Gloucester Locomotive Sheds: Horton Road & Barnwood

By Steve Bartlett

Gloucester Locomotive Sheds is the latest in a series of in-depth studies of motive power depots during the latter days of steam, looking closely at their changing engine allocations and operational responsibilities. At the time, Gloucester was a busy and fascinating rail center where ex-GWR and ex-LMS (Midland Railway) routes met, each with main line passenger and freight services, local passenger trains and extensive freight trips providing an endless panorama of railway activity.The principal ex-GWR Gloucester Horton Road and ex-LMS (Midland Railway) Gloucester Barnwood motive power depots are covered in depth with their locomotive allocations, operational duties and changing responsibilities over the years fully described. Not forgotten are both depots sub-sheds at Brimscombe, Cheltenham Malvern Road, Lydney, Ross-on-Wye, Dursley and Tewkesbury along with the duties and local routes that they covered.This in-depth study is supported by over 200 well-chosen black and white photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, and each of the motive power depots covered are supported by detailed plans of the shed layouts.This new book follows the same authors successful Hereford Locomotive Shed published in October 2017. Further books are planned in the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781473875609

Steve Bartlett

Steve Bartlett is a fourth generation railwayman. His father moved around the Western Region as an Assistant and then District Running & Maintenance Officer, his grandfather worked in Swindon Works and his great-grandfather was a Country Station Master on the South Devon Railway. As a teenager, the author recorded the latter days of steam and joined the railway in January 1966\. He spent almost forty years working in rail operations, timetable and resource planning, and on the West Coast Modernisation Project. He now researches and writes about the latter days of steam with an emphasis on engine sheds, their changing allocations and operational duties. He lives in Nantwich, Cheshire, and is married with two sons and four grandchildren.

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Gloucester Horton Road – Shed Layout and Staffing

Horton Road Shed viewed from the north end of Gloucester Eastgate on 24 July 1965. From right to left, the taller shed section of the original four-track 1854 building with the six-track lower roofed extension added in 1872. The repair shop is the lighter coloured building beyond. Tramway Junction signal box can just be seen on the right beyond the shed building. Meanwhile, a 3F 5700 0-6-0PT shunts wagons towards the goods shed which is out of shot to the left. The inevitable train spotter sitting on the platform end completes the scene. R.N. P

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Gloucester was historically an important rail centre with many of the characteristics of the former railway companies that shared its railway scene still evident in the 1960s. The Great Western and London Midland and Scottish (former Midland) Railways’ discrete passenger stations, freight yards and motive power depots remained largely unchanged. Whilst sections of the infrastructure were discrete, many running lines through the city had been used by both companies and this at least gave the feel of a unified railway. Nevertheless, former loyalties, particularly at the respective motive power depots, remained linked to their company origins. This was enhanced by the fact that on nationalisation the ex-LMS main line from Birmingham to Bristol, which projected deep into Western Region territory, was given to the London Midland Region. It was only in 1958 that responsibility for Gloucester Barnwood shed was transferred to the Western Region, finally bringing all aspects of the city’s railways under a common management.

Our family had moved from South Wales to Gloucester in January 1960 when I was eleven years old and I would soon be keenly watching and recording the Gloucester railway scene until the end of steam operations. My father had been the Assistant Running & Maintenance Officer for the Neath Motive Power District and arrived to become the Running & Maintenance Officer for the new Gloucester District, with overall control of all the district’s motive power depots. This didn’t bring the teenage me many perks and indeed some restrictions, as it would have been embarrassing to be caught shed bashing, as it was traditionally known by enthusiasts, and hauled by the ear into the shed master’s office. Nevertheless, I did make depot visits, usually whilst my father met Sam Knowles or Bert Cole in their respective shed master’s offices at Horton Road and Barnwood.

Horton Road was a large and busy depot that in 1960 was still principally responsible for working over the former GWR routes radiating from the city. With an allocation of eighty-six steam engines in 1960, it was the largest depot in the Gloucester Motive Power District. Until January 1960, this had been titled the Worcester Motive Power District, the district offices then moving to the rather austere-looking Northgate Mansions in Gloucester city centre. However, the historical main shed codes of 85A Worcester and 85B Gloucester Horton Road remained unchanged.

Horton Road depot was located on the left-hand side of the main line as you left Gloucester Central for Cheltenham and London Paddington; the two routes dividing at Tramway Junction. It was also visible from services leaving ex-LMS Gloucester Eastgate for the Midlands and the North, these services sharing the route to Cheltenham with those from Gloucester Central. Horton Road was not an easy depot for enthusiasts to view other than from passing trains as it was flanked by multiple railway tracks on one side and enclosed private buildings on the other. The shed’s end wall backed on to a public road of the same name with little opportunity to view locomotives from there either. Adjacent to the shed end wall, the public road crossed the railway at Tramway Junction level crossing, overlooked by its busy signal box. This was a popular place for young enthusiasts to view trains entering and leaving both stations. Across the public road from Horton Road’s shed entrance was an unassuming approach road that led to Gloucester Barnwood, the city’s former LMS (Midland Railway) shed. The siding running parallel to this approach road was a regular place for storing Barnwood’s surplus locomotives.

