Old Oak Common TMD
Encyclopedia
Old Oak Common TMD is situated to the west of London
, in Old Oak Common
. The Traction Maintenance Depot
is the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple-units which utilise Paddington Station
. The depot codes are 'OC' for the diesel depot, and 'OO' for the carriage shed. In steam days the shed code was 81A.
The area is also the location where two GWR
main lines bifurcate: the 1838 route to via , and the 1906 New North Main Line
via to Northolt Junction
, the start of the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway
line. The former is in use for regular passenger services; the latter is used overwhelmingly by freight trains and ECS
movements, though the 2007 timetable shows a single weekday train from via to Paddington.
The site at Old Oak Common is the ancestral home of the Great Western Railway
's primary London locomotive depot. Following the reconstruction of Paddington Station
and the introduction of larger locomotives and new routes, the GWR required a larger site at which to service its locomotives and carriages. A site was acquired in South Acton
, south of the Grand Union Canal
, which came into operation from 17 March 1906.
Following a number of reconstructions and enlargements, the GWR built a north-light roofed four-turntable building, whose design became the template for other major GWR depots, including Tyseley. The structure remained complete until diesel locomotives replaced steam and, as of 2007, only the rear-most part of the servicing depot still stands.
Today the northern part of Old Oak Common is divided into two:
The remaining Great Western Railway
buildings adjacent to the canal were part of EWS and latterly operated by their commercial subsidiary Axiom Rail. Since the introduction of the InterCity 125
trains in the 1970s, this site maintained freight locomotives and more recently carriages for charter trains. The site included the Lift Shop, the Pullman Car Shed (where the Blue Pullman trains were once maintained) and the former heavy repair building known as 'The Factory'. This site, together with the adjacent Coronation Carriage Siding was fenced off in 2009 due to compulsory purchase for the Crossrail
project. All the remaining Great Western Railway
buildings are to be demolished. The turntable has been donated to the Swanage Railway and is now in storage in Purbeck.
Adjacent to the Great Western Main Line
is the second part of Old Oak Common TMD, the High Speed Train
depot. Here trains which operate the First Great Western
services, the Heathrow Express
and Heathrow Connect
are maintained.
South of the line is North Pole depot
, where the Eurostar
trains which operate on Channel Tunnel
routes used to have their UK base. With the opening of the new international terminal at St Pancras railway station
, all servicing was moved to the new Temple Mills
depot located near Stratford International
. The North Pole depot is approximately half a mile south-west of Willesden TMD
.
In recent years, the EWS site has had no regular allocation of locomotives but services visiting locomotives from other areas of the UK and is also a host to visiting preserved locomotives.
The First Great Western
and Heathrow Express
site is the home of the following stock:
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common is an area of London between Harlesden and Acton known for its railway depots, particularly Old Oak Common TMD. Further south lies an open area, Wormwood Scrubs Park, and Wormwood Scrubs prison...
. The Traction Maintenance Depot
Traction maintenance depot
In the United Kingdom, a traction maintenance depot, or TMD, is a railway depot where locomotives are serviced and maintained. A traction and rolling stock maintenance depot, or T&RSMD, is a maintenance depot where locomotives, multiple units and rolling stock are serviced and maintained. Each rail...
is the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple-units which utilise Paddington Station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
. The depot codes are 'OC' for the diesel depot, and 'OO' for the carriage shed. In steam days the shed code was 81A.
The area is also the location where two GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
main lines bifurcate: the 1838 route to via , and the 1906 New North Main Line
New North Main Line
The New North Main Line or NNML is a currently little-used railway line about eleven miles long in north-west London.-History:It opened in 1903 as part of a joint project by the Great Central Railway and the Great Western Railway to improve their access from London to the midlands and north of...
via to Northolt Junction
South Ruislip station
South Ruislip is a station served by London Underground and Chiltern Railways in South Ruislip in west London. The station is owned, managed and staffed by London Underground. The station is in Travelcard Zone 5.-History:...
, the start of the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway
Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway
The Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway was a joint venture supported by the Great Western Railway and Great Central Railway and run by the Great Western and Great Central Joint Committee. The original arrangement was agreed between the two companies in September 1898...
line. The former is in use for regular passenger services; the latter is used overwhelmingly by freight trains and ECS
ECS
-In technology:*Amazon E-Commerce Service, former name of the Amazon Associates Web Service, now known as Amazon Product Advertising API*eComStation, a computer operating system...
movements, though the 2007 timetable shows a single weekday train from via to Paddington.
