Whilst being privileged to visit Strawberry Hill Depot the other weekend, as part of my role with Kernow Model Rail Centre to get close up and personal with the Southern Electric Traction Group (SETG) heritage 4-Vep EMU 3417 ‘Gordon Pettitt’, I took a chance to explore the heritage of the surroundings…
Strawberry Hill depot, now part of South Western Railway (or back to state operated as the case my be), is I believe the only ex London South Western Railway (LSWR) steam locomotive shed that still in use on the network today. Located within the triangle formed by the Shepperton branch and Kingston Loop, just to the south of Strawberry Hill Station, the current buildings still follow the outline of the LSWR Steam shed, the first part, and the main part in use today, was built in 1897 and has now serviced electric stock for far longer than they ever did steam engines. Originally it followed the standard style of LSWR Engine shed design with glazed gable ends and slate roof, just like others such as Salisbury that I have used as the basis for my Fisherton Sarum layout.
Electrification on the third rail system came early to the LSWR’s London suburban lines, and Strawberry Hill was to evolve into a new role, for a period, the site was used both as an engine shed and electric depot, probably dating back to 1916 on conversion of the Shepperton branch. In July 1923, Strawberry Hill ceased to be a steam shed after being replaced by a then new locomotive depot at Feltham. By the 1980s the glazed gable ends were replaced by corrugated sheeting and the roof replaced in 2003.
It has also been the home of Southern Electric Traction Group (SETG) heritage 4-Vep EMU 3417 ‘Gordon Pettitt’ for almost ten years.
By the late 1930s the Southern Railway’s electrified system had expanded beyond the suburbs sufficiently to consider using electrical traction on more than just multiple units. Accordingly, two experimental Co-Co mixed traffic electric locomotives were designed and constructed by Oliver Bulleid and Alfred Raworth (who was chief electrical engineer for the Southern Railway from 1938 until 1946).To overcome the problem of ‘gapping’ when the gap between conductor rails is longer than the distance between the locomotive’s pickups the traction power from the 3rd rail was used to drive two motor generator sets with heavy ‘concrete’ flywheels.
Thus, power to the traction motors would be maintained by the motor generator sets being driven by the flywheel when the traction supply was briefly lost. These motor-generator-flywheel sets were referred to as “boosters” which also became the nickname for the class (and sometimes “Hornby’s”).
The third locomotive was completed in 1948, and it emerged as 20003. This was different to the previous two and easily recognisable because its cab was slab fronted and did not have a dome above it, again following closely the design of the latest EMUs. The electrical equipment was revised by the then electrical engineer, S.B. Warder, and this resulted in the locomotive being slightly longer and five tons heavier than its predecessors.
The first two of the three locos CC1/2 (2001/2) have now been produced for 00 gauge by KRMC for EFE Rail, more details of which can be read here.
All three ‘Booster’ were withdrawn by 1969, with 20003 having ended up for a brief while at Dursford Road depot in Wimbledon where it was used by the CM&EE Test Section for use as a generator.
This CM&EE Test Section later moved to Strawberry Hill, and during my visit to the depot I was able to see the English Electric 802/3C booster set that was originally one of the two fitted to 20003 having now ceased its role as a generator set! Apparently a number of these booster units from the locos were also used at Strawberry Hill.
The chance to see the one remaining ‘Booster’ set was a real bonus to the already great day to see heritage 4-Vep EMU 3417 ‘Gordon Pettitt’ in the ex LSWR shed setting.
One wonders just how much of a loco needs to have survived in order to ‘rebuild’ a fulling working modern version… although I have a enough on my plate currently as part of the team owning and ‘unrebuilding’ Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific 21c11/35011 General Steam Navigation back to Bulleid’s original condition complete with air smoothed casing and chain driven valve gear!
Another relic of a slightly more modern age, albeit from after 1986, that also survives at the Strawberry Hill deport is the lovely, now slightly faded, Network South East sign at the entrance to the depot! Spotting / finding such NSE signs / motifs that still exist across the network always raises a smile. Being located on the end of a newer administration building that is also within depot inside the triangle of lines it is not often seen by the public.
Strawberry Hill…aah there’s a memory. My mum used to take me for walks in my push chair along the pathway on the eastern side of the tracks there back in the period 1952-55 (before my sister was born that later year). We lived in Teddington then. That is where my passion for trains started and thrives to this day!
Well done, as usual, Graham…
I accept that you are very busy but what about a model of 20003 (and the 4COR that I reminded
you about earlier this year!) That should keep you even busier!
Seriously though, I’m hoping to catch you at an LSWR Circle meeting soon; after a long
illness…
David.