LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington
LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

Nuneaton Shed

The following is an extract from one of Reg Kimber's scrapbooks compiled over 50 years.

Extract from the biography of JM Dunn reflecting on his long career associated with sheds of the LNWR and BR

Nuneaton Shed

My first day at Nuneaton was the 25th April 1939 and I started off with a month's training for the job of Running Shift Foreman which involved getting acquainted with all the goings-on on the three different shifts throughout the 24 hours and endeavouring to acquire the running shift foreman's "outlook". Nuneaton Shed had 8 roads each 250 feet long and had been built in or about 1878 to hold 12 engines. It had been enlarged twice, first in 1888 to hold 24 engines and again in 1897 to hold 34 although an official list of 1904 gave its capacity as 40 based on 50 feet per engine. In 1939 the allocation of engines was as follows:-

7 L.N.W. 5 ft. 6 in. 2-4-2 Tanks - 6636, 6657, 6658, 6660, 6749, 6741, 6680
7 L.M.S. 2-6-2 T.B. Tanks - 201, 204, 205, 206, 144, 203, 208
4 Mid. 0-6-0, 2F - 3084, 3161, 3489, 3649
4 Mid. 0-6-0 3F - 358I, 3679 376o, 3786
3 L.N.W. 0-6-0 18 in. goods - 8333, 8350, 8538
4 L.M.S. 0-6-0 Tanks - 7285, 7286, 7367, 7594
3 L. & Y. 0-6-0 - 12294, 12321, 12397
4 L.N.W. 0-6-2 18 in. Tanks - 6876, 6893, 6894, 6924
7 L.M.S. 2-6-0 - P.B. 2777, 2781, 2783, 2786, 2888 T.B. 2973, 2977
7 L.N.W. 0-8-0 G1 - 8911, 9191, 9344, 9345, 9346, 9350 9351
30 L.N.W. 0-8-0 G2 - 9181, 9264, 9268, 9270, 9271, 9276, 9318, 9342, 9352, 9366, 9397, 9398, 9399, 9400, 9404, 9423, 9428, 9429, 9430, 9431, 9432, 9433, 9434, 9435, 9436, 9437, 9438, 9439, 9450

Of these 80 engines the most interesting was No. 8333, formerly L.N.W.R. No. 2365, which had been built at Crewe in June 1880, Works No. 2379, and was not only the first of the celebrated 18 in. goods engines or "Cauliflowers" but was also the very first locomotive to be fitted with Joy's Valve Gear. It had a third distinction in that it was the first engine to bear the L.N.W. heraldic device which was irreverently supposed to bear a resemblance to the vegetable by whose name these machines were popularly known.

The total staff was 376 which included 111 booked and 34 special sets of enginemen. The shed was equipped with a 60-ft. Mundt type turntable by Ransome and Rapier, a mechanical coaling plant by Henry Lees & Co., an ashfilling plant by R. Dempster & Sons and a Paterson Complete Water Softener. The coaling plant was heavily overworked and had to handle more coal than the plant at Rugby which was of a much larger and more robust design, the average weekly figures for Nuneaton and Rugby being 1,134 tons and 997 tons respectively. The result was that the coaling plant was frequently out of action, though not always through its own fault, as it could scarcely be blamed for loose boards from wagon bottoms- and even wagons themselves-falling into the hopper! As can be imagined when the coaling plant failed and hand-coaling had to be resorted to there was a very great difficulty in finding staff for the job.

There were no machine tools of any description at Nuneaton Shed. Although Nuneaton Shed catered chiefly for mineral traffic there was a yearly event, the Leicester Holidays, in the early part of August for which about fifty special passenger trains were run to Bangor, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Colwyn Bay, Cromer, Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Hunstanton, Lancaster, Llandudno, London, Lowestoft, Morecambe, Paignton, Portsmouth, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Scarborough, Torquay and Yarmouth. For most of these trains, excepting those going to the east coast, Nuneaton had to provide engines and men for at least part of the journey.

I was recalled from holidays on the 25th August 1939 owing to the international situation and took the place, pro-tem, of Mr. W. J. Legg the Running Shed Foreman who had been promoted to Shrewsbury. All sorts of warlike preparations were in hand such as the erection of barricades of sandbags at strategic points and I had to go and buy all the permanganate of potash I could find in Nuneaton to discolour and camouflage the sludge-ponds at the water-softening plants there and at Hademore, between Tam worth and Lichfield. On the 3rd September 1939 war was declared and on the 27th Mr. Clews, the District Locomotive Superintendent at Rugby came over to tell me that my old friend R. F. Tucker had been killed in a motor accident in France on the previous Monday. Everybody was very upset about it and Mr. S. E. Park- house, the Divisional Superintendent of Operation at Crewe, himself had the unpleasant task of breaking the news to Tucker's mother. He was well liked by everybody who came into contact with him.

