ColwickMPD
Colwick MPD
Colwick MPD (Motive Power Depot) was an engine shed to the East of Nottingham and was the inspiration for this website, it is where my father worked when he joined the L.N.E.R in 1944 as an engine cleaner and over the next 20 years became a fireman and eventually a driver.
Class K3 61974 heading to Colwick yard, Passing Colwick woods.
Colwick yard was first opened as a storage warehouse by the Ambergate, Nottingham & Boston, and Eastern Junction Railway in 1850 to supplement the company facility at Ambergate yard in Grantham and was operated by the G.N.R. from 1855, but after the building of the Great Northern station at Nottingham in 1857 this yard and warehouse was demolished as it was no longer needed.
In 1872 following the Derbyshire Extensions Act, the GNR purchased 150 acres of land at Colwick where a large marshalling yard was built and built a 4 road engine shed known as the 'Old Shed' and housing at Traffic Terrace and Locomotive Terrace, in 1878 they built a goods yard and goods shed on the West to North line north of Netherfield Lane crossing.
In 1879 the L&NWR who had running powers over the GWR lines built an engine shed and sidings near the end of Netherfield Lane, this was followed in 1881 by the enlargement of the GWR loco shed to accommodate 50 locomotives and included workshops.
In 1881 the railway institute and train crew lodging house was built adjacent to Netherfield Ln crossing followed in 1890 by additional marshalling yards.
In 1900 the L&NWR built 39 houses at the end of Netherfield Ln called North Western Terrace.
In December 1922 the G.N.R was taken over by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) and and L&NWR by the London, Midland & Scottish (LMS) during the grouping and staff were administered by LNER under pooling agreements.
In 1928 the LMS shed was closed and locomotives were now housed in LNER sheds.
In 1936 a new mechanical coaling plant was built and was christened 'The Cenotaph' also a vacuum operated turntable and a 36 ton steam crane along with various engineering machines and a wheel drop were installed in the erecting shop.
After WWII the class A3 and V2 locomotives from Leicester were maintained at Colwick.
After British Railways was formed in 1947, Colwick became part of BR Eastern Region and was allocated the code 38A. In a reorganisation in 1958 Colwick had been downgraded and allocated code 40E as a sub shed of Lincoln.
When the steam era ended in 1966 Colwick became part of BR London Midland Region and was given the code 16B, a sub shed of Nottingham. Colwick MPD finally closed in 1970 when all of the Train crew were transferred to Nottingham or Toton and the remaining Locomotives moved to Toton.
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