Bournemouth Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot

Bournemouth Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot is a traction maintenance depot located in Bournemouth, South West England. The depot is situated on a spur off the South Western Main Line and is to the east of Branksome station.[2]

Bournemouth Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot

A Class 458 unit outside the depot in 2016
Location
Location	Branksome, Dorset and Bournemouth, South West England
Coordinates	50°43′33″N 1°54′31″W
OS grid	SZ065918
Characteristics
Operator(s)	South Western Railway
Depot code(s)	BM (1973 -)[1]
Type	EMU
Routes served	South Western Main Line
History
Opened	1967 (1967)
BR region	Southern Region
Former depot code(s)	70F (1967 - May 1973)
Former rolling stock	Class 432 (ex 430/4-REP) Class 438 (ex 491/4-TC) Class 442

The depot code is BM.

History

The site was originally the carriage sidings on the north side of the line between Bournemouth West Junction (the southern leg of the Branksome triange) and Bournemouth West. The carriage sidings has 11 roads before World War II (no. 1 road being closest to the main line); six more (12–16) were added during the war, with no. 17 road added in 1956. The Southern Railway had provided a four-road carriage shed that straddled roads 7 to 10.[3]

As part of the 1966–67 electrification scheme, Bournemouth West was closed, the line between Bournemouth West Junction and Gas Works Junction (the eastern leg of the Branksome triange) was closed and lifted, and the carrige sidings converted into a depot for the new electric multiple units.[3]

For the conversion, roads 5 and 6 were lifted, and roads 2 and 3 were truncated. A new four-track inspection shed was erected, this covered the old no. 1 road, the two old main lines and a new road laid to the south of the old main lines. The carriage washing plant that had been installed in 1956 was retained, along with a long headshunt to the west for access.[3] Bournemouth West Junction Signal Box was retained, but downgraded to the status of a groundframe.

The inspection shed was modified with a two-track extension in 1986, to accommodate the upcoming Class 442 units.[4]

Allocation

The original allocation was the entire fleet of 4-REP (Class 430, later Class 432) and 4-TC (Class 491, later Class 438) units. The spare 4-TC driving trailer could often be seen out in the open from the A338 Wessex Way.

In 1987, the depot had an allocation of Classes 423, 432, and 438 EMUs.[5] Around the same time, locomotive classes stabled there included Classes 09, 33, 47 and 73.[2]

As of 2016, the depot's allocation consists of South Western Railway's Class 159 Express Sprinters,[6] Class 450 Desiros and Class 455, 456 and 458 EMUs, and soon 442 EMUs.

References

1. "The all-time guide to UK Shed and Depot Codes" (PDF). TheRailwayCentre.com. 5 May 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
2. Webster, Greengrass & Greaves 1987, p. 13
3. Pryer & Paul, pp. S1/24, S1/25.
4. Smith & Stuart 2010, p. 16
5. Marsden 1987, p. 20
6. "Realtime Trains 8th November 2016 Salisbury T&RSMD to Bournemouth T&RSMD". Realtime Trains. Retrieved 8 November 2016.

Sources

• Marsden, Colin J. (1987). BR Depots. Motive power recognition. 6. Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 9780711017191. OCLC 18685680.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Pryer, G.A.; Paul, A.V. Track Layout diagrams of the Southern Railway and B.R. S.R., Section S1: Bournemouth and East Dorset.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Smith, Paul; Stuart, Philip (2010). Railway Depots. Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 9780711034822. OCLC 528397749.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Webster, Neil; Greengrass, Robert; Greaves, Simon (1987). British Rail Depot Directory. Metro Enterprises Ltd. ISBN 9780947773076. OCLC 20420397.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)