On the 2nd October 1939 the new Running Shed Foreman, Mr. T. T. Darlington, son of a former Mayor of Crewe, arrived and after a week of showing him round I resumed my duties on the shifts although I relieved him from time to time while he was away. On the 22 nd December following I took over the post of Running Shed Foreman at Coventry vice D. C. I. Reynolds instead of relieving A. E. Fairhead at Northampton as had originally been considered. In the event, the latter was replaced by Shakespeare who had recently been promoted from there to Shrewsbury but had not yet got a house, so he was recalled, one of the most sensible moves I have ever known on the railway. Both Fairhead and Reynolds eventually joined the ranks of the lieutenant-colonels and returned to the railway service undamaged, receiving in due course, the reward of their patriotism.

On 15th June 1942 I returned to Nuneaton Shed and the next day Mr. F. W. Abraham, the Assistant Divisional Superintendent of Operation at Crewe and chief of motive power matters on the Western Division came to see me and among other things said that Nuneaton was a big job in ordinary times and especially so now. I was not particularly enthusiastic at the prospects as my appointment was only a temporary one and the man whose place I had taken was only 17 miles away and in a position to criticise my actions. I knew from past experience there were many things I should have to alter. At the end of the month I saw Mr. Seaton of the Crewe Trains Office and he told me that Blaenavon Shed was being closed as from 6th July 1942 the staff being transferred to Chester and Birkenhead. C. H. Tait, the District Goods and Passenger Manager at Swansea had said that this had nearly ruined his life's work which had been to keep the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny line for the L.M.S. Seaton said that J. W. Phillips the District Locomotive Superintendent at Shrewsbury had been the main instigator of the closing.

On 3rd July 1942 I had a trip with Driver W. Brunt on Engine No. 510 working the 5.0 p.m. "Ashby Milk" to have a look over the road. We went via Shackerstone Junction, through Heather, Hugglescote and Charnwood Forest Junction to Coalville and Ashby-de-la- Zouch and then on to Moira, Overseal, Donisthorpe, Measham and Shackerstone back to Nuneaton. It was a continuous run without any "running-round" and we got back to our starting point at 8.0 p.m. after a very pleasant trip chiefly over lines long closed to passenger traffic except for the length between Coalville and Moira.On 21st September 1942 I harangued the Leading Fitter and his staff about the vacuum brake reservoir on Engine No. 9431 having been reported fifty times before it was put right. Engine repairs were not the only problem I had to tackle as all the clerical work was in a hopeless mess, especially that appertaining to stores matters. I generally had to take this home with me.

Just as I was settling down for my Saturday afternoon siesta on 16th January 1943 a messenger from the shed brought me a note saying that a fireman had shot a driver in the foot and was detained in my office! On arrival at the latter I found the police taking a statement to the effect that he, the fireman, had taken a double- barrelled shot-gun with him on the engine with the intention of shooting rabbits on the Ansley Hall branch. Before leaving Stocking- ford he had loaded the gun and then begun to clean it during which operation the gun went off and the driver received the whole charge in his foot at three feet range. His foot was afterwards amputated and he was given a job in the stores.

In January 1943 Mr. D. C. Urie, the Superintendent of Motive Power retired and was succeeded by Lieut. Col. Harold Rudgard, one of the Midland men. It is remarkable how most L.N.W.R. drivers will tackle any strange engine that comes along and a very good example of this occurred on 18th May 1943 when one of the new American 2-8-0 engines arrived at Nuneaton Station on its way to Woodford and Hinton on the G.C.R. I went to have a look at it and accompanied the set of Nuneaton men who were going to re-man it for the next stage of its journey. As soon as we reached the engine the signal came "off", the Crewe men said "There you are. That's the regulator and that's the brake" and got off! The Nuneaton men started away as unconcerned as could be and slowed down opposite the shed for me to get off after which they went off in fine style. Admittedly they had a mechanical inspector riding with them on this occasion and he would have been able to show them a few things about the footplate fittings which differed a good deal from the British fashion, but that did not alter the fact that they had to find out how to work the engine as they went along. This versatility on the part of enginemen is by no means always the rule as, for example, few Holyhead men are "at home" on any engine smaller than a "Royal Scot".

