GWR | Old Oak Common Depot Closure

Red Rocket worked alongside GWR to produce a short film about the closure of Old Oak Common Depot; the staff sharing their memories from their time here.
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[@PodgyAsthmatic]

OC will always hold some wonderful memories for me, visiting many times as a rail enthusiast. Many times we just walked in and wondered around un stopped or told to just be careful by staff. HUGE thanks go to all the staff from the 80s up until now. You did a sterling job, well done. OC will be greatly missed.

[@sharris9267]

I see that the footage in the video (not still images) pertains to OO and OM... which is/was the Old Oak Common HST depot and coaching stock depot/shed/sidings, OC was the diesel depot.

[@benriley7053]

Honestly, best job I've ever had. I will miss it.

[@tp175]

Well done in managing to have a job at such a location, I’m sure you will find something just as amazing as Old Oak.

[@ollie-jkiubn]

I wanna say A huge thanks to gwr there a Great company there always on time so thank you!

[@Richard_OKeeffe]

July 1976 after spending a year at Swindon First year apprentice school, I remember walking down "the hill" and into the Depot. I can remember spending time in the HST shed all shiny and new, think at the time it only saw one or two sets a day, time in the Factory, the Pullman and lift shops and ODM There were so many charters working at Old Oak 45 years later I am still proud to have been an Old Oak apprentice

[@stevewilson1600]

I used to go in the early 70’s train spotting. I was and still am a rail fan, the engineering always was fascinating which led to doing my engineering apprenticeship at a little firm as we had no sheds in Shrewsbury, that little firm was Rolls Royce. The last job I did there was to make spare parts for Merlins. Oh for a time machine to go back and do it again.

[@joesprinter8202]

I worked at large factory and team work was the flavour of the day. We were so successful that they came along and closed it. Another factory in our sector where the work force were more politically astute is still open!

[@Andrewjg_89]

RIP Old Oak Common depot. 😢😭😭

[@stevewilson1600]

I used to go there in the 1970’s. Yet more closures of historic rail depots. All very sad.

[@richardjellis9186]

Perfect site for a new museum.

[@dermotmcglinchey282]

Transferred to Old oak common in 1969 as a fireman/second man, great depot and characters Happy Harris/ John “ Podge” Davies, fighting Charlie Russel ,Mick Harron ,Reg Prince ,Jimmy Jewell etc etc ..We all lived at the hostel at the top of the hill and drank in the club next door, so many wonderful memories of my time there..

[@Theoobovril]

A fantastic depot to work at and why? because we all contributed in making it so. A unique working environment where no one there was a stranger to another. There will never be another depot like that of Old Oak Common HST.

[@davejones1664]

Loved my time there, the human aspect made some friends for life & the memories will always remain. I agree with Theo, there will never be another depot like Old Oak Common HST Depot.

[@philippartridge9581]

Why did it close?

[@dominicfindlay]

@@philippartridge9581 hs2 going through here

[@Theoobovril]

@@davejones1664As a member of D-Team, Dave, I thoroughly enjoyed working along side you.

[@highdownmartin]

Remember walking down the “ hill” as I’ve just seen it called. Aged 13 and 14, with a couple of mates and hoping there’d be a Tousand on the turntable roads Often there was and the same pair of 31s in the fuel shed. Wandering around the carriage sidings steam heat guffing out from the boiler shop and all the stops. And the hst shed and mainline down the bottom, with a distant view of The scrubs. Ten years later I was back as a train man/ second man picking up a 47 for our inter regionals to Brighton via NP junction. The workabus from Padd to OOC was a hellfor leather ride!!!!

[@travelsoftagoverland5025]

Five years at OOC with Alstom on the 180 project. Fantastic place and amazing people. Some familiar faces in the video.

[@BAIRZKX]

This is actually heartbreaking

[@gordonjohnson8432]

i remember assembling the HST Crewe Works in 1977...i even did the final testing on the "Tub" power unit test! still at Crewe!!