Returning to Horton Road, the ex-GWR ten-road straight shed had been erected in two stages. The initial brick-built four-road shed section nearest the main line dated from 1854. A further six-road extension had been added in 1872 on the side furthest from the main line. Both sections had slated roofs interspersed with tall smoke ventilators. A single road repair shop with wheel drop was attached to the far side of the extension and a modest single storey office building stood separately beyond the repair shop near the entrance from the road. Three stop blocked sidings, latterly used for locomotive storage, were located end on to the public road and running along the far boundary fence. The shed yard’s track layout had been remodelled in 1921, with the original coaling hoist replaced by a large standard GWR coaling stage. This was located at the front of and between the two main shed sections and was topped by a 74,250 gallons water tank. The depot turntable had as part of the 1921 remodelling been re-located between the coaling stage and shed building. Its tracks led off to either side giving access to both shed sections. Further sidings were located at the far station end of the shed yard, also used for wagons using the adjacent ex-GWR goods depot.

In 1960, the shed master was Sam Knowles, who would continue in that role until steam shed closure. Organisational change around that time would see an area manager appointed to oversee all Gloucester’s operational and commercial activity. Sam Knowles’ role was re-titled within that team to area train crew manager, now operationally responsible for both footplate staff and guards, but losing his maintenance responsibility. With the focus in railway histories so often on a depot’s locomotives, the human element has often been overlooked. Fortunately, my late father’s faded hand-written script summarises shed staffing as at September 1961. It records that there were 311 footplate staff (160 drivers, 135 firemen and 16 engine cleaners), 51 shed staff (boiler washers, steam raisers, etc.), 46 artisan staff (fitters, boiler smiths, etc.) and a small unspecified number of clerical and supervisory staff at the depot. This adds up to an overall workforce of around 450 staff. Also under the Horton Road shed master’s control were a further 126 footplate staff (57 drivers, 56 firemen and 13 engine cleaners) at Horton Road’s Cheltenham, Lydney, Brimscombe and Ross-on-Wye sub-sheds. It should also be borne in mind that there was a second motive power depot just around the corner at Gloucester Barnwood.

The daily diagrammed workload for Horton Road’s 311 footplate staff would have been broken down into meaningful chunks of work known as links within each of which a smaller number of footplate staff would rotate their duties. The links at most depots were organised sequentially by staff seniority, often grouping together specific route knowledge as this was an expensive asset to acquire and maintain for a depot operating over multiple routes. The senior links usually had the best passenger work, with subsequent links local passenger, freight and finally shunting work. At some depots this might be mixed somewhat to equalise earnings or simplify route knowledge. There would also be a restricted link for drivers confined to depot or shunting duties for health reasons.

The day to day control of locomotives and crews were the responsibility of the shift running foreman who also, in conjunction with district locomotive control, would allocate engines to specific turns of duty. A key part of the job was flexibly managing the crews, both home based and inward crews awaiting back workings, to take account of late running services, special workings or cancellations. This was a particular challenging task at Gloucester, with a large number of long distance freight trains of often doubtful punctuality passing through the city, almost all requiring train crew relief at Gloucester en route to their destination. The Shift Running Foreman also needed to work closely with the depot’s mechanical team responsible for releasing engines off maintenance and repair back to operational duties. This could be particularly stressful if a driver off an inwards working had handed in a locomotive defect ticket and efforts were being made to rectify the fault before the engine’s back working.

The focal point for crews coming on duty was the booking on lobby. There the shift running foreman would be located with his depot clerk seated alongside. The room would contain rows of large upright notice cases listing the weekly rostered duties for the footplate crews. Alongside would be the daily alterations notice case, which detailed changes to crews’ booking on times or duties for the following day and essential to be checked before booking off duty. Regulations permitted footplate staff’s booking on time to be moved each day by several hours each way from their weekly rostered time, adding to the unsocial nature of the work. Piles of weekly engineering notice booklets would be stacked in a convenient corner. These essential documents listed temporary speed restrictions that drivers might encounter whilst out working trains. When booking on, it was also essential to check the late notice case, where last minute changes to published temporary speed restrictions, possibly due to emergency track work, would be listed.