A piece of news was that a certain driver who had risen to fame by lending Winston Churchill his driver's cap when the latter was photographed on his engine at Euston on some ceremonial occasion had recently been appointed an "Inspector" on Col. Rudgard's personal staff. Another interesting item was that R. H. McLean the Assistant District Locomotive Superintendent at Rugby, Gwilim Lloyd George and Goronwy Owen, one of my old schoolmasters, had all married sisters. The 1 ooth anniversary of the opening of Crewe Works was on 3rd September, 1943. Members of the public were then being invited to work on Sundays as engine-cleaners to clean all parts of engines other than the motions and we had about 18 apprentices from different works at Coventry on the job each week-end. They did good work. Mr. Clayton came on 28th September 1943 to say good-bye on his departure to the headquarters of the Northern Division at Glasgow and to introduce his successor, Mr. I. E. Mercer of Toton who, as a District Locomotive Superintendent, was unique in that he would "talk engines" by the hour! A day or two previously the mechanical coaling plant had been taken out of service for three weeks for repairs and Mr. Mercer considered that arrangements should have been made to lift loaded coal wagons with a steam crane and tip the contents into engine tenders and bunkers. He sold the idea to Crewe and thereby brought a hornet's nest about our ears at Nuneaton. We had several attempts at carrying out his ideas and also tried a small 5-ton steam crane and tubs but could not improve upon my method of hand coaling. In any case I con-sidered that the idea of tipping coal from a wagon held in the air by a breakdown crane was an exceedingly dangerous one.

On Sunday, 20th February 1944, I was at the shed all night with Darlington and Woodruffe, the Birmingham locomotive inspector to see what could be done to avoid delays in the morning but as there were no fewer than eighty engines on the shed at midnight and the loco yard was completely blocked the position was very nearly hopeless. On Sunday, 2nd April, there were ninety-five engines on the premises at midnight and things were that much worse. On 5th April 1944 Messrs. J. W. Watkins, J. S. F.lliot, O. E. Kinsman and S. E. Parkhouse, together with Col. Rudgard, attended a meeting at Nuneaton Shed to see what could be done to improve matters with a view to avoiding the chronic delays to engines leaving the shed and it was finally decided to go in for either
1. A new engine shed at Midland Junction.
2. The re-opening of Stockingford Shed on the Midland
3. A connection from the Leicester Loop to the 60-ft. turntable at Nuneaton shed
The latter was chosen and opened on Monday, August 7th following, the first engine to go "off" that way being the one for the 2.30 a.m. to Wellingborough which left the shed at 1.15 a.m.

In March and April 1944 a series of six meetings on various aspects of motive power work were held at the Queen's Hotel, Birmingham and I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mr. A. H. Whittaker, the District Locomotive Superintendent at Bristol, who was then nearly seventy years of age and son of Alfred Whittaker, at one time Locomotive Superintendent of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, and inventor of the well-known tablet- catcher for single-line working which bears his name. Mr. Whittaker was a very charming man and looked for all the world like an actor. I thoroughly enjoyed my talks with him. At these meetings papers were read by different individuals from Headquarters and they were afterwards open to discussion which on occasion was extremely lively. The paper on The Factory Act and Discipline which was read by Mr. R. T. Clews, late of Rugby, resulted in what could scarcely be described as less than an uproar. For the uninitiated, the railway discipline scheme consists of an exchange of memoranda between the management and the offender with two different opportunities for the latter to have an interview with "the head of the department or his representative" so that a fortnight or more elapses between the offence and the punishment awarded-if any. Generally the result of this procedure is that the offender is told to be a good boy and not to transgress again but in others where the delinquent is of the "awkward" type, he takes advantage of the two opportunities for an interview and more often than not gets two days "off" for the purpose, with nothing more than a caution or a reprimand at the end of it, the net result being that his shortcoming is rewarded by two days absence from work on full pay!

Mr. Whittaker said he had in hand two or three cases where interviews had been requested and that in each case if he visited the defendant he was going to have to spend a night away from home as he could not get to the place concerned and back in the same day. Then Mr. Spencer of Saltley held up a list, about a yard long, of cases where discipline Forms No. i had been issued and so it went on, the general consensus of opinion, with which I concurred, being that it was just a complete waste of time and in many cases an impossibility to try and apply the discipline scheme. When the tumult had subsided Mr. Clews said he knew before he started that he would be getting some comments-and he had certainly had them! On the night of Friday the 13th October 1939 there was a bad smash at Bletchley when a down express running at about 50 m.p.h. collided with an engine, a 0-8-0 superheater "D", which was attaching a van to a train standing in the station. The shunting engine was hit on to the platform and into the refreshment-room, several people being killed. A few days later on the 17th there were heavy floods in Kilsby Tunnel and a bridge was washed out on the Northampton line, so that all London trains had to be diverted at Nuneaton to travel via the South Leicester line, Wigston and the Midland route. This meant that all "Royal Scot" and "Princess" class engines coming south had to be changed at Nuneaton for smaller ones, generally two for one, as the big engines were not allowed over the Midland line. In addition, pilotmen had to be provided to pilot the drivers of the diverted trains over the strange route.

