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54-713: The equivalent of such depots in German-speaking countries is the Bahnbetriebswerk or Bw , which has similar functions, with major repairs and overhauls being carried out at Ausbesserungswerke . The number of those was reduced drastically following the changeover from steam to diesel and electric traction, and most modern Bw in Germany are specialised depots, often responsible for a single locomotive class . Engine sheds could be found in many towns and cities, as well as in rural locations. They were built by

108-538: A Zugförderungsstelle ( Zf ). Many other countries simply use the term 'depot'. The smaller facility, the Lokomotivstation (also Einsatzstelle or Lokbahnhof ) akin to the British sub-depot or stabling point, is affiliated to a Bahnbetriebswerk . N.B. The shortened form Betriebswerk is also used and both are commonly abbreviated to Bw or BW . The plural is Bahnbetriebswerke . On 7 January 1835

162-485: A former Bahnbetriebswerk into the largest railway experience world in the country. This involves restoring all the ramshackle buildings to their original state once again. As well as the maintenance of locomotives, several Bahnbetriebswerke are also responsible for looking after special trains - even the changeover of traction has not changed that. The most important units are emergency trains (to re-rail rolling stock that has derailed) and snow clearance equipment. Up to

216-481: A layer of coal dust covering them and the bed". Another key requirement of the steam engine is a supply of water which is carried in the tenders or tanks of the engines. In Australia, water was also carried in water gins (a water tank mounted on a wagon) due to longer distances covered and scarcer water resources. In depots where the limescale content of water was high (known in some areas as ‘Hard Water'), water softening plants were introduced. At Norwich engine shed in

270-536: A number of shunting locomotives. Normally 0-4-0T or 0-6-0T tank engines, they would be allocated to shunting duties in goods yards, carriage sidings, goods depots and docks. Many large rail connected industrial sites also had engine sheds, primarily using shunting locomotives. Each railway company had its own architectural design of engine shed, but there were three basic designs of shed: The turntables for straight and dead end sheds were generally outside. Those in roundhouses could be inside, such as those at York in

324-474: A number of single ended locomotives and turntables are still in use. Engine sheds would carry out basic maintenance and the bigger sheds would carry out more complex repairs. Locomotives that required further repair were sent to the company's locomotive works. Withdrawn locomotives could often be found at some depots before their final trips to the scrapyard. In the UK, the general practice is that one shed would have

378-485: A number of smaller sub-sheds where there were fewer facilities. When engines allocated to sub-sheds required repairs, they were often exchanged for a similar engine or perhaps just visiting the main depot on a Sunday when traffic levels were considerably lower. In terms of locomotive allocation, it seems to have been the practice that for some railways locomotives were all allocated to the main shed but in others each shed had its specific allocation of locomotives. A list of

432-509: A reorganisation of locomotive operation and maintenance on the LMS in the 1933-35 period. It grouped all sheds into districts with a main shed, given the district number followed by the letter A as its code, and subsidiary sheds with the same number followed by B, C, or D etc. Many sheds were also responsible for sub-sheds where day-to-day servicing could be carried out but which lacked the facilities for intermediate or heavy overhauls. The extension of

486-518: A result, was entrusted with the technical direction of the Brunswick State Railway. Soon afterwards the first Bahnbetriebswerk was built. Not only did it carry out the usual functions of such a depot, but also others such as the construction of locomotives. In 1845, John Blenkinsop made it clear that it was considerably cheaper to service locomotives at regular intervals than not to repair them until they broke down. He therefore laid

540-487: A variety of positions: Class 42s on the underframe below the cab but near-identical Class 43s on the front next to the left buffer; after 1967 the code was generally painted on the bodywork near the cab door. On the London Midland Region, from June 1968 until 1973 main line diesel locomotives were given a divisional allocation in which locomotives were allocated to a nominal district, although in practice

594-620: A wave of rationalisations in Deutsche Bahn that led to the closure of works and Betriebshöfen . In the former Deutsche Reichsbahn's area (i.e. eastern Germany) even the large Bahnbetriebswerke were shut. In order to deploy new motive units, such as the ICE , Betriebshöfe had to be enlarged in order to be able to service the new vehicles. Bahnbetriebswerke are responsible for carrying out routine maintenance and minor repairs on locomotives in service. The allocation of crews to train services

