Worcester Locomotive Shed

Steve Bartlett

Pen & Sword

ISBN: 9781526750594

Hardback 280mm x 220mm, 221 pages £25.00

This is the third publication from author Steve Bartlett in a series that looks at the changing engine allocations and operational responsibilities of Western region motive power depots in the latter days of steam. Previous titles have covered Hereford and Gloucester and now in what feels like a logical next step the spotlight falls on the activities of nearby Worcester shed.

The author’s youthful memories at two minor stations near Worcester on the line to Hereford provide an introduction that includes an overview of the trains that ran through the area enhanced by a regional map. Although the

Midland Railway Birmingham and Bristol main line ran within three miles of the city and served it via running rights it would be apposite to say at this stage that there was minimal operational presence so this is essentially a GWR story.

At the heart of operations were the engine sheds located within a triangle of lines formed by the original Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway and the line to Hereford. Passenger and goods engines were in theory separated with the building nearest

Shrub Hill station designated the passenger shed, and the structure adjacent to the avoiding line between Rainbow Hill and Worcester Tunnel Junctions was for goods engines and also undertook boiler washouts. Crew relief on the heavy goods trains between South Wales and the Midlands and engine changes on Hereford express trains to and from London were just part of daily duties. A detailed and illustrated description of everyday activity including local operations in and around the depot is accompanied by a track diagram and is followed by a tremendous chapter taking the reader through the personalities of the shed, covering both footplate and shed staff. This is again accompanied with a generous selection of photographs.

Attention then turns to the locomotive allocation and the duties performed by each class with tables giving a monthly summary of depot locomotive workload. The shed’s fleet of ‘Castles’, ‘Halls’ and ‘Granges’ head the list followed by a sizeable line-up of mixed traffic and shunting engines.

The Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway merged with other local lines and then amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1863 but this did not bring an end to it’s heavy maintenance facilities which remained active as Worcester locomotive works until the end of steam in 1965. The history and work of this facility leads to a more detailed look at the pride of the fleet, Worcester’s ‘Castles’ and their work on the Paddington expresses. A list of all the ‘Castles’ allocated in the final years is accompanied by an explanation of their work, in particular on the Hereford-WorcesterPaddington services and is well illustrated.

At the other end of the scale by 1962 Worcester had become the last area to employ the GWR AEC diesel railcars which are remembered with affection. These were maintained in a servicing shed at the north end of the locomotive works and worked local services to Malvern and Ledbury on the Hereford line, Honeybourne, Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh on the Cotswold line link, northwards to Bewdley and Kidderminster and over the truncated Bromyard branch.

As with all large sheds a number of smaller sub-sheds were under the jurisdiction of Worcester with facilities at Evesham, Kingham, Honeybourne and Ledbury covered in a nicely illustrated chapter including location plans and engine diagrams.

‘Winter in Worcester and the Cotswolds Route’ illustrates and relays the local tale of the winter of 1962-63 where the snow lingered for months testing the resolve of staff and public alike.

The final chapters step away from the city to look at services over the Worcester to Hereford route, Worcester to Bromyard branch and the main line freight trains, notably to and from the West Midlands before a final round-up in ‘Rundown to Shed Closure’ which inevitably brings things to an end. Appendices include a photograph index for the locomotives featured in the book and another for footplate and shed staff.

This is another superb addition to the series and as with previous titles where both reproduction and printing are excellent, comes highly recommended.