On the 27th July 1943, one of the 2-6-6-2 Beyer-Garratt engines became derailed on the main Coventry line at Hawkesbury Lane owing to the fireman putting down the water-scoop by mistake with the result that the scoop picked up a sleeper from a levelcrossing and carried it along like a battering-ram which struck the stretcher-bar of a pair of points, pulling the switch-blades together and causing all the wheels of the rear engine to run off the rails on to the ground. We got it on in 2 hours 10 minutes which was good going as no one on the Nuneaton Breakdown Gang had tackled a Garratt before and they are not easy to handle. The breakdown gang was one of the few bright spots of Nuneaton Shed. On the 9th August 1941 Engine No. 6741, one of the 5 ft. 6 in. 2-4-2 tank engines, broke down between Hinckley and Midland Junction, Nuneaton. The left hand connecting rod had broken-off at both big and little ends and damaged both the boiler barrel and the firebox. The connecting rod, bent in a circle, and the big and little ends were scattered along the line in the vicinity of Nutt's Lane. A fitter who had neglected to fit properly a little end setscrew a few days previously was lucky in not having to face a charge of manslaughter as the enginemen might easily have been seriously scalded.

Although there were between 80 and 90 engines regularly allocated to Nuneaton the man in charge of the mechanical side of things was graded merely as a leading fitter and on the wages staff. As can be imagined this did not have a good effect on engine maintenance so after a bit of a struggle I got the "idea" of a salaried repairing engines foreman agreed to in principle but could not get it implemented on the ground that the leading fitter, who was unsuitable, would claim the post as his right. One day a Southern Railway man told me that the 4-6-2 "Merchant Navy" engines were not all that could be desired and were frequently being towed home owing to the failure of the Bulleid valve gear which is a weird and wonderful contraption largely dependent on chains and sprocket-wheels. A few days later I heard another piece of valve gear scandal which was to the effect that Gresley's "2 to 1" conjugated valve gear for three-cylinder engines was no good and that as soon as Sir Nigel Gresley was safely out of the way the L.N.E.R.Co. called in another equally famous locomotive engineer from another railway as a consultant and asked his opinion as to whether it would be economical to scrap all the existing sets of this gear? The reply was that although he did not approve of the gear in question, he did not think it would pay to alter all the engines fitted with it.

One morning as I was going through the shed yard I passed a small group of men who were passing some disparaging remarks? about "Hard Hats", the common term applied to persons in railway supervisory and technical grades. I did not know them and took no notice beyond just smiling to myself as I was in total agreement with what I heard them say. However I had not been in my office many minutes when one of the men I had passed came to see me in order to apologise as he thought I "must have overheard the remarks" and wanted to assure me that they had no reference to me personally! I replied that I had not taken the least offence and that I was of exactly the same opinion, in many cases, myself. It was a very pleasing and unexpected display of courtesy which is all too rare these days. On 19th August 1944 Mr. J. S. Elliot asked me on the telephone from Crewe if I would take charge of Bangor Shed as a permanency? He said the war and with it "war-time appointments" were coming to an end and that Mr. Darlington would be wanting to come back to Nuneaton. I was not particularly thrilled at the prospect as Bangor Shed had a terrible reputation but I could not do other than accept as gracefully as I could. In the meantime, pending the return of Mr. Darlington, I was succeeded by Mr. A. C. Black, son of W. F. Black late of Crewe and we had a few days together so that I could show him round. I finished up at Nuneaton on Saturday, September 2nd 1944.

1912 Shed Allocation

Nuneaton shed and yard

Ref: lnwrnsh342 W Potter Looking towards the shed with the main line to Rugby on the left and the branch line to Coventry on the right

Ref: lnwrnsh342b W Potter Close up of the shed in its 1897 form when it was further extended at the rear by adding a 90ft extension

Ref: lnwrns1618 W Potter Looking towards the 1936 built Ash Plant with the shed on the left and the coaling stage out of view on the right

Ref: lnwrns1618a W Potter Close up showing the shed's new mechanised ash disposal plant with the old LNWR coaling shed on the right

Ref: lnwrns1704 R Green View of Nuneaton's Ransome & Rapier 60 foot vacuum operated turntable with a working capacity of 150 tons

Ref: lnwrns2726 KCH Fairey View of Nuneaton with a number of ex-LMS locomotives in steam on 2nd September 1961

Ref: lnwrnsh354 P Lee Collection Internal view of the shed showing ex-LMS 2-6-2T 3P No 40157 standing in front of an unidentified ex-LMS 2-6-0

