Running lines through depots

[Shimbleshanks]

Apologies if there has already been a thread on this. I have done a search and haven't found anything.
Are there any other examples, either in the UK or abroad, of running lines passing through depots, like Queens Park on the Bakerloo Line? The Volks Electric, possibly?

 

[Thepinkpig73]

The Rose Street curve splits Inverness depot in two. While it’s not used for regular passenger service any more it still sees semi frequent use by freight/engineering trains (as well as shunts within Inverness station and depot).

 

[The exile]

Although it's probably only seen passenger service for a total of about two weeks since the 1960s, I assume the line through St Philips Marsh must count - otherwise running diversions that way in 2021 was even more inexplicable!

 

[pdeaves]

Although it's probably only seen passenger service for a total of about two weeks since the 1960s, I assume the line through St Philips Marsh must count - otherwise running diversions that way in 2021 was even more inexplicable!

Well, that depends on whether you think of the line as a running line or a siding connected at both ends. There are numerous occasions when special (short term) permission may be granted to run a passenger train on a siding line.

Somewhere like Wells (Radstock?) the GWR line ran straight across a S&D yard (or was it S&D line/GWR yard?). Unlike Shimbleshanks' original post, though, the running line didn't pass through a shed building.

 

[Dr Hoo]

There are several places where there are depot /stabling /cleaning /washing sidings on both sides of a route that for management and ‘ownership’ purposes are essentially all parts of a single facility.

E.g.
Grove Park
Stewart’s Lane
Streatham Hill
The Ferme Park / Bounds Green /Hornsey complexes
Ramsgate
Ashford

Trains are often shunted across the main lines as part of the regular maintenance +cleaning +stabling plan.

 

[brad465]

Slade Green has the main depot on the east side of the NK line, with a number of carriage sidings parallel on the west side.

 

[zwk500]

There is the curve at Selhurst that is normally considered part of the depot arrival/departure lines (I think) but can be used for passenger moves with special permission, like St Philip's Marsh.
The West Carriage Road at Brighton/Lover's Walk depot can also be used for passenger departures under certain circumstances, but I don't know if that counts as being 'through' the depot as it's immediately adjacent to the normal running line.

Not sure if any replies mentioned so far actually run through the depot shed buildings though.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

There are several places where there are depot /stabling /cleaning /washing sidings on both sides of a route that for management and ‘ownership’ purposes are essentially all parts of a single facility.

E.g.
Grove Park
Stewart’s Lane
Streatham Hill
The Ferme Park / Bounds Green /Hornsey complexes
Ramsgate
Ashford

Trains are often shunted across the main lines as part of the regular maintenance +cleaning +stabling plan.

Longsight has two sides with the WCML in the middle
397s, 390s, 68s and Mk5a to the East, 323s and 331s to the West.

 

[sad1e]

The running lines of the Watford DC line go straight through the carriage shed at Queens Park Depot. Probably the only one here with a Regular service.

 

[brad465]

Polmadie Depot must fit this, with the WCML intersecting it near Glasgow Central.

 

[zwk500]

The running lines of the Watford DC line go straight through the carriage shed at Queens Park Depot. Probably the only one here with a Regular service.

That's the one in post #1.

 

[kkong]

Mossend, near Bellshill.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The rarely-used Up and Down Bletchley (the easternmost two tracks on the 6-track section) have the feeling of going through Bletchley Carriage Sidings though in reality they actually don't, they go round the front of it. They are available for passenger use, though, and I've seen it happen when there has been a points failure which led to the extremely rare (possibly one off) event of a 12 car 350 formation calling at Platform 6 (front 4 only were released), not something that is possible any more with the current layout as you can't reach 6 from the north WCML, only from the Marston Vale and EMU/DMU depot. If such a diversion occurred now it would go into platform 5.

I wonder if the up/down Bletchley will be used for EWR services once those start?

 

[zwk500]

The rarely-used Up and Down Bletchley (the easternmost two tracks on the 6-track section) have the feeling of going through Bletchley Carriage Sidings though in reality they actually don't, they go round the front of it. They are available for passenger use, though, and I've seen it happen when there has been a points failure which led to the extremely rare (possibly one off) event of a 12 car 350 formation calling at Platform 6 (front 4 only were released), not something that is possible any more with the current layout as you can't reach 6 from the north WCML, only from the Marston Vale and EMU/DMU depot. If such a diversion occurred now it would go into platform 5.

According to the Sectional Appendix they're the Bletchley Relief No.1 and No.2 lines, pedantically (BR1 is the line next to the Up Slow that connects to Platform 4, BR2 is the line that connects to Platform 5).

The Up and Down Bletchley are the lines that run between Oxford North Jn and Denbigh Hall South Jn via the Flyover.

I wonder if the up/down Bletchley will be used for EWR services once those start?

Oxford-MKC will use the Up & Down Bletchley, but I don't believe there's any proposal for services to use either Bletchley Relief line due to the capacity constraint of needing to use BR2 + platform 5 for trains in both directions.

 

[Annetts key]

Apologies if there has already been a thread on this. I have done a search and haven't found anything.
Are there any other examples, either in the UK or abroad, of running lines passing through depots, like Queens Park on the Bakerloo Line? The Volks Electric, possibly?

Define what "running line" is and what "depot" means.

