Loco Shed Directory

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

Hopefully this thread will jog people's memories! Back in the late 1970's / early 1980's I had a copy of a book which I'm pretty certain had the title "Loco Shed Directory". From what I remember this wonderful little book which was A5 size not only had the addresses of all the BR maintenance depots but it also gave details of public transport that would get you to the depot entrance.

Now sadly my copy was disposed of over 25 years a go but I'm hoping that a few of the older members will remember them. I'd got it into my head that the book was published by Platform 5 but an old school friend thinks it was Ian Allan. Any ideas anyone?

Contributions would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[flymo]

A quick Google image search for Locoshed Directory shows Ian Allan. Some on eBay too by the looks of it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A quiz rummage through boxes in my railway archive turned up the Platform 5 (British Rail Pocket Book No 4)...Depot Directory Pocket Book (Third edition-April 1983)..80pp with a 4-page laminated cover. It was priced at 90p.

The front has a coloured picture of 37040 outside BREL, Crewe, in March 1980 and the back has a coloured picture of the cab ends of 56016, 56014 and 56005 outside Shirebrook depot on 30th May 1978

Underneath this booklet in the same box were:-
Shed by Shed (1st edition)
Number by Number (1st edition)
Both of these were published by D & L Railway Publications in the early 1980's

 

[theblackwatch]

The Ian Allan 'British Rail locoshed directory' was A6 size published in 1978 and 1981.

There were 4 editions of the Platform 5 book mentioned by Paul Sidorczuk, details of which are at https://daverowland.smugmug.com/Platform5-Railway-Books/Platform5-Depot-Directory#!/. Following that, Metro Enterprises published a larger, A5 version in 1987 and a couple of subsequent editions in 1989 and 1994.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The 1978 first edition of the Platform Five "Depot Directory Pocket Book" was the one that I used ... and I may still have a copy (much amended) at home!

From memory, it was an excellent publication. I used it a lot, especially when going to far away and pretty inaccessible places - for example, how did you get to Holyhead Breakwater shed, anyone?

I'll have to have a look and see if I've still got it ... !

 

[Johnuk123]

I had quite a few Locoshed books but my mother threw them all away along with many ABC's, quite a few totems and various enamel signs I'd got from Collectors Corner and loads and loads of unused tickets.

She waited till I'd left home and went in the loft and got rid "of all that old train rubbish."

The totems alone would be worth at least 5 grand now, makes you cry but at least the rag and bone man had a bit of business.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I had quite a few Locoshed books but my mother threw them all away along with many ABC's, quite a few totems and various enamel signs I'd got from Collectors Corner and loads and loads of unused tickets.

She waited till I'd left home and went in the loft and got rid "of all that old train rubbish."

The totems alone would be worth at least 5 grand now, makes you cry but at least the rag and bone man had a bit of business.

I only hope the rag and bone man had the wisdom to sell them on to a railwayana specialist or at least someone with an interest in old railway artifacts, even more heartbreaking to think they might have been just melted down for scrap

 

[Taunton]

The Ian Allan 'British Rail locoshed directory' was A6 size published in 1978 and 1981.

There were ones a lot older than that; I remember them in the 1960s, and I was once shown one, maybe a first edition, which described that to get out from Glasgow to Eastfield depot you should take a tram! The initial book, maybe first volume only, was I seem to recall a private publication by someone with the grand title of Sqn. Ldr. Aidan A Fuller, which looked very impressive on the title page. Ian Allan then took over the publishing (and doubtless more important, the sales and distribution), but Fuller remained the editor.

 

[Johnuk123]

I only hope the rag and bone man had the wisdom to sell them on to a railwayana specialist or at least someone with an interest in old railway artifacts, even more heartbreaking to think they might have been just melted down for scrap

You wouldn't get much scrap value out of the signs but that's where they would have gone unfortunately as I remember the rag and bone man and he wasn't very sharp.

Good job I'd never been able to afford a nameplate as that would have gone as well.

When my mother told me she'd chucked all my railway stuff out as it was all rubbish I was not pleased, livid in fact as I'd told her not to touch it.

I had some Triang Hornby model railway stuff and she'd kept all that and the whole lot was probably less than one of my totems.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Many thanks to everyone who has posted on this thread. I'm now pretty certain that it was the Platform 5 pocket book that I owned and I'm going to try and get a copy for old times sake more than anything else.

Thanks again, Richmond Commuter!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I had quite a few Locoshed books but my mother threw them all away along with many ABC's, quite a few totems and various enamel signs I'd got from Collectors Corner and loads and loads of unused tickets.

She waited till I'd left home and went in the loft and got rid "of all that old train rubbish."

The totems alone would be worth at least 5 grand now, makes you cry but at least the rag and bone man had a bit of business.

My Mum did the same although she did at least have my permission! All of my books and railway magazines were chucked however the many photographs that I took have survived. It never occurred to me to buy anything from Collectors Corner.