Ref: lnwrnsh348 Alan Cook Collection Looking towards the exit of the shed and Nuneaton No 1 Signal Cabin with the Coventry branch line on the left

Ref: lnwrns1705 R Green View of Nuneaton shed from the branch line to Coventry, the locomotive shed and the relief drivers shelter

Ref: lnwrns1705b R Green Close up showing the coaling roads and various locomotives being serviced ready for their next turn of duties

Ref: lnwrns2705 RS Carpenter View of Nuneaton's rebuilt shed with a full compliment of locomotives being prepared for work on 7th October 1962

Ref: lnwrns3812a LNWR Society JMD/406 Close up showing the elevated cabin of Nuneaton's ash plant which contained the hoisting gear

Ref: lnwrns2708 K Lewcock Another view of Nuneaton's now abandoned shed, approach roads and water column in August 1968

Ref: lnwrns2707 K Lewcock View of Nuneaton shed long since closed and now abandoned to the rosebay willow herb in August 1968

Locomotives of the Pre-Grouping Era (upto 1922)

Ref: lnwrns3267 C Verrall LNWR 0-8-0 Class A No 1836 and an unidentified LNWR 0-6-0 'Coal Engine' stands in front of Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns3837 P Lee LNWR 4-6-0 'Bill Bailey' No 1414 outside the shed between September 1904 and January 1915

Ref: lnwrns3841 Anon LNWR 0-8-2T No 1663 stands in line in front of the shed with other miscellaneous locomotives circa 1914

Ref: lnwrns3847 Anon LNWR engine 2-4-2T 4 foot 6 inch No 781 poses for the camera in Nuneaton yard between trips circa 1922

Ref: lnwrns3834 LNWR Society Soc DP0637 LNWR 5ft 6in 2-4-2T No 465 is seen in steam standing in front of Nuneaton shed ready for its turn in 1922

Ref: lnwrns3842 Anon Ex-LNWR 4ft 3in 0-6-0ST Webb Special Tank No 3210 stands in Nuneaton yard prior to World War One

Locomotives of the LMS Era (1923 to 1947)

Pre-grouping designs

Ref: lnwrnsh351 AW Flowers Ex-L&Y 7F 0-8-0 No 1583 is seen standing in the yard after being serviced ready for its return trip circa 1925

Ref: lnwrnsh357 AW Flowers Ex-LNWR 0-8-2T 6F No 2341 stands in line with an unidentified ex-LNWR 4-4-0 Precursor class locomotive

Ref: lnwrnsh362 G Coltas Ex-LNWR 4-6-0 No 8799, 19 inch goods engine heads a train of empty mineral wagons past the shed

Ref: lnwrns1696 WK Good Ex-LNWR 4-6-0 2P No 5491 'Prince George' stands alongside ex-LNWR 4-6-0 4P No 5620 'John Ruskin'

Ref: lnwrns1715 AW Flowers An unknown ex-LNWR 4-6-0 19 inch Express Goods class locomotive stands on the original 50 ft turntable

Ref: lnwrns1713 Lens of Sutton LNWR 2-8-0 No 1282, a 'B' Class Compound locomotive outside Nuneaton shed ready for service

Ref: lnwrns1714 Real Photos Ex-LNWR 2P 4-6-0 No 25509 'Chillington' is seen standing outside of Nuneaton shed ready for its turn of duty

Ref: lnwrnsh364 WL Good LMS 0-6-0 4F No 4386 stands on the roads in front of the shed fully coaled and watered now ready for its next trip

Ref: lnwrns1716 G Coltas Ex-LNWR 2F 0-6-0 No 8488 is seen shunting in the shed with the branch lines to Coventry in the foreground

Ref: lnwrns2724 HN James LMS built 'Dreadnought Class No 10468 stands on one of the roads near Nuneaton's ash plant on 7th August 1934

Ref: lnwrns2718 L Hanson Ex-LNWR 1P 2-4-2T No 6657 is seen standing cold inside Nuneaton shed on Saturday 10th April 1937

Ref: lnwrns2723 RAS Marketing Ex-LNWR 1P 2-4-2T No 6655 is seen raising steam on one of the roads in front of Nuneaton shed in March 1933

Ref: lnwrns3821 LNWR Society RB/194 Ex-LNWR 5ft 6in 2-4-2T No 6665 moves forward in the yard ready for its next turn on 21st October 1934

Ref: lnwrns3843 Anon Ex-LNWR Experiment class 4-6-0 No 5513 'Buffalo' stands outside Nuneaton shed during the 1930s

Ref: lnwrns3839 JM Bentley Ex-LNWR 5ft 6in 2-4-2T No 6660 stands 'cold' along side the shed ready for its next turn the following day

