Eastleigh Works

Eastleigh marshalling yard in 1984 with Eastleigh station to the right and Eastleigh Works in the background

Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England.

## History

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Eastleigh Works Management Building

### LSWR

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The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened a carriage and wagon works at Eastleigh in 1891. In 1903, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Dugald Drummond, oversaw the construction of a large motive power depot in the town; replacing the existing maintenance and repair shops at Northam, Southampton.[1] In January 1910, locomotive building was likewise transferred to the new workshops at Eastleigh from Nine Elms in London.

The first locomotives built at Eastleigh were the two S14 0-4-0T delivered in September 1910, and these were followed by Eastleigh's first tender locomotives, the five P14 4-6-0, delivered between October 1910 and February 1911.[2]

Among the other locomotives produced by the LSWR under Drummond at Eastleigh, were the M7 0-4-4 tank engines, the T14 4-6-0, and D15 4-4-0, classes. Following the appointment of Robert Urie as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1912, the works were responsible for the construction of the H15, S15, and N15 (King Arthur) 4-6-0 classes, and the G16 4-8-0, and H16 4-6-0 tank engines.

### Southern Railway

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The old canteen shown from inside the works November 2014

Following the merger of the LSWR and other railways in southern England to form the Southern Railway, as part of the Railways Act grouping of 1923, Eastleigh was to become the principal works for the new railway. The new Chief Mechanical Engineer, Richard Maunsell re-organised the works and directed the design and construction of various new classes.

Like most of the railway works, Eastleigh was heavily involved in the war effort, producing, in 1938, sets of parts to convert Blenheim bombers so that they could be used as fighters. The works was also part of a joint venture with other workshops, railway and private, to produce Horsa gliders for the D-Day airborne assault. With Lancing works, it turned out 200 tail units. It also produced 1,500 anti-tank gun barrels and, with Brighton railway works, 240 multiple rocket launchers, plus landing craft, fuel tenders and harbour launches.

Under the Southern Railway, the works were responsible for building the Maunsell SR Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0, the Schools 4-4-0, U1 2-6-0, W class 2-6-4 tanks, and Q class 0-6-0 locomotives. Under the regime of Oliver Bulleid, after 1937, Eastleigh works constructed all thirty of the SR Merchant Navy Class and six of the West Country 4-6-2. During the Second World War, Eastleigh works built 23 examples of the London Midland and Scottish Railway designed 8F 2-8-0s. By the end of 1947, the works had built 304 locomotives with a further 16 before steam locomotive building ceased in 1950.[3]

In 1945, the carriage works began constructing all-steel carriages, both electric and steam hauled. It pioneered the use of plastics and glass fibre reinforced resin for doors, seating and roof sections.

B4 0-4-0T 30102 at Eastleigh 1964

### British Rail

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In 1950, following the nationalisation of the Southern Railway to form the Southern Region of British Railways new steam locomotive building ceased at Eastleigh. However the works were kept fully occupied between 1956 and 1961 in rebuilding over 90 of the Bulleid 4-6-2 classes. Thereafter the works gradually changed over to steam and diesel repairs.

In 1962, the works was again reorganised with the carriage works site being sold, and carriage and electric multiple unit repairs transferred to the main locomotive works. In 1962, Eastleigh Works built the first six electro-diesel locomotives of British Rail Class 73 but the remainder of the class were built at the Vulcan Foundry.

List of locomotives built at Eastleigh[4] Order number | Class | Wheel arrangement | Quantity | Numbers | Years | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

