Penzance TMD
Encyclopedia
Penzance TMD, also known as Long Rock TMD, is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot
situated in the village of Long Rock
east of Penzance
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom, and is the most westerly and southerly rail depot in the country. The depot operator is First Great Western
. The depot code is PZ.
, where it runs as a single track on the Southern side and terminates at Penzance railway station
, half a mile west of the depot.
The depot is quite small, with just six long sidings to store High Speed Trains
and Voyagers
, and four smaller sidings. If the longer sidings are all used up, trains are stored at Laira TMD
, Plymouth
, and then make their way to Penzance railway station in the morning. The depot also consists of a fuel lane, a single-tracked modern maintenance shed, and a small carriage washer. A few years ago, facilities at Penzance TMD were expanded to cater for the new fleet of Voyagers used by CrossCountry
.
The main line and depot lie near the sea, with just Long Rock beach and the embankment that carries the South West Coast Path
separating them, which means this depot and the main line sometimes have problems due to the sea.
Each week a DB Schenker
service of oil tanks brings fuel to the depot from St Blazey engine shed
. The fuel storage tanks at the depot are located behind the maintenance shed.
However by 1914 the engine shed was inadequate and so it was decided to built a brand new four-road engine shed. As well as the engine shed there was a turntable built to fit all size locomotives which ran on the route. The depot also had watering facilities and coal stored for the locomotives, as well as various sidings around the depot. The turntable was removed in 1966 and two of the four shed roads were removed in 1968.
From 1958 Long Rock also received and serviced diesel locomotives, which continued after steam traction had ended in 1962. The steam depot was closed in June 1976.
's fleet of new Intercity 125 fleet (now referred to as High Speed Trains
or HSTs). The depot consisted of a 750ft long maintenance shed, long enough to fit a full IC125 set, along with a fueling lane on the southern side of the shed. Six long sidings were built to the east of the maintenance shed for stabling IC125's when not in use, which also have overhead gantry lights. The mainline next to the depot was also singled at the same time. In total the new depot cost £1.5 million to built and ready for use in October 1977.
The carriages for First Great Western
's Night Riviera
service is maintained here during the day when most of the sidings are empty.
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...
situated in the village of Long Rock
Long Rock
Long Rock is a village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately one mile east of Penzance and 1½ miles west of Marazion in the civil parish of Ludgvan.Long Rock is effectively an eastern suburb of Penzance...
east of Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom, and is the most westerly and southerly rail depot in the country. The depot operator is 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....
. The depot code is PZ.
Description
The depot is right beside the Cornish Main LineCornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
, where it runs as a single track on the Southern side and terminates at Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
, half a mile west of the depot.
The depot is quite small, with just six long sidings to store High Speed Trains
British Rail Class 253
Class 253, Class 254 and Class 255 are classifications that have in the past been applied to InterCity 125 high speed trains in Great Britain.-Class 253 and 254:...
and Voyagers
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
, and four smaller sidings. If the longer sidings are all used up, trains are stored at Laira TMD
Laira TMD
Laira TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Plymouth, Devon, England. The depot is operated by First Great Western and is mainly concerned with the overhaul and daily servicing of their fleet of High Speed Trains and also the DMUs used on local services...
, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, and then make their way to Penzance railway station in the morning. The depot also consists of a fuel lane, a single-tracked modern maintenance shed, and a small carriage washer. A few years ago, facilities at Penzance TMD were expanded to cater for the new fleet of Voyagers used by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
.
The main line and depot lie near the sea, with just Long Rock beach and the embankment that carries the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
separating them, which means this depot and the main line sometimes have problems due to the sea.
Each week a DB Schenker
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
service of oil tanks brings fuel to the depot from St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey Engine Shed is located in Par, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey and has the depot code is BZ.-History:...
. The fuel storage tanks at the depot are located behind the maintenance shed.
Steam shed
Originally there was a large locomotive shed located at Long Rock for mainline steam locomotives.However by 1914 the engine shed was inadequate and so it was decided to built a brand new four-road engine shed. As well as the engine shed there was a turntable built to fit all size locomotives which ran on the route. The depot also had watering facilities and coal stored for the locomotives, as well as various sidings around the depot. The turntable was removed in 1966 and two of the four shed roads were removed in 1968.
From 1958 Long Rock also received and serviced diesel locomotives, which continued after steam traction had ended in 1962. The steam depot was closed in June 1976.
Diesel shed
A brand-new depot was constructed on the same site as the steam shed, and was designed specifically for British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
's fleet of new Intercity 125 fleet (now referred to as High Speed Trains
British 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....
or HSTs). The depot consisted of a 750ft long maintenance shed, long enough to fit a full IC125 set, along with a fueling lane on the southern side of the shed. Six long sidings were built to the east of the maintenance shed for stabling IC125's when not in use, which also have overhead gantry lights. The mainline next to the depot was also singled at the same time. In total the new depot cost £1.5 million to built and ready for use in October 1977.
Allocation
- Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
- 08410 is the current shunter for this depot. - 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 Train) - for First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst 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 to London Paddington, also some CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
services to Scotland. - 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 :...
- Used for the Night RivieraNight RivieraThe Night Riviera is a sleeper train service operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two remaining sleeper services on the railway in Great Britain...
overnight service to London. - Class 220British Rail Class 220The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
and Class 221British Rail Class 221The Class 221 Super Voyager is a class of British diesel-electric multiple-unit express trains built by Bombardier Transportation between 2001 and 2002, entering service on 12 April 2002....
- Used on CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
services to Scotland.
The carriages for 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....
's Night Riviera
Night Riviera
The Night Riviera is a sleeper train service operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two remaining sleeper services on the railway in Great Britain...
service is maintained here during the day when most of the sidings are empty.