Ref: lnwrns3840 WL Good Ex-LNWR 'Experiment' 4-6-0 No 5461 'City of London' stands by the turntable on 15th October 1932

Ref: lnwrns3846 G Coltas Ex-LNWR 'Cauliflower' 0-6-0 No 8488 stands 'cold' outside the shed ready for its next trip the following day

Ref: lnwrns3844 WL Good Another view of ex-LNWR 'Experiment' 4-6-0 No 5461 'City of London' standing on the roads outside the shed

LMS or WW2 Designs

Ref: lnwrns319 AW Flowers LMS 2-6-0 5MT No 2973 is seen in steam with the driver climbing aboard to move it off shed for its next turn of duty

Ref: lnwrnsh363 AW Flowers LMS 2-8-0 8F No 8557 stands on shed alongside the main line with the down signals seen behind

Ref: lnwrnsh358 AW Flowers LMS 4-6-0 5MT No 5245 stands on one of Nuneaton's dispersal roads in company with other locomotives

Ref: lnwrns3812 LNWR Society JMD/406 USATC S160 2-8-0 Class No 2153 is seen in steam coaled and watered outside Nuneaton shed circa 1944

Ref: lnwrns3813 LNWR Society JMD/405 USATC S160 2-8-0 Class No 2153 poses with JM Dunn, shedmaster, outside Nuneaton shed circa 1944

Ref: lnwrns3814 LNWR Society JMD/404N A frontal view of USATC S160 2-8-0 Class No 2153 which shows its utilitarian and austere appearance

Ref: lnwrns3823 Anon War Department 8F 2-10-0 No 3699 is seen being turned on the turntable at Nuneaton during World War II

Locomotives of the British Railways Era (1948 to 1968)

Pre-grouping designs

Ref: lnwrnsh347 AW Flowers Ex-MR 0-6-0 2F No 58118 stands alongside the old LNWR coaling stage with a train of ash wagons

Ref: lnwrns1720 P Lee View of Nuneaton shed with mainly pre-grouping goods locomotives in view including ex-MR 0-6-0 2F No 58281

Ref: lnwrns1719 G Webster Ex-S&DJR 4-4-0 2P No 40322 is seen being tidied up by its fireman having just been under the coaling plant

Ref: lnwrns2710 WL Good Ex-LNWR 4-6-0 Experiment Class No 5491 'Prince George' stands outside Nuneaton shed on 24th October 1933

Ref: lnwrns2722 KCH Fairey Ex-LNWR 7F Class G2a 0-8-0 No 49377 & ex-LNWR 7F Class G2a 0-8-0 No 49441 stand on one of the shed's sidings

Ref: lnwrns2717 K Hunt Ex-LNWR G2a 0-8-0 No 49120 stands in front of ex-LMS 'Horwich Crab' 2-6-0 No 42781 ready to depart the shed

Ref: lnwrns2725 BWL Brooksbank Ex-MR 3F 0-6-0 No 58240 is seen standing on one of the roads next to the stationary boiler on 15th March 1953

Ref: lnwrns1705a R Green Close up of ex-L&Y 0-6-0 3F No 52465 and ex-LMS 2P 4-4-0 No 40677 both seen standing on the coaling line

Ref: lnwrnsh366 AG Ellis Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 7F class G2a No 49115 is seen being turned on Nuneaton shed's 60' Ransome Rapier turntable

LMS designs

Ref: lnwrnsh355 M Billington Ex-LMS 2-6-2T 3MT No 40010 stands by the ex-LNWR Coaling stage with only the water tank still in use

Ref: lnwrnsh360 AW Flowers BR built 2-6-0 4MT No 43025 stands on shed behind an unidentified ex-LMS 2-6-2T 3MT locomotive

Ref: lnwrns2728 J Oatway Ex-LMS 5XP 4-6-0 No 45733 'Novelty' is seen standing outside Nuneaton shed on 2nd September 1964

Ref: lnwrns2731 Anon British Railways built 4MT 2-6-0 No 43023 is seen bathed in sunshine outside the part demolished shed

Ref: lnwrns3835 R Smith Ex-LMS 3P 2-6-2T No 40010 stands in steam on Nuneaton shed waiting for its next turn on 26th June 1960

Ref: lnwrns1639 Weston Collection BR built Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No 43023 stands outside of the shed during the rebuilding of the shed's roof

Ref: lnwrnsh365 P Lee Collection Ex-LMS 0-6-0 4F No 44292, ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F Nos 48658 & 48020 and ex-LNWR 0-8-0 class G2a No 49342 on shed

Ref: lnwrnsh346 M Billington Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Patriot class No 45537 'Private E Sykes VC' is seen leaving the shed shortly before being withdrawn