Really off topic here but I'm really glad that I never got rid of my football program collection. Most of them are not worth much but they bring back so many memories!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The Ian Allan 'British Rail locoshed directory' was A6 size published in 1978 and 1981.

There were 4 editions of the Platform 5 book mentioned by Paul Sidorczuk, details of which are at https://daverowland.smugmug.com/Platform5-Railway-Books/Platform5-Depot-Directory#!/. Following that, Metro Enterprises published a larger, A5 version in 1987 and a couple of subsequent editions in 1989 and 1994.

Many thanks for this link, much appreciated. Thanks to your kindness I'm absolutely certain that I owned a copy of the 4th Edition and hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a copy. Thanks again

 

[Johnuk123]

My Mum did the same although she did at least have my permission! All of my books and railway magazines were chucked however the many photographs that I took have survived. It never occurred to me to buy anything from Collectors Corner.

Collectors Corner was a treasure trove, when I think of all the totems lying around for a couple of quid I don't know why I didn't get some more.
Nobody then though had any idea how much they'd appreciate, I used to get one whenever I got to Euston.

Shed and makers plates were plentiful and very cheap, carriage prints virtually free, lamps by the hundreds.

I remember name plates of varying prices round about 50-100 quid which would be worth tens of thousands now but I never had 100 quid in those days.You could pick up a signal arm for nearly nothing if you could carry it.

They used to have a little version at York as well but that was when most of the good stuff had either been sold or simply dumped.

 

[slilley]

G'day everyone,

Hopefully this thread will jog people's memories! Back in the late 1970's / early 1980's I had a copy of a book which I'm pretty certain had the title "Loco Shed Directory". From what I remember this wonderful little book which was A5 size not only had the addresses of all the BR maintenance depots but it also gave details of public transport that would get you to the depot entrance.

Now sadly my copy was disposed of over 25 years a go but I'm hoping that a few of the older members will remember them. I'd got it into my head that the book was published by Platform 5 but an old school friend thinks it was Ian Allan. Any ideas anyone?

Contributions would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

I remember the Directory, a Class 47 and 37 at Stratford on the cover. It was an Ian Allan publication for sure.

Last time I saw one was on the Class 47 Preservation Project sales stand at a model show. If you were after one might be worth dropping them a mail to see if they still have it.

Simon

 

[lordbusiness]

I remember the Ian Allan one very well, had lots of useful info including the likely number of loco's likely to be on shed during the week and weekends.
There was also a Locoshed Book out every year that just gave numbers and shed allocations , useful for taking out for the day instead of your 'combine'. I've still got my 1978 copy.
Interestingly there's a warning inside the front cover not to trespass on railway property - not that anyone took any notice of it. You had to pass the No Entry signs to get to the depot office to ask to have a look around!

 

[Taunton]

Collectors Corner ... They used to have a little version at York as well.

There was also one at the north end of Newton Abbot station, certainly there in 1966 which I think may pre-date the London one. I've got a few former Cornwall single line tokens from there.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The 1978 first edition of the Platform Five "Depot Directory Pocket Book" was the one that I used ... and I may still have a copy (much amended) at home!

From memory, it was an excellent publication. I used it a lot, especially when going to far away and pretty inaccessible places - for example, how did you get to Holyhead Breakwater shed, anyone?

I'll have to have a look and see if I've still got it ... !

Yes, I'm pleased to say that I have still got this .... it's a 1978 First Edition, priced 45p!

As I thought, it's been annotated with some alternative / additional routes to depot, including different bus routes. I would have found these as a result of visiting the depots and as they obviously worked, I kept them for the next visit.

The front cover bears a photo of 26028 and 40165 at Aberdeen Ferryhill depot, taken by L A Nixon. On the rear cover, there's a plan of a mythical depot, and all the street names are railway related, i.e. Western Boulevard, Grippers Approach, etc. etc.

Richmond Commuter: If you want this, please PM me with your address, and I'll send it to you with pleasure.

 

[Taunton]

Here's an obituary on Aidan Fuller, who did the original Locoshed directory, who died in 1973

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/48/Aidan.htm

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Yes, I'm pleased to say that I have still got this .... it's a 1978 First Edition, priced 45p!

As I thought, it's been annotated with some alternative / additional routes to depot, including different bus routes. I would have found these as a result of visiting the depots and as they obviously worked, I kept them for the next visit.

The front cover bears a photo of 26028 and 40165 at Aberdeen Ferryhill depot, taken by L A Nixon. On the rear cover, there's a plan of a mythical depot, and all the street names are railway related, i.e. Western Boulevard, Grippers Approach, etc. etc.

Richmond Commuter: If you want this, please PM me with your address, and I'll send it to you with pleasure.

For your information, Richmond Commuter has told me that he doesn't want this.

However, if anyone else does, please PM me with your address, and I'll send it to you with pleasure.