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View Full Version : Leeds Railway Roundhose - Heritage Day 2010



KingElvis
18-09-2010, 04:18 PM
Seeing this open on Heritage Day I thought I would have a look see. Not a hugely popular place to visit becuase most people prefer the town hall or other grand places but this is a building I've always admired :thumb

Completed in 1847, The Roundhouse was designed by Thomas Granger and housed twenty locos which came in on a single track. The building materials and the bricks came from Bramley Falls Quarries, long since gone. In 1873 a twin roundhouse was built with a glass roof, this was demolished in 1967 but it must've been something with twenty engines all under a transparent roof.....dreamy.

By 1889 The Roundhouse was too small for the more larger more modern engines and it was closed. It was then used by Leeds Motor Company until 1908 and then as a drill hall for the Leeds Rifles until 1916, it was then home to Marshalls Engineers. It currently houses Leeds Commercials which moved in in 1970 after Thomas Marshall Engineers moved out.

I must say I like this building, still used for transport and they repair and service some pretty large trucks in here. They are relaxed about letting you look round and all in all it's a great addition to Heritage Day :thumb


The outside

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4442640x480.jpg

Entrance as used by the locos, still has the track in the ground.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4434640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4438640x480.jpg

Love the curved shape of this building

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4435640x480.jpg

Transit heaven.....

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4436640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4439640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/Leeds/Leeds%20Roundhouse/DSCF4441640x480.jpg

Not much but I hope you enjoy.

ERNIE99_UK
18-09-2010, 05:28 PM
thats pretty good, the functionality of its design is nice

boxfrenzy
18-09-2010, 07:21 PM
That's good actually. Nice to see inside as well. Good that there is new stuff to see on the heritage open weekend :thumb

Rochester
18-09-2010, 08:23 PM
Great piece of history there mate, would have loved to see all the old engines in situ..

KingElvis
18-09-2010, 08:26 PM
Great piece of history there mate, would have loved to see all the old engines in situ..

Hardly anyone visited it mate, which was a shame as they guy there was passionate about the place and had gathered loads of info and photos.

It would make a super house LOL

S8
19-09-2010, 07:43 PM
I think there is one of these down in Swindon as well, bugger knows what it is used for! Looks great though, apparently there are a few in Germany just sitting derelict, yum

SilentHill
20-09-2010, 11:37 AM
What a cool building. It's a shame the one with the glass roof was demolished though. That would have been nice to see.

Great to see the original track in situ too. A rare piece of history indeed.

I like this a lot :thumb

converse1
21-09-2010, 11:32 AM
Hat's off for doing something different mate. always wondered what it was like in there. :thumb