In search of Nine Elms Loco .

[@nigelbevan8449]

I deliver flowers to Covent Garden from Aalsmeer in the Netherlands and the stall I deliver to in the market is a keen rail enthusiast, the same as myself. He still remembers when the locomotive depot used to be at the same site before it was demolished. He told me that trying to get round the sheds to get the loco numbers was like trying to get round Fort Knox, in otherwords, practically impossible... I remember going to Stratford depot in the mid seventies and the staff there practically turned a blind eye to train spotters. As long as you didn't try doing stupid stuff, they didn't mind. I remember walking through a dingy tunnel, which had a disgusting smell to get to the sheds.... Oh happy memories.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@nigelbevan8449 brilliant ! , yup Stratford workers tunnel that stank of urine 🤣great story about nine elms Nigel ! Love that ! Cheers Ta . Richard .

[@nigelbevan8449]

@@Richardsrailway Thank you for your lovely reply..... Unfortunately with Covent Garden Fruit and Flower Market, truck drivers have to pay to get into the market to do their deliveries to the various stalls, but it's a huge site. When you drive out of the market, you can still see the retaining brick wall from the original Nine Elms railway..... So sorry to sound a bit of a railway geek.

[@cyprusman5908]

I remember going through that long creepy tunnel into Stratford MPD during the 1960's as well.

[@nigelbevan8449]

@@cyprusman5908 Even to this day, I can still remember the disgusting aroma from that dark, dank tunnel.

[@cyprusman5908]

@@nigelbevan8449 Us kids travelled on the tube using a 5/- Blue Rover ticket going around the MPD's and mainline stations. Having so much fun ! Willesden and Old Oak common sheds were great !

[@dodgydruid]

I seem to remember shooting for the TV series Professionals did feature some of the derelict loco works that were still standing, I also remember the old National Carriers depot which was still standing in the 80's as I believe the "flyover shed" signal box at Battersea Park had gate control for the entry points at the old National Carrier rail to road depot as a sub panel and drivers would call in to exit or entry the facility which was locally controlled by a small signalbox for the points. It was handy as National Carriers then still part of BR basically took on any unrostered loco at Stewarts Lane so you would often see a mishmash of loco's moving in and out the GUV's and Cartics and the National Carrier luton vans were 24 hour buzzing about to central London and parts of London it covered. Often a special van train would be knocked to go up to Waterloo to deliver Waterloo's red star pickup parcels, it all worked :D

[@Richardsrailway]

@@dodgydruid such a hive of activity always I can imagine. The professionals TV series started in 1977, everything was pretty much leveled by 1968 at Nine Elms , unless it was shot on location at Stewart’s lane down the road ?

[@lescalverley8335]

Brilliant video. I lived just a 100 yards away from the depot until September 1967 and walked through Brooklands passage to get to school. You may have noticed some more ‘recent’ brickwork about half way along which was caused when a loco overshot the turntable and ended up partially in the passage. Also just outside the locomen’s entrance wax a small cafe near to the Brookland Arms pub.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@lescalverley8335 Hi . Great story , yes I’d seen photos of that mishap in question , love your recollection’s , excellent! Cheers Ta , Richard .

[@darleytransportandtravel6353]

Andrew Martin's first Jim Stringer novel, "The Necropolis Railway" is based at Nine Elms shed. It's descriptions are so vivid one can almost smell the oil and smoke!

[@Richardsrailway]

@@darleytransportandtravel6353 sounds like a good read !

[@cyprusman5908]

Us kids during the 1960's always managed to get into the shed under the fence behind the turntable, we got chucked out a few times but went back in again ! Feltham MPD was my local shed where we had many footplate rides on S15's and Q1 Austerity locomotives 'Charlies' ! Happy days when Britain was still Britain !

[@Richardsrailway]

@@cyprusman5908 love that story ! Thank you for sharing . Cheers Ta . Richard .

[@ElzevereBlock]

Lovely piece of history and explained well. Thanks for this. I'm 70 now and the memories of that era are still as clear as day to me and always cheer me up when things are going badly. Videos like this are what KZbin are all about. Cheers.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@ElzevereBlock hi there . You are most welcome! Thank you . Best wishes . Richard.

[@JamesRowe-k4r]

Great video. I worked into & out of Nine Elms as a fireman at Reading & Basingstoke depots.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@JamesRowe-k4r excellent! Thanks James .

[@edwardwest5035]

Jolly good video. When we were boys in the late fifties we would go up by the flats to the side of the shed and climb up on the wall and there was a gap in the fence on the top. We went on day and a grease covered sleeper had been fixed in the gap to stop spotters getting in. Thereafter we would lurk by the main entrance and wait for a loco movement to mask us from the offices and dash in. Some old man always used to try to throw us out of the shed and we would run away still writing down loco numbers. He was never near fast enough to catch us, I bet the old chap hated us. Edward

[@Richardsrailway]

@@edwardwest5035 hello Edward , what a great story ! I love that . It’s stories like these I’m hearing in the comments section that really make the video shine . Richard .

[@22pcirish]

On the main line there is a gap in the retaining wall where the depot access line dropped into the depot.

[@alancharles6789]

In the 60’s me and my pre-secondary school pals from Hatfield could never find it! We had never heard about a locoshed directory, all we knew was “It’s in the middle of a housing estate of blocks of flats!”

[@Richardsrailway]

@@alancharles6789 love that story Alan . But it kept you out of trouble compared to the youth of today . Thanks , Richard .

[@bingbong7316]

The loco disappeared really fast while the goods depot on the north side of the main line lay derelict for many years, pretty big place in itself - it slowly decayed at the same rate as Feltham yard, which also lay untouched for a long time.

[@Richardsrailway]

Absolutely. Feltham was one of the last area’s I worked in before I was forced to take early retirement from the railway . I remember the old marshaling yard land there .

[@Tuck1940]

The 1971 film villain starring Richard Burton has nine elms depot in it at the end.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@Tuck1940 that’s interesting, reel streets confirms this . Possibly the only shots of the land post demolition and pre convent garden market .

[@PeterMason-i1h]

A nice presentation. I enjoy exploring clues that provide evidence of the past. Thank you for sharing.

[@Richardsrailway]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ianstransporthistorystuff8175]

Great video, love stuff like these ,and on my own channel I like finding remains of the past with railway and avation history but amazing to see some stuff from Nine Elms still there.

[@Richardsrailway]

Excellent. Cheers ta . Richard

[@johnmurray8428]

Thank you.

[@AndrewSewell-y7v]

Lovely story

[@chrisstephens6673]

Wasnt a peter sellars film shot in the depot, cant remember the title but it had nine elms in it. Just looked it up The optimists of nine elms, its a long time since i saw it and cant ssy for certain if the yard features but being filmed in 1973 it is possible, there were scenes of a derelict site, perhaps the Reelstreets web site has more details. I only paid interest because the met police had some of the area in the late 60s early 70s for technical and garaging purposes, in the shadow of the nine elms cold store.

[@Richardsrailway]

@@chrisstephens6673 that’s interesting, would not be surprised if that was used as a location . Reels streets is an excellent film location website . All the best , Richard .

[@adrianparker-e9f]

Last time i went round there was about 2010. What was in the place of all those new blocks of flats that have gone up in recent years ?

[@Richardsrailway]

@@adrianparker-e9f Hello Adrian . Without referring to old maps and pictures , I think a lot of it was either industrial or railway related land ? It’s really down to the railway historically that Nine elms became such an essential hub for goods and freight at the time .

[@DanielsPolitics1]

National Library of Scotland has historic maps for many areas, I’ll see if I can work this out from those.