South East Depots

[ThamesTurbo]

Hiya Guys,

I'm new to the site. Infact i'm new to spotting in general! So please excuse me if this is quite an obvious question lol.

I've always been really interested in trains, and have recently been wondering alot about where they go when they are not in service? I was wondering if anyone could tell me the Locations of Depots within the South East? I know a few (Reading, Basingstoke, Farnham, Staines)

Also a friend told me that he has often spotted trains "Sleeping" in a few local stations. Would anyone have any idea where this happens in the South East (Mainly around Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey) as it would be great to go and have a look and perhaps take some photos.

Thanks in advance guys!

ThamesTurbo

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A bit to get you started:

There are large depots at Selhurst, Wimbledon and Northam ( near Southampton ) for a start. And mustn't forget Brighton or Slade Green. Or Salisbury.

Farnham is just a car shed, not a maintenance depot, but yes you will find stock parked there.

A bit of terminology you may find useful: If trains are parked ( "berthed" ) out of service between duties that is known as "stabling".

 

[Hydro]

There are overnight stabling locations for trains that aren't real "depots" as such. I've seen units in Soton, Eastleigh, Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth and Southsea and Weymouth. I think Haslemere also puts some up overnight. A relatively interesting one (if that's your bag) are the XC Voyager movements in and out of Eastleigh diesel depot, they stable overnight there and can be seen very early in the morning and late at night shunting in from the station. Fratton has a large EMU depot, and sometimes a few DMU's can be seen there. Winchester has room for one train for an overnight stay in the Baltic siding at the London end of the station.


Edit: To say Selhurst is large really doesn't do it justice. I was working out of there for the first time in January, I turned up at stupid o'clock and spent a good half an hour playing hunt the train.

 

[ushawk]

Only other depot i can think of is Stewarts Lane (Battersea).

Stabling happens at quite a few stations. Eastbourne, Hastings/Ore, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Littlehampton, Bognor - to name a few. I know theres quite a lot more too

 

[NSE]

Also Clapham Junction of course, massive amount of Desiro action right before and after the peaks

 

[Roark]

A really good book identifying depots is 'Railway Depots' by Paul Smith and Philip Stuart published in 2010 by Ian Allan, ISBN 978 0 7110 3482 2, giving all depot addresses in the country

 

[swt_passenger]

Northam is an interesting case, because although Peter described it above as a 'large depot' this is really only in terms of the unit allocation. All the SWT Desiros are allocated to Northam - that's 172 units - and they all go through the depot on rotation for major exams. But only 14 units leave there each morning, made up as 6 trains. The vast majority of the fleet berth at stabling points and other depots around the network, or at various stations overnight.

For example, in the Portsmouth area, there are units stabled overnight in four separate locations. Fratton Depot, Portsmouth and Southsea Down Carriage sidings, Portsmouth and Southsea station and Portsmouth Harbour station.

AIUI there is no standard definition of what capability and facilities the variousplaces have, eg depot, stabling point, carriage sidings, carriage holding sidings etc etc. Going back to SWT Desiros, there will be exams conducted away from Northam, at major locations such as Bournemouth, Fratton, Farnham, Strawberry Hill, but only Northam must do the really major work.

 

[jopsuk]

Not an uncommon situation though is it? For example, NXEA's entire EMU fleet is, as I understand it, allocated to Ilford (228 units, rising to 258 soon). In the picture on Google maps, there's just shy of 30 units pictured stabled at Southend (plus a couple in platforms) with the sidings not full- it is more use to have the units overnight near where they will be needed in the morning, and where they headed to in the evening.

 

[swt_passenger]

Not an uncommon situation though is it? For example, NXEA's entire EMU fleet is, as I understand it, allocated to Ilford (228 units, rising to 258 soon).

No I wasn't suggesting it was uncommon, just really explaining that if you look at a typical fleet listing book or website it could initially make you think all the stock ran back to 'the depot' everynight. Comparing the two though, I think Ilford is a much busier place than Northam on a day to day basis.

 

[andchafri]

Not forgetting Grove Park, Orpington,Ashford and Ramsgate. At the last two Class 395 HS units are stabled as well

 

[Safety365]

LOROL's New Cross Gate & Wilesden Junction.

LM have sidings just outside of Euston

SN berth trains at Epsom, Horsham, Redhill, Eastbourne etc etc. Couple of sheds up at Streatham Hill. 171s occasionally get berthed in the bay platform at Oxted. Both 377s and 171s can be berthed at East Grinstead.

FCC have two roads for stabling at Preston Park.

 

[Mojo]

Aylesbury and Wembley for Chiltern in the South East (other work carried out up North).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The berthing at Epsom is not visible from the station, though. You'd need to walk ( about 10 mins or so ) to West Hill, a road just south of the station - turn right upon exiting the station, walk to end of road, turn right under rail bridge, cross over, then gp left onto the grassy area.

Don't expect to see more than 1 or 2 units, usually 455s, though, and then only on Sundays. rarely seen anything stabled on any other day.

The same sidings are used for turning back terminating services during the day.

 

[ThamesTurbo]

Wow, cheers for all the help guys.... was kind of meaning more in my area. (i'm around Reading, Maidenhead, Bracknell to Guildford kind of ways)....

any more for anymore?.