Before it was demolished, at Chipping Sodbury, the bidirectional up side loop ran through the goods shed. There is a photo of this on this Facebook page. Note, posted on a mobile, so can't copy the photo here.

As said earlier, at SPM, Bristol, before changes were made in the 1990s, the line between North Somerset Junction and Bristol West Junction was classed as a running line (avoiding line) with the depot on one side and sidings on the other side. But now the line is no longer considered a through line it's considered to be part of the depot. It doesn't run through a building though.

 

[60159]

Define what "running line" is and what "depot" means.

Before it was demolished, at Chipping Sodbury, the bidirectional up side loop ran through the goods shed. There is a photo of this on this Facebook page.

As said earlier, at SPM, Bristol, before changes were made in the 1990s, the line between North Somerset Junction and Bristol West Junction was classed as a running line (avoiding line) with the depot on one side and sidings on the other side. But now the line is no longer considered a through line it's considered to be part of the depot. It doesn't run through a building though.

Probably doesn’t count but I was surprised when standing in Tyseley station a double/headed GBRF freight appeared to go between the depot buildings and stabled units. Seemed to drop down a bit.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I was thinking more of lines actually passing through a depot building. Lines passing through goods sheds would be an interesting variation on the theme though.
I wonder what the rationale of the Queen's Park situation is or was. I would have thought the through lines would be of only limited use for stabling stock - presumably they would have to be cleared before services could start again in the morning.

 

[greenline712]

I was thinking more of lines actually passing through a depot building. Lines passing through goods sheds would be an interesting variation on the theme though.
I wonder what the rationale of the Queen's Park situation is or was. I would have thought the through lines would be of only limited use for stabling stock - presumably they would have to be cleared before services could start again in the morning.

To be precise ... at Queens Park the DC lines go either side of the LUL depot. Only Bakerloo trains go through the depot building. I'm not at all sure that a Class 378 is actually physically able to fit ... Bakerloo stock is much smaller!!!
[Apologies for stating the obvious!!!].

 

[Brightonboy]

What about the Wensum curve at Norwich Crown Point? Not in regular passenger use, but some other workings (e.g. PW vehicles) go that way.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Another LU one: Eastbound trains between Ealing Common and Acton Town technically run through Ealing Common Depot, fenced off from the Westbound line.

 

[172007]

Probably doesn’t count but I was surprised when standing in Tyseley station a double/headed GBRF freight appeared to go between the depot buildings and stabled units. Seemed to drop down a bit.

Tyseley through sidings becoming the up down Small Heath Goods, a running goods line that goes from Tyseley station all the way down to just after Bordesley station. And Splits Tyseley depot in half. Carriage and fueling sidings one side and Vintage Trains and Tyseley TMD the other side.

 

[Dstock7080]

Another LU one: Eastbound trains between Ealing Common and Acton Town technically run through Ealing Common Depot, fenced off from the Westbound line.

They do not enter the depot confines, either via signalling or traction current sections.

 

[TPO]

Laira.

Has the "Speedway" line running through the depot complex.

TPO

 

[dk1]

What about the Wensum curve at Norwich Crown Point? Not in regular passenger use, but some other workings (e.g. PW vehicles) go that way.

And the North Walsham-Parkeston tanks. A short lived stone flow from Lowestoft to Alsager also used the curve last year. Apart from those it’s used as you say by engineering trains, RHTTs, and of course several ECS workings each day. GA sometimes leave 745/755s on it when no other traffic is booked usually overnight.

 

[Tester]

I haven't been on the Volks Electric Railway for a very long time, but I imagine that it is the same, and would therefore definitely qualify. Can anyone local confirm?

As a child I walked the entire system (out of season I hasten to add), pedantically covering every piece of track, except of course the section within the depot doors.

 

[Taunton]

Waterloo on the W&C is a marginal case, as every service train reversing there has to do so on a depot track.

 

[Pendomonium]

I,m sure the Up Carriage & down Carriage lines through WTCC (Wembley Train Care Centre) are technically through passenger lines. However.... despite the technicalities involved I don't think they have actually been used as a through line. I would be interested to hear if they have.

 

[sh24]

I,m sure the Up Carriage & down Carriage lines through WTCC are technically through passenger lines. However.... despite the technicalities involved I don't think they have actually been used as a through line. I would be interested to hear if they have.

WTCC?

 

[Wyrleybart]

Apologies if there has already been a thread on this. I have done a search and haven't found anything.
Are there any other examples, either in the UK or abroad, of running lines passing through depots, like Queens Park on the Bakerloo Line? The Volks Electric, possibly?

Are you enquiring as to whether passengers can be conveyed on these movements ?
As mentioned above, the "Speedway" at Laira allows train movements to pass through, and the triangle is occasionally used to turn formations iof there is a defective cab. XC used to turn sets via Laira, but not sure of the most recent occasion.

Central Rivers depot has been used to very very rarely pass a train through when the main Derby-Birmingham line was blocked. I have a feeling the old Lindsey-Langley (6V68 ??) was passed off the mainline through the depot and back out at Wichnor Junction, but that was when it was a class 60, so many years ago.

 

[apinnard]

In the early 1990s, when 312’s and 309’s were still in use, I was on a 4-car down service from Liverpool Street to Colchester Town that ran via down goods loop (often referred to as dgl) into platform 1. I can’t remember why that happened. It was way before the station resignalling and layout changes at the London end of platform 1. @LAX54 might be able to explain the reasons why this would have happened.