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648-469: Is also planned and executed in a Bahnbetriebswerk . At specified intervals (usually once or twice a week), all the components of a locomotive are inspected and tested by the 'inspecting mechanics' ( Nachschauschlosser ). Larger Bahnbetriebswerke with more comprehensive equipment also carry out big repairs themselves, such as the replacement of engines or the profile milling of wheelsets using below ground wheelset turning equipment. The largest amount of work

702-530: Is because the private railway operators cannot afford to build their own depots and so the task of maintaining locomotives is often handed over to the Betriebshöfe of the national railways. The Betriebshöfe are restricted areas that are usually not open to the public. The work is not just carried out during the day, but predominantly at night, when large numbers of locomotives are not needed for traction duties. ICEs or other multiple units are also stored in

756-522: Is the equivalent of a locomotive depot (or motive power depot) on the German and Austrian railways. It is an installation that carries out the maintenance, minor repairs, refuelling and cleaning of locomotives and other motive power. In addition it organises the deployment of locomotives and crews. In the Deutsche Bahn , a Bahnbetriebswerk is known today as a Betriebshof ; the ÖBB refer to it as

810-443: The Betriebshöfe , which is not accessible and therefore there is no graffiti problem, as is often the case when unprotected goods wagons are stored in the open. At Betriebshöfe which still have buildings from the steam era, there are often problems in extending them. Buildings that are under heritage protection may not be torn down. Otherwise Betriebshöfe are basically laid out so that they can be extended in any direction. Even in

864-503: The DB-Fuhrparkservice . List of British Railways shed codes British Railways shed codes were used to identify the engine sheds that its locomotives and multiple units were allocated to for maintenance purposes. The former London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) alpha-numeric system was extended to cover all regions and used until replaced by alphabetic codes in 1973. The coding system had its origins in

918-533: The Deutsche Reichsbahn in the GDR that were responsible for the servicing and repair of all railway works vehicles. These included a few buses and lorries to supplement rail services, but were mainly internal fault-clearing, delivery, supply or specialised works vehicles. In 1993 the maintenance and distribution of vehicles was changed. The remaining fleet was transferred to the new business area known as

972-412: The privatisation of British Rail , some depots are now operated by the train builders who maintain the trains under contract with train operators. Around railway networks, there are locations just used for the coaling/fuelling of locomotives and the stabling of stock, either overnight or between duties. These are generally not regarded as engine sheds. Bahnbetriebswerk A Bahnbetriebswerk

1026-418: The 1950s and 1960s, the rise of manufacturing industry saw many staff leaving the railway for better working conditions (and pay) and many railways started to modernise as a result. The maintenance of the new diesel locomotives in filthy steam sheds soon proved difficult and, although some old sheds survived, many new diesel depots were built on new sites or on the sites of the old steam sheds. The major problem

1080-496: The 1980s there were also fire trains, whose function has since been subsumed by the railway fire services . For the smooth operation of a Bahnbetriebswerk , shunters are also needed to move wagons, coaches and locomotives that cannot move under their own power. Up to 20 years ago there were other special trains, such as used oil trains, that have since all been retired. The first Deutsche Reichsbahn buses and lorries entered service in 1933. The maintenance and repair of these vehicles

1134-399: The British sub-sheds can be found here . The drivers and fireman were the visible face of the engine shed and, as such, certain sheds had reputations for clean locomotives thanks to the dedication of those men. Many companies allocated a specific main line locomotive to a crew and they would usually take a personal interest in the cleanliness of their engine; some companies offered a prize to

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1188-605: The Deutsche Bundesbahn closed a total of 77 Bahnbetriebswerke . The end of the steam era in the DB led to further closures. Initially the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany went in the other direction. Many smaller stabling points ( Lokbahnhöfe ) were promoted to Bahnbetriebswerke , primarily in order to ensure better maintenance of the locomotives on the spot. Not until the start of the changeover in traction in

