8D ASSOCIATION
The 8D Association is dedicated to promoting the history of the railways of South Lancashire, Merseyside and North Cheshire.
Warrington Dallam Shed – 8B
A scene synonymous with many other steam sheds of the period. Locos are being made ready for their days work and a group of staff discuss the day ahead. The refurbished shed complete with brick screen can be seen in the background. Stanier 8F 48268 can be seen coupled to Jubilee 45731. 22nd October 1961.Photo by Harry Arnold MBE /Waterway Images. (To see more of Harry’s Waterway Images click here)
Warrington Dallam shed was built by the LNWR and was located around a mile north of Warrington Bank Quay station on the West Coast main line. Opening in 1888 it was constructed from materials from the demolished Jockey Lane LNWR works. It was on the site of an earlier shed which was open from 1831 to 1836 after this closed the Warrington area shed had moved to near Bank Quay station, which was open from 1851 to 1888. The shed received approval from the LNWR board in May 1887 with the proviso that the materials would mostly come from the closed works. Within a year a ten road dead end shed had been constructed which was capable of holding forty locomotives.
Taken from the 1891 town plans clearly showing the new shed at Dallam the shed was close by the West Coast main line (right) and the CLC which ran to the rear.
A shot of the shed showing many locos in steam awaiting their next turns. A couple of the new order can be seen in the form of 2 diesel shunters to the left of the shed. December 1966.
Photo byAndrew Critchlow.(To view more of Terry’s interesting signal box website click here)
Photo byAndrew Critchlow.(To view more of Terry’s interesting signal box website click here)
As with other LNWR sheds the design and provision equipment was pretty standard. Dallam was equipped with a 42 ft turntable and a manual coaling stage with a water tank on top. Office accommodation and stores were located to the rear of the shed. The LNWR gave the shed number 23 as its identity. After the grouping of 1923 the shed came under the control of the LMS and became 8B.
LMS Jubilee Class No 45731 ‘Perseverance’ can be seen outside the shed at Dallam. Built at Crewe works in 1936 the loco had just 12 months service left at this point it was withdrawn in October 1962 and cut up at Cowlairs in 1963. 22nd October 1961.
Photo by Harry Arnold MBE /Waterway Images. (To see more of Harry’s Waterway Images click here)
Photo by Harry Arnold MBE /Waterway Images. (To see more of Harry’s Waterway Images click here)
During the intervening years the sheds turntable was found to be too small for the larger engines now being built and was enlarged to a 65ft diameter table. Things stayed pretty much the same until in 1957 British Railways refurbished the depot. This involved a new roof being constructed along with a brick screen. The shed was reduced to nine roads during refurbishment.The shed had an allocation of mainly freight and a small number passenger engines. The freight engines were supplied to the nearby Arpley yard for local workings to Garston and Ellesmere Port docks and trip wotking to Spike Island and the many chemical plants around the Widnes area was frequent. The passenger locomotives were mainly used on the Low Level line hauling services from Manchester to Liverpool and the Ditton to Timperley service.
Britannia Class 4-6-2, No 70010 stands between duties at Dallam shed. The loco is in a poor state having lost its name plates some months earlier, it had been named Owen Glendower. Built at Crewe works in May 1951 the loco would be withdrawn in 12 months in September 1967. 18th September 1966.
Photo by Terry Tracey.
Photo by Terry Tracey.
The sub shed at Arpley had originally been opened by the Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway and appears on the 1851 town plans for Warrington. An exact date for the opening is unclear. The shed was dead end type and had a gable style slate roof with two roads. It was provided with a turntable, water column at the shed entrance able to serve both roads. It is written that the shed was provided with a coaling stage with a water tank atop, no evidence of this has been found although it could have been provided by the LNWR at a later stage. The shed became part of the LNWR when the WAJR was absorbed and later became a British Railways shed after nationalisation.
The shed at Arpley shown directly to the south of Arpley station on the town plans for 1851.
The two road shed at Arpley seen with Ivatt 2MT No 41321 and Fowler ‘3P’ 2-6-2T simmering away outside. The Ivatt had only been in service for 4 months at this point having been delivered new to 8B during February 1952 it was withdrawn during July 1965 and cut up by Cohens of Morriston during October of the same year. The Fowler loco had a longer service life being delivered new on 2 June 1931, being withdrawn just over thirty years later on 22nd July 1961 the loco was cut up during June 1962. 18th May 1952.
Photo by Harry Townley (Reproduced with permission from the Industrial Railway Society.)
Stanier 8F, No 48163 awaiting departure from 8B with a Riddles Austerity 2-8-0 to the left. 18th September 1961.
Photo by Terry Tracey.
Photo by Terry Tracey.
The first of the two sheds to close was Arpley on 27th May 1963, but the shed was not demolished until 1973. During the intervening decade the shed continued to be used by steam and diesel locos alike for basic servicing. Even when the shed had been demolished the area was used for the stabling of locomotives until a new facility opened at the nearby Arpley Yard. With the end of main line steam the writing was on the wall for Dallam shed also with it closing to steam on 2nd October 1967 and complete closure on 11th August 1968. The shed is still in use as an industrial building today.
A Riddles Austerity 2-8-0 stands at the shed awaiting its next turn of duty. 18th September 1961. Photo by Terry Tracey.