Stratford TMD
Encyclopedia
Stratford TMD was a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Stratford, London
, England
, and was also the site of a Railway Works. Originally built in 1847 for the
Northern and Eastern Railway
, it was used successively by the Eastern Counties Railway
, the Great Eastern Railway
, the London and North Eastern Railway
, and British Railways. The depot ceased all operation in the 1990s. The British Rail
code of the depot was SF for diesel locomotives, and 30A for steam locomotives. Locomotive construction took place at Stratford Railway Works between 1847 and 1924, although heavy repair of steam locomotives continued until 1964 when the works changed to repaining diesel locomotives; the British Rail
depot code for the Railway Works was SR. Stratford TMD was located on a spur off the west side of the Lea Bridge
to Stratford High Level line, immediately north of Stratford station
. The site of the depot is now taken up by Stratford International station
.
whose line from Stratford to Broxbourne opened in 1840. By 1843 the main building was a 16 road roundhouse which eventually became known as the Polygon, with outbuildings including workshops, a blacksmith
and saw pit
s also contained within the shed complex. On 19 February 1846 additional accommodation was authorised, which resulted in completion of the Erecting Shop the following year. From this time, the accommodation grew by accretion so that by 1867 the carriage department was using a building 370 ft by 80 ft (113m by 24m) attached to the north side of the Polygon.
In the 1860s moves were made to increase the locomotive accommodation with a new shed for forty locos proposed. The cost of the most desirable land and perceived difficulties with alternative sites led to delays, so that it was not until 1871 that land to the west of the existing shed was made available and erection of the new building commenced. During construction the Engineer reported on 30 August 1871 that "during a gale on 24th instant both the gable ends blew down", and the "New Shed" opened later that year, retaining its epithet throughout its life.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was also the site of a Railway Works. Originally built in 1847 for the
Northern and Eastern Railway
Northern and Eastern Railway
The Northern & Eastern Railway operated one of the two main lines which eventually became the Great Eastern Railway: the other being the Eastern Counties Railway....
, it was used successively by the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
, the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
, the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
, and British Railways. The depot ceased all operation in the 1990s. The British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
code of the depot was SF for diesel locomotives, and 30A for steam locomotives. Locomotive construction took place at Stratford Railway Works between 1847 and 1924, although heavy repair of steam locomotives continued until 1964 when the works changed to repaining diesel locomotives; the British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
depot code for the Railway Works was SR. Stratford TMD was located on a spur off the west side of the Lea Bridge
Lea Bridge railway station
Lea Bridge is a closed railway station on the line between Stratford and Tottenham Hale stations. The station was located on the north side of Lea Bridge Road close to the junction of that road with Argall Way and Orient Way in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, north-east London .The station...
to Stratford High Level line, immediately north of Stratford station
Stratford station
Stratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
. The site of the depot is now taken up by Stratford International station
Stratford International station
Stratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
.
Beginnings
Stratford Depot, as it was often called, was built by the Northern and Eastern RailwayNorthern and Eastern Railway
The Northern & Eastern Railway operated one of the two main lines which eventually became the Great Eastern Railway: the other being the Eastern Counties Railway....
whose line from Stratford to Broxbourne opened in 1840. By 1843 the main building was a 16 road roundhouse which eventually became known as the Polygon, with outbuildings including workshops, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and saw pit
Saw pit
A saw pit or sawpit is a pit over which lumber is positioned to be sawed with a long two-handled saw by two men, one standing above the timber and the other below. It was used for producing sawn planks from tree trunks, which could then be cut down into boards, pales, posts, etc. Many towns,...
s also contained within the shed complex. On 19 February 1846 additional accommodation was authorised, which resulted in completion of the Erecting Shop the following year. From this time, the accommodation grew by accretion so that by 1867 the carriage department was using a building 370 ft by 80 ft (113m by 24m) attached to the north side of the Polygon.
In the 1860s moves were made to increase the locomotive accommodation with a new shed for forty locos proposed. The cost of the most desirable land and perceived difficulties with alternative sites led to delays, so that it was not until 1871 that land to the west of the existing shed was made available and erection of the new building commenced. During construction the Engineer reported on 30 August 1871 that "during a gale on 24th instant both the gable ends blew down", and the "New Shed" opened later that year, retaining its epithet throughout its life.