Ref: lnwrnsh340 AW Flowers View inside Nuneaton shed showing BR Standard class 4MT No 75063 and ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48686 at rest

Ref: lnwrnsh341 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48387 stands alongside Nuneaton's Ash Plant being prepared for its next turn of duty

Ref: lnwrnsh352 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-0 No 43019 is seen on shed standing alongside the Rugby to Stafford mainline

Ref: lnwrnsh361 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 2-6-0 4MT No 43024 is seen standing on shed with steam escaping from one of its injectors

Ref: lnwrnsh359 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48258 is seen coupled to a Fowler 3500 gallon tender having just been coaled and watered

Ref: lnwrns1706 MS Lane Ex-WD 'Austerity' 8F 2-8-0 No 90678 at the rear of the shed next to the turntable having been coaled and watered

Ref: lnwrns1707 MS Lane British Railways 4-6-0 5MT No 75045 is seen reversing in to a nearly empty shed shortly before its withdrawal

Ref: lnwrns1708 R Green Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48074 & ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48263 stand tender to tender in the road adjacent to the Ash Plant

Ref: lnwrns1710 MS Lane Ex-LMS 4-6-0 5XP No 45643 'Rodney' is seen waiting for the 'off' as it stands at the exit from Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns1709 MS Lane Ex-LMS 0-6-0 4F No 44118, with sliding cover to the tender stands in the approach roads in Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns1718 C Banks BR 2-6-2T Standard Class 3MT No 82021 is seen in steam coming off Nuneaton shed having been serviced

Ref: lnwrns1722 DJ Montgomery Ex-LMS 2-6-0 5MT No 42978 is seen standing coaled and watered on Nuneaton's approach roads

Ref: lnwrns2706 D Page Ex-LMS 4-6-0 No 44771 is seen standing in front of the shed at 11:35am on 14th November 1965

Ref: lnwrns2709 K Parker A number of ex-LMS engines are seen being prepared in front of the shed ready for their next rostered trips

Ref: lnwrns2711 J Oatway Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 'Black 5' No 44862 is seen raising steam on one of the roads in front of Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns2712 J Oatway Ex-LMS 3MT 2-6-2T No 40135 is stabled outside Nuneaton shed adjacent to the Trent Valley line

Ref: lnwrns2713 J Oatway Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48637, a visitor from Nottingham, is seen stabled with others alongside the shed

Ref: lnwrns2714 KCH Fairey Ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-0 No 43001 stands cold but coaled and watered ready for the next day's working

Ref: lnwrns2715 KCH Fairey Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48258, with Fowler 3500 gallon tender, is seen getting preparing to leave the shed

Ref: lnwrns2716 KCH Fairey Ex-LMS 5XP 4-6-0 No 45541 'Duke of Sutherland' is seen being turned on the shed's powered turntable

Ref: lnwrns2719 P Groom Ex-LMS 3F 0-6-0 No 47479 stands with other locomotives inside Nuneaton shed during September 1962

Ref: lnwrns2727 KCH Fairey Ex-LMS 5XP 4-6-0 No 45556 'Nova Scotia' and British Railways built 2-6-0 No 46420 on 2nd September 1961

Ref: lnwrns2720 J Oatway Ex-LMS 2P 4-4-0 No 40683 stands in withdrawn condition alongside the ash plant on 3rd September 1961

Ref: lnwrns2721 J Oatway Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48754 stands with other locomotives on one of the roads alongside the ash plant

Ref: lnwrnsh342a W Potter Close up of ex-LMS 4-6-0 5MT No 45343 making its way out of Nuneaton shed ready to commence another working

Ref: lnwrns2957 P Leonard Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 45455 and ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48206 are seen standing outside Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns2958 P Leonard Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 45455 stands with three members of the former LMS' 8F 2-8-0 Class of locomotives

Ref: lnwrns2959 P Leonard British Railways Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 No 78019 is seen in store standing in front of Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns2960 P Leonard Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 44780 is seen standing alongside Nuneaton Shed fully serviced ready for another trip

Ref: lnwrns2961 P Leonard An unidentified ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 locomotive stands alongside an unknown Ivatt mogul 2-6-0 locomotive

Ref:lnwrns2553 K Packer British Railways Diesel Shunter No 13055 stands between ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 45282 and the buffer stops

Ref: lnwrns3796 Anon Ex-LMS 3F 0-6-0T No 47385 stands outside Nuneaton shed sometime between June 1961 and May 1962

Ref: lnwrns3892 P Leonard An unidentified ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 locomotive stands 'cold' in front of Nuneaton shed circa 1966

