BRITISH RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE DEPOTS, WORKS AND STABLING POINTS.
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POLMADIE LOCOMOTIVE DEPOT (66A/PO) - This was an important single ended shed with 14 roads, 7 of them through roads, opened in 1875 by the Caledonian Railway. It was located about 2 miles east of Glasgow Central Station at the junction of a number of lines. The shed was rebuilt several times, notably around 1923 and in the 1940's. Both times the yard was also rearranged. With the later rebuilding the repair shop was in the north part of the building, separated from the running shed by offices and stores. Coaling plant and ash disposal were provided in the yard. It had sub sheds at Motherwell and Paisley St James. In March 1959, it had a huge allocation of engines. This was of course, just before electrification of the WCML began and this reduced the allocation rapidly over the next few years. In March 1959, it was home to no less than 43 2-6-4T's for local passenger work, 45 0-6-0 goods engines of various classes and origins and 17 Pacific's for express passenger duties. By April 1965, this had been reduced to just 39 engines, 21 2-6-4T's, 15 mixed traffic engines and 3 Class A2 Pacific's. After closure in 1967 the site was redeveloped as Polmadie Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot run by Alstom, who maintain Avanti West Coast's fleet of Class 390 Pendolinos built by Alstom, and Class 221 Super Voyagers, originally built by Bombardier. The depot is also used for daytime storage, maintenance and cleaning of Caledonian Sleeper stock. Here is a scene from September 1971 with Class 08's D3136 and 3919 in the foreground and a Class 17 and a Class 40 behind them.