8D ASSOCIATION
The 8D Association is dedicated to promoting the history of the railways of South Lancashire, Merseyside and North Cheshire.
Sutton Oak Locomotive Shed – 8G
Opened – 1880
Company on Opening – London and North Western Railway
Closed – 19th June 1967
Company on Closing – British Railways
Grid Ref – SJ527941
Photo by Jim Peden (Reproduced with permission from the Industrial Railway Society.)
Photo by Richard Mercer.
The shed at Sutton Oak was opened in 1880 by the LNWR it was located between the stations of Sutton Oak and Peasley Cross. With the opening of the shed the LNWR could close two earlier sheds these being Clock Face built by the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway and St Helens Junction built by The Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
The shed was a 10 road dead end type with a 42ft turntable and a ramped coaling stage supporting a water tank.
The shed mainly housed freight locos but had a small allocation of pasenger locos these were used for the St Helens Shaw Street to Ditton Junction service, known locally as the Ditton Dodger. The allocation of locos to the shed rose to a peak in 1910 when there was around 50 locos on the books.
Photo from the Richard Mercer collection.
With the withdrawal of passenger services over the St Helens to Ditton line on 18th June 1952 the passenger locos migrated away.
The shed had seen many improvements in its lifetime some being in 1937 a new 60ft turntable was installed, in 1944 a new sand drying plant and in the 1950’s the shed was re-roofed and a brick screen built on the entrance.
Photo from the Richard Mercer collection.
The shed had also had many different shed codes over the years. In 1923 the LMS coded it 24 then under British Railways it was coded 10E from 1948-1955 then 10D until 1958 when it was grouped in the 8 district becoming 8G.
During the 1950’s the shed had around 150 employees with 56 of these being drivers and firemen and 25 of them being cleaners.
Photo from The Richard Mercer Collection.
The end for Sutton Oak came with the Modernisation Plan. The shed closed on 19th June 1967 with the final loco leaving on 27th December 1967. Drivers, Firemen and Guards continued to book on at the shed until 1970.
With the end of that the shed finally closed, but it was not the end for the building. Ex footballer Dave Whelan purchased the building and converted it into a Supermarket. The Whelan Group was later purchased by Morrisons and the building continued to be used up until 25th June 2000. The shed building was then demolished after a working life of 120 years and a new Morrisons built on the site.
The site of Sutton Oak shed in the 1980’s when an extension to the original building had been built. The left hand signal is the fixed distant for Sutton Oak Junction and the right hand signal is the fixed distant for Ravenhead Junction. 9th April 1988.
Photo by David Ingham.(To view more of David’s excellent and extensive Fickr photostream click here )
Copyright: Doug BIrmingham.
Remains of inside of the shed after fixture and fittings of the Morrisons Supermarket was stripped out. The only things that are missing are the rails and the pits as you look closely you are able to make out were they were located. August 2000.
Copyright: Doug BIrmingham.
A closer look of the shed roof, showing the steam vents and remaining lights, some remarkably with their blubs still in place. October 2000.
Copyright: Doug BIrmingham.
Photo by Paul Wright.