1242-670: The Hull District. This district was itself merged with the York District in January 1960 and so Goole was re-coded again to become 50D. The changes accelerated with the contraction of the railway network and modernisation, both of which reduced the number of locomotives in use. For example, the Inverness district had five sheds and seven sub-sheds in 1950 but these had been reduced to a single shed by 1967. On 6 May 1973 all

1296-597: The UK, or outside, such as that at the East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Company in Rockhill, Pennsylvania , USA. There were six primary activities that took place at sheds. When a steam engine arrived on shed, it would drop its fire and the ash that had built up would be removed. Disposal of the ash was a filthy job and carried out at quiet times, although some bigger depots had facilities for disposing of ash more efficiently. Study of photographs from

1350-411: The UK, the sludge was discharged into a tank and emptied every three years or so with the sludge being dumped into the sea at Lowestoft. Tender locomotives required turning so they were facing the right way before their next duty. In the early days, these were typically around 45 feet long. As the technology improved and engines got bigger, then the turntables got longer. In order to turn a locomotive

1404-450: The century-old operating concepts were completely changed - the unity of operations and maintenance was given up. These two functions were taken over by the business areas of traction and works. The Betriebswerke were renamed Betriebshöfe , each under its own manager. With this new structure the works now just became suppliers of maintenance jobs that were allocated to them from the traction business area. This totally new arrangement started

1458-615: The crew of the best kept engine. Many drivers would spend their own time on improving their knowledge and sharing best practice with younger drivers. The footplate staff (as drivers and fireman were known) were unionised from the 19th century and in the UK were generally in the ASLEF whilst other shed staff tended to be in the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (later National Union of Railwaymen ). Many engine shed workers put up with very poor conditions for many years. In

1512-525: The depot code was bolted to the smokebox on the front of the locomotive. When a locomotive was reallocated to a different shed the plate was taken off and replaced with one from the new shed. Locomotives moved between a parent depot and its sub-sheds did not need this change as they shared the same code. With the introduction of diesel and electric motive power the system of allocation became changed. Main line locomotives were capable of operating greater distances between servicing and, very often, depots only held

1566-480: The engine had to be balanced quite precisely on the turntable and it could then be literally pushed around. Some turntables could be powered by fixing the vacuum brake of the engine to the turntable and using that to turn the engine. Later turntables were electrically operated. Many diesel locomotives in the UK have a cab at each end removing the need for the turntables. However, in Australia and America, there are

1620-623: The equipment and spare parts for servicing a limited range of locomotive classes. This resulted in them being allocated to a smaller number of depots and reallocations became less common. For instance, the 74 Western Region Class 52 diesel-hydraulics were only ever allocated to six depots and were eventually all based to just one ( Laira ) rather than spread around more than 60 depots on the region, although they could often be found at many of these others. This meant that many depots only had allocations of shunting locomotives, and some locomotives did not carry allocation plates. Those that did had them in

1674-577: The erection of catenary in the Bw , the most important measure for the stabling of diesel locomotives was the installation of refuelling equipment. By comparison the amount of work needed to service electric locomotives is quite small, and is mainly restricted to replenishing the brake sand containers, greasing the relatively few grease points and functional testing – especially of the train safety (PZB) equipment. The same tasks have to be carried out on diesel locomotives as well. In addition, at regular intervals,

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1728-707: The first Bahnbetriebswerk in Germany was opened. It looked after locomotives on the first railway line in Germany, the Bavarian Ludwigsbahn from Nuremberg to Fürth . It was here that the first locomotive in Germany, the Adler , was assembled and maintained. The inventor or father of the Bahnbetriebswerk was John Blenkinsop . He was the first to recognise that smooth railway operations needed well-equipped workshops and suitable personnel and, as

1782-544: The first repair shops ( Ausbesserungswerke ) also appeared, known at that time as Hauptwerkstätten (main workshops). On the creation of the German Empire the system described above was adopted by everyone and, in addition, many private railways were nationalised with the result that this approach was eventually followed by those too. With the takeover of the German state railways (the Länderbahnen ) following

