Ipswich engine shed was an engine shed located in Ipswich in Suffolk in the UK on the Great Eastern Main Line located just south of Stoke tunnel and the current Ipswich railway station. Locomotives accessed the site from Halifax Junction which was also the junction for the Griffin Wharf branch of Ipswich docks. The depot opened in 1846 and closed in 1968 although the site remained in railway use for a further thirty years. In British Rail days it was allocated the code 32B.
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Locomotive activity started on the depot site with the opening of the original Ipswich station at Croft Street and Station St in 1846 by the Eastern Union Railway and was briefly at the end of line prior to the opening of Stoke tunnel later in the same year. In 1854 the EUR was taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway and in 1860 the new Ipswich railway station opened.[1] and which time a carriage and wagon works was established on the site of the old station.
The Great Eastern Railway was formed in 1862 by the amalgamation of several East Anglian Railways.
At the end of 1922 the shed at Ipswich had an allocation of 131 locomotives being the third biggest shed on the Great Eastern behind Stratford (555) and Cambridge (178) sheds. The allocation consisted of:[2]
| Class (LNER classification) | Wheel Arrangement | Number allocated |
|---|---|---|
| B12 | 4-6-0 | 22 |
| D13 | 4-4-0 | 5 |
| D14 | 4-4-0 | 3 |
| D15 | 4-4-0 | 16 |
| E4 | 2-4-0 | 14 |
| F3 | 2-4-2T | 9 |
| F4 | 2-4-2T | 1 |
| F5 | 2-4-2T | 2 |
| J14 | 0-6-0 | 1 |
| J15 | 0-6-0 | 32 |
| J65 | 0-6-0T | 5 |
| J66 | 0-6-0T | 7 |
| J67 | 0-6-0T | 4 |
| J69 | 0-6-0T | 3 |
| J70 | 0-6-0T Tram | 7 |
The London and North Eastern Railway came into existence in 1923.
Whilst Great Eastern types provided the majority of the types allocated to Ipswich shed, newer LNE types and engines from other LNER constituent companies were allocated.
In the early years of British Rail Ipswich shed was host to visiting Southern Railway Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 locomotives before the introduction of the Britannia class in the early 1950s.
The shed was completely rebuilt in 1954 into a concrete 6 track straight through road shed. In 1955 the locomotive allocation totalling 79 locomotives was as follows:[6]
| Class | Wheel Arrangement | Number Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 4-6-0 | 11 |
| B12 | 4-6-0 | 8 |
| B17 | 4-6-0 | 10 |
| D15 | 4-4-0 | 2 |
| F3 | 2-4-2T | 1 |
| F6 | 2-4-2T | 3 |
| J15 | 0-6-0 | 10 |
| J17 | 0-6-0 | 2 |
| J39 | 0-6-0 | 16 |
| J65 | 0-6-0T | 1 |
| J66 | 0-6-0T | 3 |
| J67/J69 | 0-6-0T | 3 |
| L1 | 2-6-4T | 7 |
| N7 | 0-6-2T | 2 |
| 2MT | 2-6-2T | 1 |
The 0-6-0T engines were generally used for shunting and local trip work. J15, J39 and J17 were freight locomotives. All other locomotives were primarily passenger but it was not unknown for some of them to work freight trains as well. The Ivatt designed 2MT 2-6-2T no 41200 was allocated to the shed for tests on local branches including the Aldeburgh Branch Line. Later that year the first Diesel Multiple Units worked in the area and no other members of this class were allocated.
In 1958 Ipswich received its first allocation of mainline diesels.
5 March 1960 - last steam working from Ipswich shed headed by J15 0-6-0 no 65389 which worked the last freight train to Snape.[7]
However a pair of B1 4-6-0s (61057 numbered departmental 17 and 61252 numbered 22) were retained as a carriage heating units. No 17 operated between 1965 and succeeding No 22 which had undertaken the role since December 1963.[8][9]
In November 1963 Class 15 no 8221 crashed through the buffer stops and into Croft Street.[10]
The following diesel classes were allocated to Ipswich engine shed.
In 1963 the diesel allocation at Ipswich consisted of 55 locomotives which broke down thus:[11]
| BR Class | Wheel arrangement | Number allocated |
|---|---|---|
| 03 | 0-6-0 Diesel Mechanical | 4 |
| 04 | 0-6-0 Diesel Mechanical | 1 |
| 05 | 0-6-0 Diesel Mechanical | 4 |
| DY1/1 | 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical | 3 |
| 15 | Bo-Bo Diesel Electric | 9 |
| 24 | Bo-Bo Diesel Electric | 12 |
| 31 | AIA-AIA Diesel Electric | 22 |
The class 03,04,05 and DY1/1 locomotives were all shunting engines. The class 15 engines were generally employed on local freight workings whilst class 24 and class 31s were employed on mixed traffic (i.e. both freight and passenger workings).
The depot was closed on 1968 with fuelling facilities for locomotives being provided at Ipswich railway station. Maintenance of the remaining shunter fleet was undertaken at Colchester.
A number of withdrawn British Rail Class 15 locomotives were stored on site during the 1970s.[12]
During the early 1980s the site was used as the electrification depot for the extension of the overhead wiring from Colchester to Harwich. Ipswich (May 1985) and Norwich.
The site was used for the celebration of 150 years of the Eastern Union Railway in 1996.
After closure of the depot the Carriage and Wagon Works continued for many years closing in 2001? (check). Class 37 locomotive 37379 was named 'Ipswich WRD, Quality Approved' in recognition of the work the depot undertook.
The site today is occupied by a new housing estate.
During BR days Ipswich shed was in the Norwich division and was allocated the code 32B. It had a number of sub-sheds including Felixstowe, Framlingham, Aldeburgh and Laxfield.
After signing on and before signing off engine crew would often have to walk to or from Ipswich station before commencing duty or finishing their duties. This must have meant some shifts must have not been very productive in terms of time worked.
In common with most steam engine sheds the maintnenance and running of a large fleet of locomotives was a busy task. It is estimated that the number of drivers and firemen at the depot was in the region of 260. These were supported by 118 administrative and technical staff at the site.[13]
Details and stories of Ipswich enginemen can be found in the 1998 book "Ipswich Engines and Ipswich Men" published by the local Over Stoke History Group.
The following routes were worked by Ipswich men. These may have varied from year to year and are not specific to any one era.
A shunt turn is where a shunting locomotive is allocated to shunting a yard or set of sidings. Some shunt turns required 'trip' working between yards or sidings.
Ipswich men John Barnard (driver) and William Macdonald (fireman) were killed in the 'Westerfield Junction boiler explosion' on 25 September 1900. Further information on that accident can be found on the Westerfield railway station page.
John Barnard's son William Barnard (driver) and Stanley Keeble (fireman) were killed in a collision at Colchester in 1913.[14]
The Ipswich based driver of B1 4-6-0 61057 locomotive was involved in a rear end collision in foggy conditions in Witham on 7 March 1950. The driver was seriously injured and the fireman W 'spot' Haggar was killed.[15]
Class 15 locomotive 8221 overran the buffer stops and ended up in Croft Street in 1963. It was rescued by one of Ipswich's B1 departmental steam locomotives no 22.[16]