[@tonyivey5399]

My father Lennox Ivey worked at Old Oak Common in the 50s ,60s,70s and the 80s on breakdown and maintenance, it seems a lot cleaner environment now

[@craigymac5386]

So sad to see this, it's amazing how many big diesel depots have closed in the last 30 years. I live in Glasgow and they flattened Eastfield and two years ago they closed Springburn works. It's a sad sign of the times.

[@chrishines6048]

Sad times for the staff and maintenance team and I remember going past it all them years ago when I went to London

[@tehangrybird345]

At least it will live on forever in Train Sim World

[@GWRailFan]

29 years ago, poor mary, that was definitely a job for life, hopefully everyone got to stay on the railways, it being on the new north pole depot or reading

[@JackTheOfficeWorker]

Good to see my Ultimate Fan Which is FGW HST, Nice Video btw

[@juliancripps1580]

Saw the depot building in 1975 . We saw the then hi tech alignment of tracks by laser.

[@paulknowls9423]

Always remember as a kid them Hymek bogies by the turntable

[@petersmith4455]

sad to see it go. i remember the class 52s and other great locos there in the 70s as my friend used to drive locos and dmus from there, clown activity by gwr was more than likely the cause of closure with the invention of the ugly 800emus,.why was the western region electrified anyway,had someone from first group gone to the circus and seen clowns performing and thought yes,! i wil try with the railway, naffed up old oak common and Reading station,

[@petersmith4455]

@@soulman3590 well at least we have the preserved railways where you can enjoy 52s 35s and other locos

[@sharris9267]

This video pertains to the HST and coaching stock sheds. Nothing to do with the Diesel Depot which was separate, with it's own Forman and staff.

[@richardjellis9186]

It's CRIMINAL, letting a space that large and perfect for train maintenance for one thing, and the skills of the staff for another. We seem to be very good in this country at not seeing the longer term when it comes to rail infrastructure, skills and maintenance.

[@Jess_Jenk]

TFL now store the CrossRail fleet there now xx

[@millercool21]

Oh

[@pairojeans]

Another victim of so called progress, and evils of railways privatisation. Make way for luxury yuppie flats 👎

[@geoazzo]

Its in fact for the new Old Oak Common Station which will incorporate the GWR mainline, new Hs2 line, london overground and crossrail . Expected to open in 2026 the ground work is well underway and will involve nearly 2 miles worth or new track and s&c in area. Will be a big project, trust me ive seen the plans!

[@philwignall6714]

A very sad day 😞 I went round the diesel depot many a time as a teenager and in my 20’s. Never got in the HST depot. How many roads were there in total, and how many buildings?

[@jackrummell784]

older to newer 😢🥺

[@matthewpayne42]

No such thing as a job for life these days.

[@manga12]

no there are not too many places, unless you work for yourself and then its a huge gamble on the hook for everything, especially if you get hurt, the taxs and regulations, and paperwork, but some people love the challange though, too many chase the operation ratio, and the quick quarterly doller instead of holding on and investing a little at a time to keep critical places running, it might cost money but as we learned in accounting sometimes it costs you more to let it go, give it up, or cede the market to a rival or outsource, and trains are not like cars or busses the skills to work on them take time to learn the ins and outs and hacks, and those skills dont grow on trees, nor are many of the young willing to do the hard dirty skilled work anymore, at least in the americas, though I know many that still will so all hope is not gone, especially in historical railroading there are still many that are under 30 and willing to do and learn

[@CumbrianTrainspotter]

Such a shame.

[@BRLocosStudios]

Nooooooo

[@clairecalder6530]

Again putting profit before anything else. #ReNationaliseTheRailway

[@sharris9267]

How so?? Old Oak Common sheds (OC,OO,OM etc) have been reconfigured so a new Crossrail depot could be built along with HS2 and it's new station. If you was talking about Stratford (replaced by an International Station which isn't International and a shopping centre) I would of agreed with you.