GWR and steam
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
's primary London locomotive depot. Following the reconstruction of Paddington Station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
and the introduction of larger locomotives and new routes, the GWR required a larger site at which to service its locomotives and carriages. A site was acquired in South Acton
South Acton
South Acton is the name of two railway stations:* South Acton, London** South Acton railway station* South Acton on the Fitchburg Line on the MBTA Commuter Rail...
, south of the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
, which came into operation from 17 March 1906.
Following a number of reconstructions and enlargements, the GWR built a north-light roofed four-turntable building, whose design became the template for other major GWR depots, including Tyseley. The structure remained complete until diesel locomotives replaced steam and, as of 2007, only the rear-most part of the servicing depot still stands.
Today
The remaining Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
buildings adjacent to the canal were part of EWS and latterly operated by their commercial subsidiary Axiom Rail. Since the introduction of the InterCity 125
InterCity 125
The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
trains in the 1970s, this site maintained freight locomotives and more recently carriages for charter trains. The site included the Lift Shop, the Pullman Car Shed (where the Blue Pullman trains were once maintained) and the former heavy repair building known as 'The Factory'. This site, together with the adjacent Coronation Carriage Siding was fenced off in 2009 due to compulsory purchase for the Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
project. All the remaining Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
buildings are to be demolished. The turntable has been donated to the Swanage Railway and is now in storage in Purbeck.
Adjacent to the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
is the second part of Old Oak Common TMD, the High Speed Train
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
depot. Here trains which operate the First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
services, the Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
and Heathrow Connect
Heathrow Connect
Heathrow Connect is a train operating company in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and First Great Western, connecting Heathrow Airport with station. The service follows the same route as the Heathrow Express service but serves intermediate stations en route, thus connecting several...
are maintained.
South of the line is North Pole depot
North Pole depot
North Pole depot was the London depot for Eurostar from 1994 until 2007. It was used for maintaining and stabling the fleet of British Rail Class 373 trains...
, where the Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
trains which operate on Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
routes used to have their UK base. With the opening of the new international terminal at St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
, all servicing was moved to the new Temple Mills
Temple Mills
Temple Mills is a northerly part of Stratford, south of Leyton, located within the London borough of Newham in east LondonToday, Temple Mills is surrounded at present by former railway tracks and works belonging to the Great Eastern Railway...
depot located near Stratford International
Stratford International station
Stratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
. The North Pole depot is approximately half a mile south-west of Willesden TMD
Willesden TMD
Willesden TMD is a railway locomotive Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Willesden, north London. The depot is visible from the West Coast Main Line, to the south-east of Willesden Junction, on the way into London's Euston Station...
.
Allocation
The First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
and Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
site is the home of the following stock:
- Class 43British Rail Class 43 (HST)The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....
High Speed TrainHigh Speed TrainThere are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
– used for First Great Western long-distance express services - Class 57British Rail Class 57The Class 57 diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004. They are rebuilds, with reconditioned EMD engines, of former Class 47 locomotives, originally introduced in 1964-5.- Description :...
– locomotive used for First Great Western Night Riviera Sleeper services - Class 165British Rail Class 165The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
– two- or three-coach Turbo DMU used on commuter services to London (ex First Great Western LinkFirst Great Western LinkFirst Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services, on a franchise basis, from Paddington Station to destinations such as Greenford, Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester...
) - Class 166British Rail Class 166The British Rail Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York Works between 1992 and 1993...
– three-coach Turbo DMU used on longer commuter services to London (ex First Great Western Link) - Class 360British Rail Class 360The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450....
– five-coach EMU used on Heathrow Connect services (joint operation with BAA) - Class 332British Rail Class 332The British Rail Class 332 is the type of electric multiple unit train used on the Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.-Description:The fleet was built in 1997-1998 by Siemens and CAF at the latter’s factory in Zaragoza, Spain...
– four- and five-coach EMU used on Heathrow Express services. - Class 180British Rail Class 180The Class 180 is a type of British diesel multiple unit train built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 for use on then-new express services by First Great Western . They were built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and are part of the Coradia 1000 family along with the Class 175. FGW stopped using the...
– 'Adelante' diesel multiple unit used for semi-fast services – to assist Hull Trains with maintenance.