TOTON Depot 1990. British Rail.

A visit to Toton TMD. The depot was full of class 20s as well as the newer class 58s, with the very distinct sounds of the English Electric engines echoing in the air. The depot was also full of mixed stock including class 37s, class 56s and shunting engines.
Toton Traction Maintenance Depot or Toton Sidings is one of the largest rail depots in the United Kingdom. Toton TMD is bordered by Long Eaton and Sandiacre in Derbyshire and Toton in Nottinghamshire. The official depot code for Toton TMD is TO, previously shed code 18A.
The history of the development of Toton is highly associated with the history, development and decline of the coal industry in England. The Midland Railway had developed the Midland Main Line from the 1860s, and had a developing revenue from coal traffic from both the Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire coalfields to the power stations of the industrialised West Midlands. This traffic was added to by the fact that most towns also had their own gasworks, with coal delivered by rail to their own private sidings, and the rapidly developing domestic use of coal for heating and cooking.
With need to marshall coal traffic, a location close to the strategically located Trent Junction became obvious, and hence the development of Toton as a railway yard from the late 19th century.[3] The yards eventually spanned: the Old/New Banks; North Yard and Meadow; East & West Yard; Sandiacre Ballast Sidings. Coal traffic reached its peak through the yards post World War II in the 1950s, with over 1million wagons per year passing through what was then the largest marshalling yard in Europe, and the third largest in the world. Local traffic included coal and iron ore and steel from the nearby Stanton Ironworks. With the coming of the Beeching Axe, British Railways shelved all proposed development of any other marshalling yards, thereby increasing traffic through the yards further. This was the peak of Toton traffic. However, by the 1970s the yard was in decline. With the introduction of Merry-go-round trains direct from colliery to power station, and the decline in the use of domestic coal in favour of North Sea gas, rail traffic through the yards was diminishing quickly. The Down Side ceased hump shunting in 1978, followed by the Up Side in 1984. Many of the yards were lifted during the 1970s and 1980s, and in the late 1980s the yards were rationalised to the basic shape seen today. This was the era when Toton TMD was the home of Class 20, Class 56 and Class 58.

[@kenstevens5065]

I visited on an open day in the early 1990's and I was really impressed. As a motor mechanic by trade the size of those engine components, huge pistons, bearings etc etc. If you look at the scale of Toton today it makes you realise how much of our coal industry produced rail traffic for the power stations back then. I will always say that the UK wind turbine rush was stupid, thank you Mr Ed Milliband who was energy secretary for a time. We should have kept coal power stations using carbon capture as part of a healthy electricity generation mix. You are also keeping plenty of well paid secure jobs, something our Prime Minister Johnson want to encourage now in 2021! We have our own coal supplies and vast spaces under the North Sea where we have extracted gas and oil. We can pump CO2 and thermal emmissions back in there. We nearly lost the electrical grid in 2021 when the wind didn't blow, too much reliance on turbines. No bother use Russia, the Middle East and various other unstable areas of the world for our alternative energy supply needs and drag carbon neutral wood pellets across the oceans of the world. Oh and as a bonus destroy hard working honest working people and their communities at the same time.

[@stokes8626]

The climate change agenda is junk science, they want to de industrialise the west and they've been doing it for decades

[@tonyrobinson362]

The government are on the side of the wokey lot, Its a wonder they haven't tied their selves to the rails yet ?

[@HenrysAdventures]

Interesting footage! The good old days before the Class 66s arrived.

[@tonyrobinson362]

I still have the foldout leaflet given out on Toton diesel shed opening day!

[@nick1071]

A good video thanks. My first visit was on a Sunday in 1975 as a 14 year old - amazed to see well over 100 locos parked up, the majority being class 20's and 45's, but also present 08's, 25's and of course most of the 44's plus a few 47's. During the mid to late 70's, copping a '31 or '37 was quite a thing, more so the odd '24, '40' or 46. I saw a class 27 there on shed once - possibly ex Derby works for tyre turning, similarly saw a class 09 on shed there too.

[@nick1071]

@@soulman3590 Yes it's a shadow of what it once was. Glad I visited often from the mid 70's

[@nick1071]

@@soulman3590 You're right. We were fortunate to enjoy that time - such variety, now it's all sanitised and dull. Can you imagine as a teenager these days how much it'd cost to travel compared to in the 70's - totally out of reach. With my mates we used to get the Midland Rover ticket and use BNS as our base station. We'd buy add on tickets to extend from Banbury to Reading (for the remaining Westerns) also from Gloucester to Bristol and Cardiff. Fantastic adventures that I fondly remember still, whereas today I've no interest in the rail network as is.

[@nick1071]

@@soulman3590 Similar to me - a few years back on Peterborough station I chatted to a young spotter and recounted the days I used to watch the Deltics there. Used to sneak into all the depots whereas today everything is fenced off. I was at Torquay last month, drove down as the rail fare from here was £100 or so ! My last 50 was 039 ! Managed to cop 14 Westerns in their final year. I've a few rail videos saved as KZbin favourites you might enjoy, I'll figure out how to share with you. Can't beat nostalgia.

[@jongorman2234]

Thank you for sharing. Brings back many happy memories when I visited Toton! I applied for permits to visit the depot in 1982! All blue livery then and a good helping of Peaks too.

[@loveeuropehatetheeu5271]

In 1982 I wandered around at will, just didn't venture inside. When the hideous railfreight livery appeared and the Peaks began to be replaced by 58s my interest nosedived.

[@norman18grp]

A quick Google, The wrecked 20134 Was involved in a shunting accident at Worksop on 18/05/1989 Which led to the death of British Rail guard Keith Emerson.

[@annescholey6546]

I read a sign at Frodingham saying Depot collisions cost lives featuring a battered 47.

[@iainmaturin8460]

The nirvana for spotter back in the 70's

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Thanks for uploading 👍

[@nickmelling4238]

Marvelous, yet so whats gone.