Ref: lnwrns3893 P Leonard An ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 and two ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 locomotives are seen at the front of Nuneaton shed

Ref: lnwrns3894 P Leonard Two friends are seen cabbing BR 2MT 2-6-0 No 78019 stored adjacent to Nuneaton's Ash Plant

Ref: lnwrns3836 N Fields BR built Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No 46512 is seen with another class member on shed on 15th May 1966

People

Ref: lnwrns1724 C Woodford View of Charles Woodford and an enthusiastic team of fitters pose in the cab of LMS 2-6-0 5F/4P No 13113

Ref: lnwrns1726 C Woodford Charlie Woodford's toolbox the scale of which reflects the nature of his occupation being more than a sledge hammer

Ref: lnwrns1727 C Woodford Another view of Charlie Woodford and his fitters this time posed in front of LMS 5F/4F 2-6-0 No 13113

Ref: lnwrns1712 C Woodford BR 4MT 2-6-0 No 78059, the last engine to work off the shed, is seen with a number of shed staff on the last day

Ref: lnwrns3364 DM Farmer Bill Gibbs with other shed styaff taken to record the last steam locomotive that Bill operated through Nuneaton

Ref: lnwrns3811 P Lee A small group of engine fitters pose for the camera in the cab of an ex-LNWR 0-6-0 locomotive at Nuneaton shed

Maps

Ref: lnwrnsh1728 P Lee An 1860s view of the Trent Valley line showing the location of the original LNWR engine shed

Ref: lnwrns2729 Ordnance Survey A 1914 map showing the shed, its original turntable and coaling stage together with the two branch lines

Ref: lnwrns1717 Courtesy Irwell Press Nuneaton shed showing the site of the Coaling and Ash Plants, the 60 foot turntable and the avoiding line

Ref: lnwrns3344 National Library of Scotland Ordnance Survey Map of Nuneaton Shed and approach roads first surveyed in 1886 and published in 1889

Ref: lnwrns3343 National Library of Scotland Ordnance Survey Map of Nuneaton Shed and approach roads updated in 1913 and published in 1914

Ref: lnwrns2696 Ordnance Survey A 1914 map showing the layout of the engine shed and stabling roads together with the lines to Coventry

Ref: lnwrns3345 National Library of Scotland Ordnance Survey Map of Nuneaton Shed and approach roads updated in 1923 and published in 1924

Ref: lnwrns2700 P Lee An 1891 map showing Fielding & Johnson's Anchor Mills Siding on the Nuneaton to Coventry branch line

Shed Bash UK - Nuneaton 1938 - 1966

Recording Locomotive Sightings 1943 - 1968 courtesy of http://shedbashuk.blogspot.co.uk

A generation of enthusiasts recorded the movements of locomotives around the railway system. These records of visits to locomotive depots have been collected and carefully analysed to provide an overall portrait for the period 1943 to 1968. During that period of steam's final years, there was a marked change from the pre-grouping types that still found work at a few depots, to the modern BR designs that worked until the end in 1968. The handling of freight and passenger services was a major undertaking from town and cities, ports, coal mines and factories. All of it traversed the labyrinth of lines that criss-crossed the country. There were numerous 'sheds' spread throughout the length and breadth of the land that provided and serviced the vast army of steam locomotives (20,000 in 1948). Here is just a taste of that history.

The LMS and its successor, British Railways, undertook to film various aspects of operating steam locomotives and other railway operations. We have provided below links to some of the films related to shed operation that we know exist. Films on other aspects of railway operations can be viewed via our Video and Film Clip section.

	"Wash and Brush Up" 1953 Shows the procedures that a steam engine goes through as part of its regular maintenance cycle. The locomotive being featured in the film is a British Railways Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 No 73020 at 6D Chester (Midland shed. (25 minutes 19 seconds)
	LMS On the Shed - Part One of Two Various shots of an engine being prepared and serviced ready for its next trip. Includes actions and responsibilities of crew. (9 minutes 44 seconds)
	LMS On the Shed - Part Two of Two Various shots of an engine being prepared and serviced ready for its next trip. Includes actions and responsibilities of crew. (9 minutes 31 seconds)

In 1878 the Locomotive Superintendent of the L&NWR, Francis Webb, used the Ashby & Nuneaton line for the trials of the first compound locomotive in Britain, 6 ft. 2-2-2 No. 1874, rebuilt from Trevithick Single No. 54 "Medusa." No. 1874 was built according to the system of compounding patented by Anatole Mallet, by coincidence (or not?) in the year 1874. The locomotive had two 15 in. × 20 in. cylinders, but the left hand cylinder was lined to 9 in. to be the high pressure cylinder. The driver could choose to admit either low pressure or high pressure steam to the high pressure cylinder at will.