Shed Front. A busy scene on 2 August 1964, with from the left Saltley’s 5MT 4-6-0s Nos 45369 (partially hidden) and 45263, alongside home based 5MT 4-6-0 No 5979 Cruckton Hall and 3F 0-6-0PT No 3737. The ex-LMS Gloucester Barnwood shed had closed that May and its former visitors were now to be found on Horton Road. J

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Ready for Action. Horton Road on 15 July 1964 with home based 5MT 4-6-0 No 7815 Fritwell Manor and BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No 78006. Rather confusingly, the former is carrying a Carmarthen shed plate, where it had left in March 1964 for Llanelly, before rapidly moving on to Gloucester in June 1964. J

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Home and visiting train crews would gather in the footplate staff mess room, where facilities to heat water and food would be provided. Horton Road’s always had a cosmopolitan feel with the musical lilt of South Wales crews mixing with those from the Midlands and Home Counties. There, inwards drivers and firemen would await news of their return workings, which, if a freight train, might mean a long wait and overtime. There was also a footplate crew relief cabin on Central station, where men could await imminent train arrivals.

Shed Interior. An atmospheric shot taken on 22 December 1965, less than two weeks before shed closure. From the left are an unidentified 3F 5700 0-6-0PT, to be preserved 7P 4-6-0 No 7029 Clun Castle, 5MT 4-6-0 No 7808 Cookham Manor, with a ‘not to be moved’ sign and a mismatched tender. Behind it is an unidentified BR Standard 2MT 78000 2-6-0; probably either No 78001 or 78006. R.N. P

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Depot Turntable dating from the 1920s and ideally accessed from either side of the coaling stage with release roads either back into the shed yard or to the shed front stabling roads. Stourbridge Junction’s 8F 2-8-0 No 48402 is being turned on 15 July 1964. J

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Coaling Stage. In common with standard GWR practice this was a large manual affair, with a line of coal wagons being positioned on a steep elevated ramp through its centre; the end of which can be seen on the right. Coal men loaded and manipulated coal tubs through the opening in the centre into locomotive tenders below. Neath’s 8F 2-8-0 No 3822 is in no hurry to move on a tranquil Sunday, 3 March 1963. J

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Coaling Stage. The ramp leading up to the coaling stage can be clearly seen as can the massive 74,250 gallons water tank topping the structure. Meanwhile Horton Road’s 7P ‘Castle’ 4-6-0 No 5017 The Gloucestershire Regiment 28th, 61st stands in line on 18 July 1961. The pit in between the track aided engine servicing and disposal. J

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Gloucester Horton Road – Locomotive Allocation and Duties

Horton Road’s 7P ‘Castle’ 4-6-0s were the pride of the allocation. No 5071 Spitfire has drawn to a stand at Gloucester Central with the 5pm from Paddington, ‘The Cheltenham Spa Express’, on 19 July 1961. The engine will shortly be detached and a fresh one, typically a 4MT 5101 2-6-2T, will work forward to Cheltenham St James. J

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Horton Road’s diverse locomotive allocation, mostly of ex-GWR origin, reflected the broad range of train working duties covered by the depot. Here was a select number of ‘Castles’ for express passenger work, larger numbers of mixed traffic engines for lesser passenger and long-distance freight duties, a sizeable allocation of large prairie tanks and the inevitable collection of pannier tanks. Larger freight types occasionally appeared on the allocation, but the bulk of longer distance freight work was handled by mixed traffic 5MT Hall class 4-6-0s.

There were eighty-four steam engines on Horton Road’s books in April 1960. These comprised four 7P ‘Castle’ 4-6-0s, seven 5MT Hall and Modified Hall 4-6-0s, three 8F 2800 2-8-0s, one 8F 5205 2-8-0T, eleven 4MT 4300 2-6-0s, five 3MT 2251 0-6-0s, one 5MT 5600 0-6-2T, two 4MT 4500 2-6-2Ts, eight 4MT 5101 2-6-2Ts, one 4MT 6100 2-6-2T, eleven 3F 5700 0-6-0PTs, nine 4F 9400 0-6-0PTs, ten 2F 1600 0-6-0PTs, one 1P 5400 0-6-0PT, two 2P 6400 0-6-0PTs and eight 1P 1400 0-4-2Ts. Six of these were officially in store: one 3MT 2251 0-6-0, one 4F 9400 0-6-0PT, one 1P 5400 0-6-0PT and three 1P 1400 0-4-2Ts. Gloucester’s first five 204hp (later class 03) diesel shunting engines had arrived less than a month previously and an allocation of 350hp (later class 08) diesel shunting engines would follow within months. Together, these would soon reduce the tank engine shunting commitment here and at Barnwood. However, in 1960 and for some time to come, all freight, parcels and locomotive hauled passenger services, including the Paddington expresses, remained steam hauled. Diesel multiple units were limited to a relatively sparse service from Birmingham Snow Hill to South Wales, via Stratford-upon-Avon, supplemented by a more regular service from Cheltenham St James to South Wales.

The depot’s detailed allocations for April 1960 and July 1962 set out in the tables here reflect a depot still dominated by steam operations. Gloucester’s two principal depots, the ex-GWR Horton Road and ex-LMS Barnwood, still divided workload down former company lines. The earliest surviving summary of daily locomotive diagrammed workload for February 1962, when Paddington services were still steam hauled, is