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Acres Hill Lane, S9 4AY

View eastward of the Depot, in relatively pristine condition just six years after it was opened (on 11/4/43), a 'thoroughly modern' steam depot that was required urgently in World War Two to replace the very antiquated and confined Depot at Neepsend. These were the principal ex-Great Central Depots in Sheffield, providing many of the locomotives handling the passenger and - immense - freight traffic originating in the area and conveyed on the ex-GC main axes, Manchester - Sheffield - Nottingham and the South/Doncaster - Scunthorpe - Grimsby/Lincoln etc. In 1950 in the Eastern Region of BR it was coded 39B (in the Manchester District) and had an allocation of 95, comprising:- 18 4-6-0s, 1 4-4-2, 30 2-8-0s, 21 0-6-0s, 2 4-4-2Ts, 18 0-6-2Ts, 3 0-6-0Ts and 2 0-4-0Ts. The photograph shows a representative selection on a quiet Sunday morning. The Depot did not last long: it was closed to steam on 17/6/63 and totally on 4/10/65.

Just off the Parkway.

A forlorn survivor of the very competent Robinson Class 9Q 4-6-0s, which were worn out struggling over the Woodhead Line in World War Two. No. 1386, still in very dirty LNER livery in 1949, was former LNER No. 5034, built as recently as 8/22 and was about to be withdrawn in 6/49. (See also Image]).

A Sheffield to Lincoln train viewed through a footbridge to the west of the station.

Established for over a hundred years in this niche industry, Arkote moved to their smart new premises on the Parkway Industrial Estate in 2008. Their specialist knives are exported worldwide.

A pair of Class 31 locomotives, 31250+31200, run light into Darnall station. The terraced houses of Studley Road and Swales Road are visible on the right along with a fenced off scrap area with a rail mounted crane which may have been associated with the Carriage and Wagon works which was situated beyond the distant footbridge. Much has changed since this image was taken in the late 1970's. The station has lost its buildings and the overhead 1500v DC wires and catenary. The slow lines on either side of the island platform have been removed, reducing the line to just 2 tracks rather than 4. The platform itself has also been significantly shortened. The terraced houses of, what I might term, the Swales Road estate off Staniforth Road have been demolished and a modern housing estate built in their place. The scrap lines with their crane have gone leaving just a fenced off strip of open land which appears to be used as an unofficial footpath between Acres Hill Road and Station Road. The footbridge remains, connecting Acres Hill Road with Acres Hill Lane.