Forfar Shed [2nd]

Location type

Loco shed

Name and dates

Forfar Shed [2nd] (1899-1964)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Opened on the Scottish Midland Junction Railway.

Description

This was the second (much larger) shed at Forfar [2nd] built for the Caledonian Railway in 1898-99 coinciding with completion of improvements to the Strathmore main line, rebuilding of bridges resulting in a much higher line speed and opening of final branches. It replaced the much older and smaller Forfar Shed [1st]. The shed was built on a greenfield site to the north of the Forfar [2nd] goods yard, east of the passenger station. The shed was approached from Forfar North Junction to the east. It was a four road building with fitting shop, stores and offices on its south side. At the east end of the building the coal stage was on the north side and turntable line on the south side.

The shed had a series of sub sheds: Alyth Shed (1861-1942), Arbroath Shed (joint with NBR 1897-1959), Brechin Shed [2nd] (1894/5-1952), Edzell Shed (1896-1910), Kirriemuir Shed (1854-~1900) and Montrose Shed [CR] (1849-1939).

The London, Midland and Scottish Railway assigned the code 29D under Perth South Shed.

British Railways assigned the code 63C with a sub shed Brechin Shed [2nd]. In 1958/9 it became a sub shed of Perth South Shed.

The shed lost its allocation of locomotives progressively from the 1950s with the run down of the nearby branch lines. It was used as a locomotive store, using the lines along its south side. It closed in 1964. The railway remained a main line until 1967 after which it was a goods only branch from Stanley Junction to Forfar. In later days the shed doubled as a potato store served by a single track and latterly was trackless. Complete closure of the railway was in 1982.

The shed building, in re-roofed condition and rebuilt, still exists in an industrial estate established on the site of the extensive goods yard.

Tags

Shed

Aliases

Forfar Shed
09/04/2023




Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North of Scotland v. 15 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Tayside's Railways

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Tayside's Last Days of Steam
The Railways of Strathmore (Perth, Forfar and Brechin)