Gateshead Locomotive Depot

[TK421]

Morning folks, spurred on by Sandman's excellent explore of one of the only remaining sections of the old Greensfiled loco works site at Gateshead, (link here: http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4031) I thought you might want to see a set of photos over a period of time that I took back in the day, when I knew that majority of the depot was going to be torn down.

Bit of history firstly:

In 1852 the North Eastern Ralway built it's HQ and locomotive works on 'Greensfield' meadows, in what would ultimately become shed 52A, Gateshead locomotive depot, ending it's days in 1991 as Gateshead Traction Maintenance Depot. Famous for building steam locomotives, having an allocation of Gresley A4 Pacifics, and also class 55 Deltic locomotives, Gateshead depot served the East Coast Mainline and local area for 139 years. It was also famous for never keeping it's loco's clean, and being a difficult depot to bunk, I visited once and asked the foreman if I could look around, without lifting his head he uttered the immortal phrase "No F*ck off", fair enough

As you will expect it is now a set of expensive flats under the guise of 'Ochre Yards', whatever that means. My one regret is having never got inside, but like in it's days as a working depot, till the last it remained difficult to get round.

Here is a map of the depot as it was, with the main sections marked accordingly, the shaded area shown as 'Old Rly Works' is the building I believe Sandman explored:



First off, how it looked as an operational depot, with some train porn. This is looking from Chaters Bank across to the offices, with the main shed on the left:



How it looked prior to demolition:



The fuelling shed in operation:



Again, rather forlorn prior to demo:



The approach to the shed:



The offices from the back:



The fuel tanks, which frequently leaked diesel into the Tyne:



The main shed:



The next photo is of the original Gateshead station buildings. When the North Eastern Railway first built the line from London, this was the terminus for Newcastle, because at that time neither the High Level or King Edward bridges had been built, people had to be transported down to the Tyne and across the original bridge!

Apologies for the poor quality, I took these literally a week before the contractors moved in, the weather was foul, and I got disturbed by some angry pikies so never got the opportunity to venture inside:



Some of these buildings are now rather posh flats, which is good that at least some survived:



Finally the demo man commeth:

Track recovery in progress:



Main shed bites the dust:





All gone The sandstone building in the background behind the main shed is the one I presume Sandman's explore came from, a true last survivor of Greensfield works:



Had a wander round the area a month or so ago, and took this last photo of part of the works still remaining, future uncertain:

[doozer]

Thanks for putting the history and older pics up - nice to see it before it bacame poncey flats!

EDIT: Do you know anything about the tunnels?

these ones: