Gateshead Locomotive Depot

Image: © Ben Brooksbank Taken: 13 Jun 1954

View eastward, towards Gateshead West Station. This is a general view of the west end of the yard: the main Sheds (and Works) were on the left, the 'Pacific Shed' up to the right and the Chaytor's Bank (former) roundhouse beyond. There was never enough room to house or move the engines around - and much use was made of the double access to Newcastle Central Station, via the triangular junctions across the High Level and King Edward Bridges and the lines between them on the Gateshead side of the Tyne. There were about 90 locomotives allocated to this principal Depot of the Newcastle District, coded 52A by BR. The motive-power of much of the enormous passenger and freight traffic handled in the District on the East Coast Main Line and other lines into Newcastle was provided largely by Gateshead and Heaton Depots, although also there were Blaydon Depot for the Carlisle line and Borough Gardens for local freight traffic in the NE Co. Durham area nearby. Gateshead's 1954 allocation comprised 35 4-6-2s, 12 2-6-2s, 8 4-6-0s, 3 4-4-0s, 7 0-6-0s, 7 2-6-2Ts, 1 0-6-2T, 18 0-6-0Ts, 1 0-4-4T and 2 0-4-0Ts. Incorporated in the Depot complex was Gateshead Locomotive Works, secondary to Darlington Works but lasting into the 1960s.

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