Landore shed: A 60 year retrospective

摘要

It is in the nature of things that machines not only wear out and are eventually replaced, but are also improved by technology leading to their obsolescence. Such was to be the case with the Stephenson locomotive for reasons and arguments that we shall not discuss here. In the mid-1950s, British Railways saw its future as a modernised and rationalised entity and set about its task with gusto, if not with entirely rational thought. The steam locomotive, which had been the prime means of moving traffic for well over 100 years, required servicing and maintenance at conveniently-placed centres and such would also be the case with any replacement motive power. It was also evident that, provided established traffic flows did not alter, these servicing centres would be required at the same locations. The Western Region, having determined that it should be the first to eliminate steam locomotives, found that at certain important locations, space was at a premium and the luxury of building a new depot alongside an existing one for a 'seamless' changeover was not an option available.