1836-484: The foundations for what subsequently became the routine tasks of a Bahnbetriebswerk , although it was several years before they were divided into Bahnbetriebswerke and Ausbesserungswerke or repair shops. Gradually all the other German railway companies organised their technical support based on the example of the Ludwigsbahn and Brunswick State Railway. Because the radius of action of the first steam locomotives

1890-692: The locomotives received major attention at the principal depot in the Division. For example, locomotives in the D01 London (Western) Division were effectively based at principal depot Willesden . Other divisions were D02 Birmingham Division ( Tyseley ), D05 Stoke-on-Trent Division ( Crewe ), D08 Liverpool Division ( Allerton ), D09 Manchester Division ( Longsight ), D10 Preston Division ( Lostock Hall ), D14 London (Midland) Division ( Cricklewood Depot ), D16 Nottingham Division ( Toton ). The North Eastern became part of an enlarged Eastern Region in 1967, however

1944-776: The lorries of the DB's own long-distance haulage fleet and the heavy transporters with Culemeyer trailers and tractors. The DB heavy transport group ( Straße-Schiene i.e. 'road-rail') was however based in Hagen . The general inspections were carried out by DB staff. Kraftwagenbetriebswerke were even attached to some of the DB's own driving schools. Smaller facilities, the K-Gruppe were attached to Bahnbetriebswerke (e.g. in Hamelin ). Locations with Kraftwagenbetriebswerke included Hanover , Hamburg , Bremen , Brunswick and Kassel . There were even Kraftwagenbetriebswerke ( Kbw ) in

1998-501: The maintenance and repair of an entire locomotive class . In the Deutsche Bahn today's Bahnbetriebswerke , called Betriebshöfe , are increasingly independent and divided up between several DB AG business areas. In the ÖBB the Technische Services division is responsible for them. In the majority of Betriebshöfe , jobs are also carried out for other companies, for example, the maintenance of private railway stock. This

2052-417: The maintenance of over 150 locomotives. The Deutsche Bundesbahn began from 1950 to turn smaller Bahnbetriebswerke into outstations. This development was accelerated by the changeover in traction, because considerably fewer personnel were needed for diesel and electric locomotives. And the reduction in passenger and goods traffic rendered some of the Bahnbetriebswerk capacity superfluous. From 1956 to 1969

2106-452: The management was streamlined which led to the closure of all smaller Bahnbetriebswerke . At the same time so-called Großbahnbetriebswerke (large locomotive depots) were created. Medium and small facilities were often integrated into these Betriebswerke . As a result, giant depots emerged that had a multitude of maintenance facilities. Examples include: Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Hamburg-Altona, Hamm and Osnabrück. They were often responsible for

2160-463: The mid-1960s did the DR begin to follow a similar pattern to the DB. Smaller Bahnbetriebswerke were now closed, but most remained in service as locomotive stables. For diesel and electric locomotive servicing the DR generally made do with existing facilities; the construction of new, modern installations was only carried out in a few cases. With the reform of the railways and the formation of Deutsche Bahn

2214-485: The most important maintenance jobs in the Bw that was part of the laid-down routine was the washing out of the boiler. With the changeover of traction from steam to diesel and electric locomotives, a comprehensive reorganisation of Bahnbetriebswerke was necessary. Sites that were only needed for the maintenance of steam locomotives no longer had any significance. And whilst for the servicing of electric locomotives, hardly any special installations were necessary apart from

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2268-443: The motors and drives have to serviced, including the changing of oil and various filters. Present-day Bws have to therefore have the right equipment for oil changes. Modern diesel and electric locomotives need very little maintenance thanks to a large number of maintenance-light and non-wearing components. For that reason there are only a few Bahnbetriebswerke today compared with those in the steam era and they often concentrated on

2322-622: The number of Bahnbetriebswerke rose and fell significantly. Initially the DR turned large Lokbahnhöfe into Bahnbetriebswerke , but on the foundation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft things changed suddenly. A fifth of the reparations that had to be handed to the victorious powers after World War I had to be absorbed by the DRG. In order to be able to manage that, rationalisation measures had to be taken; above all almost all areas had to make savings. In addition

