are sketchy ones) thought sod it and went for it.... and it was good.
Toton Traction Maintenance Depot is located near Nottingham is one of the largest rail depots in the UK, since privatisation it has been operated by EWS, now DB Schenker. At its peak Toton was the largest marshalling yard in Europe with five yards (Old Banks, New Banks, North Yard, West Yard and Sandiacre Ballast Sidings) and handled much of the coal traffic from the East Midlands coal fields as well as iron and steel from Stanton Ironworks at nearby Ilkeston.
The depot went into decline in the 70s and 80s and was extensively remodelled as Stanton's rail freight ceased and the coal industry started to decline. By the 1990s much of the traffic was imported coal from Avonmouth, Immingham and Liverpool, which was then directed to the UK's coal power stations. Another source of traffic is Network Rail infastructure services such as ballast trains. In 2009 due to the current economic climate, the Old and New Bank yards were closed and is currently used for storage of mothballed rolling stock, such as a large number of Class 60 diesel locomotives. Today it is also the only depot where heavy maintenance on locos takes place.
Life in the four foot....
Start of a line of mothballed class 60s.....
A rail freight train stood amongst the numerous Class 60s, this was in a worse state however was at least accessible...
Warning - flashtastic shot (I omitted the tripod for this trip)
