Laira Depot in the 1970s

[Justin Smith]

Can anyone please identify what the white structure is on the left of the 1977 picture ?
It is not on the 1971 picture and I had assumed it was the new shed opened to service HSTs (on the south east side of the original 1962 diesel depot) but Wiki says that did not open till 1980 ?!?

The pictures are from Seventies Spotting Days Around The West Country (p43).

 

[Gloster]

Do you mean the flat-roofed (?) building about half a coach‘s length to the right of the front of the blue DMU?

What you really need is Cooke’s diagrams. Unfortunately, I don’t have that volume.

 

[Justin Smith]

Do you mean the flat-roofed (?) building about half a coach‘s length to the right of the front of the blue DMU?

What you really need is Cooke’s diagrams. Unfortunately, I don’t have that volume.

No, that's the 1971 picture, it's the white building on the left of the other picture (dated 1977).

 

[leezer3]

This is the page from the third printing of Cooke's diagrams.
(No date mentioned, but ~1975 from the latest alterations)

I'd strongly suspect its the HST shed and Wikipedia is wrong.

I'll do some more digging in my somewhat too large reference library; this is my patch; but may take a little while.

 

[Gloster]

Presuming this is page 6 there is a correction to the diagram, although I don’t think it directly affects the OP’s question. The hatched outlet line from G to G was still in use in Cooke’s January 1976 supplement, as were five dead-end sidings that led westwards off it just south-west of the slip diamonds.

I have checked the January 1975, January 1976 and January 1977 supplements. I think this diagram is dated April 1974: see the date at bottom left.

 

[leezer3]

Yes, P6. P5 is just the earlier steam layout, so nothing of interest.

Good spot on the date, not noticed the bottom corner

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2026 ==

Nothing usefully citeable at the minute.
Nothing in Mechanical Signalling in Plymouth (too late), can't find the relevant Pryer volume at the minute...

Have come across this album though, tangentially at least related:

New Depot at Laira.( ANLD )

The start of the building of the new HST Depot at Laira.

www.flickr.com

 

[midland1]

Kelsey's Pub. On Shed Vol 6 tells use that the 3 road servicing shed demolished and the new HST shed opened in Sep. 1981. The new shed went the full length of the depot, have a look on Google maps. The 2nd pic. cannot be the new HST shed.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The HST shed is right alongside the main 1960s building - the servicing area shown in the second picture was demolished to make way for it. The shed shown by the Western is another small servicing building which was used by the 08 shunters - it is still there.

Aerial shot of Laira-

Laira

 

[Sun Chariot]

You beat me tk it @Sir Felix Pole
I visited Laira's depot 1987 and 1991, I went inside the small servicing building (in OP's 1977 photo). Coincidentally, I was looking back at my Laira 35mm photos a couple of months ago.
On 1987's visit, one of the Ruston PWM DM0-6-0 locos was resident. 1991's visit, a couple of 08s inside.

 

[Justin Smith]

The HST shed is right alongside the main 1960s building - the servicing area shown in the second picture was demolished to make way for it. The shed shown by the Western is another small servicing building which was used by the 08 shunters - it is still there.

Aerial shot of Laira-

Laira

It may well be that. It's probably just an optical illusion that it looks closer to the main shed than that 08 servicing shed ! Just out of interest, when was the latter built ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jan 2026 ==

The HST shed is right alongside the main 1960s building - the servicing area shown in the second picture was demolished to make way for it. The shed shown by the Western is another small servicing building which was used by the 08 shunters - it is still there.

Aerial shot of Laira-

Laira

Is this the small servicing building you refer to ? It appears to have different colour "skin" and the sides are built out about a third of the way up. Has it had that section added on top of the original white structure ?