2376-441: The outer walls constructed of dry blocks much in the style of a dry stone wall with smaller pieces behind these. As technology advanced and the bigger sheds got busier, this process became mechanised and huge coaling towers above the neighbourhoods indicated where the engine shed was. The sheds were not clean places to work. The large east London depot of Stratford had an engineman's dormitory and its occupants would "wake up with

2430-403: The planning stages, consideration must be given to ensuring there is enough additional real estate that can be bought without difficulty if it is later decided to extend the facility. Former Betriebswerke are often no longer used and completely overgrown. Often the trackage is totally removed and only the buildings under historical protection remain. There is however a project in Germany to turn

2484-689: The railway companies to accommodate the locomotives that provided their local train services. Each engine shed would have an allocation of locomotives that would reflect the duties carried out by that depot. Most depots had a mixture of passenger, freight and shunting locomotives, but some, such as Mexborough , had predominantly freight locomotives, reflecting the industrial nature of that area in South Yorkshire . Others, such as Kings Cross engine shed in London, predominantly provided locomotives for passenger workings. Nearly all depots at that time had

2538-457: The remaining depot codes were replaced by new two-letter codes . These no longer included any kind of district hierarchy, but were more suitable for use with the TOPS operating management computers. Each steam locomotive was allocated to a particular shed and an oval, cast metal plate (usually 4 + 5 ⁄ 8  in ×  7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (120 mm × 190 mm)) with

2592-431: The state treaty of 30 April 1920 the organisation of engineering services was standardised across the whole of Germany. The Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) set up various Reichsbahn divisions ( Reichsbahndirektionen ) and engineering offices ( Maschinenämter ). On 1 August 1935 there were 7 Reichsbahn divisions and 132 engineering offices. The new organisational regulations introduced in the 1920s proved their worth, nevertheless

2646-420: The steam era show it was not uncommon for piles of ash to be scattered around the depot site. After completing their last duty and arriving on shed, locomotives would have a regular boiler washout to remove scale, improve efficiency and protect safety. Locomotives generally ran on coal. Initially this job was done by hand and many depots had significant coal stacks on site. These would be neatly constructed with

2700-585: The system to all regions was brought into use in 1950, each region being given a block of district numbers: Many codes changed as districts were re-organised and as regional boundaries changed over the years. For example, the former LMS shed at Goole was initially 25C as part of the Wakefield District. In September 1956 the district was transferred to the North Eastern Region and split between districts 53, 55 and 56; Goole became 53E in

2754-653: Was entrusted to newly created vehicle depots, the Kraftwagenbetriebswerke ( KBW, KBw ), which were often attached to existing Bahnbetriebswerke . Until the privatisation and reorganisation of the bus services in the Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1990, they also had Kraftwagenbetriebswerke ( KBW ). Amongst other things they handled the engineering aspects of bus services, i.e. the allocation of crews and vehicles, servicing and repairs. In addition other DB road vehicles were maintained, for example

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2808-441: Was only about 80 km, facilities were installed at all larger stations for the maintenance of locomotives; in particular coal and water supplies had to be replenished. Such facilities also appeared at junctions , which explains why there were so many locomotive sheds of that type. From the 1860s, all railway companies separated the functions of traffic operating (working the locomotives) and mechanical engineering. Over time,

2862-425: Was that which once had to be carried out in order to maintain steam locomotives. In addition to the replenishment of operating supplies - water, coal and braking sand - the cinders had to be emptied from the grate and smokebox daily. Even the oiling of all the bearings was part of the daily schedule of work for a steam locomotive. It was also important to turn tender locomotives in the planned direction of travel. One of

2916-458: Was the disposal of oil, which initially was left lying around causing pollution and safety issues. The new depots were equipped to deal with diesel fuel and the ability to access the underside, as well as upper body work, was improved. The tasks were not that much different in that diesel locomotives were fuelled rather than coaled, although they did require water as early diesels were equipped with steam generators for train heating purposes. Since

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