P14 | LSWR P14 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 448–452 | 1910–11 | [5]
S14 | LSWR S14 class | 0-4-0T | 2 | 101, 147 | 1910 | [6]
T14 | LSWR T14 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 443–447 | 1911 | [7]
X14 | LSWR X14 class | 0-4-4T | 5 | 125–9 | 1911 | [8]
A15 | LSWR X14 class | 0-4-4T | 5 | 131, 328, 479–481 | 1911 | [8]
B15 | LSWR T14 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 458–462 | 1911–12 | [7]
D15 | LSWR D15 class | 4-4-0 | 5 | 463–7 | 1912 | [9]
G15 | LSWR D15 class | 4-4-0 | 5 | 468–72 | 1912 | [9]
H15 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 486/7, 482/3/8 | 1914 | [10]
K15 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 484/9/91, 485/90 | 1914 | [10]
M15 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 1 | 335 | 1914 | Renewal of E14 class[10]
N15 | LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 736–740 | 1918–19 | [11]
P15 | LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 741–5 | 1919 | [11]
S15 | LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 497–501 | 1920 | [12]
A16 | LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 502–6 | 1920 | [12]
C16 | LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 507–511 | 1920–21 | [12]
E16 | LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 512–5, 496 | 1921 | [12]
G16 | LSWR G16 class | 4-8-0T | 4 | 492–5 | 1921 | [13]
H16 | LSWR H16 class | 4-6-2T | 5 | 516–520 | 1921–22 | [14]
L16 | LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 746–750 | 1922 | [11]
N16 | LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 751–5 | 1922–23 | [11]
R16 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 473–7 | 1924 | [10]
T16 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 478, 521–4 | 1924 | [10]
A17 | LSWR H15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 330–4 | 1924–25 | Renewals of F13 class[10]
| LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 10 | 448–457 | 1925 | Renewals of P14 and G14 classes[15]
| LSWR N15 class | 4-6-0 | 14 | 793–806 | 1926–27 | [16]
| SR Lord Nelson class | 4-6-0 | 1 | 850 | 1926 | [17]
| LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 10 | 823–832 | 1927 | [18]
| LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 833–7 | 1927–28 | [18]
| SR Lord Nelson class | 4-6-0 | 10 | 851–860 | 1928–29 | [17]
| SR Lord Nelson class | 4-6-0 | 5 | 861–5 | 1929 | [17]
| SR V class | 4-4-0 | 10 | 900–9 | 1930 | [19]
| SR U1 class | 2-6-0 | 10 | A891–A900 | 1931 | [20]
| SR U1 class | 2-6-0 | 10 | 1901–10 | 1931 | [20]
| SR W class | 2-6-4T | 5 | 1911–5 | 1932 | [21]
| SR V class | 4-4-0 | 20 | 910–929 | 1932–34 | [19]
| SR V class | 4-4-0 | 10 | 930–9 | 1934–35 | [19]
| LSWR S15 class | 4-6-0 | 10 | 838–847 | 1936 | [18]
| SR Q class | 0-6-0 | 20 | 530–549 | 1938–39 | [22]
| SR Merchant Navy class | 4-6-2 | 10 | 21C1–21C10 | 1941–42 | [23]
| LMS Stanier Class 8F | 2-8-0 | 10 | 8600–9 (LMS) | 1943 | Ordered by Railway Executive Committee for the LMS[24]
| LMS Stanier Class 8F | 2-8-0 | 13 | 8650–62 (LMS) | 1943–44 | Ordered by Railway Executive Committee for the LMS[24]
| SR Merchant Navy class | 4-6-2 | 10 | 21C11–21C20 | 1944–45 | [23]
| SR Merchant Navy class | 4-6-2 | 10 | 35021–30 | 1948–49 | [23]
| SR West Country class | 4-6-2 | 6 | 34095/7/9/101/2/4 | 1949–50 | Order transferred from Brighton Works,
which built the other 14 in the series 34091–110.[25]
| British Rail Class 73 | Bo-Bo | 6 | E6001–6 | 1962 | Electro-diesel locomotives[26]

### Post privatisation

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As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the plant was acquired from British Rail Engineering Limited through a management buyout in June 1995 and rebranded Wessex Traincare.[27] In 1998 it was sold to Alstom and renamed Alstom Wessex Traincare.[28][29] The site was used for carriage and multiple unit repairs. In 2004, Alstom announced the works were to close due to lack of work, which took effect in March 2006 after the completion of a contract to refurbish Class 455s for Southern.[30][31][32]

The 42-acre (17 ha) site has been managed since 2002 by St. Modwen Properties;[33] with the site being lease to several sub tenants including Knights Rail Services and Arlington Fleet Services. As of 2010[update], the site's facilities include overhead cranes, third rail electricity supply, paint facility, and refuelling facility. Additionally Siemens undertook maintenance of its South West Trains Class 444 and Class 450s on site, and Network Rail MPVs were stored on site.[34][35]

In January 2018 KPI Property Investments who are jointly owned by St Modwen Properties and Salhia Real Estate sold the works to the corporate pension fund clients of Savills in a £20 million deal.[36]

#### Knights Rail Services

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Eastleigh railway works in 2010

In 2007 Knights Rail Services (KRS) began operations on site, using it to store off lease rolling stock, as well as undertake repairs and refurbishments.[37] It removed asbestos from withdrawn London Underground A60, A62 and 1967 stock.[38] In January 2012, KRS signed an extended lease on the site to 2016.[39] In September 2012, KRS was purchased by co-tenant Arlington Rail Services.[40][41]

#### Arlington Fleet Group

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Arlington Fleet Group is based at the site with and is composed of Arlington Rail Services providing storage facilities, Arlington Fleet Services providing repair and maintenance of railway rolling stock and Arlington Fleet Workshops providing paint shop facilities. It started in 2004 when Arlington Fleet Services Ltd was established by a group of railway engineering professionals[42] to perform rail vehicle maintenance including heavy repair.[43] In September 2012 Arlington took control of the work and various activities from KRS, becoming the dominant site tenant.[42][40][41] By 2014 the works was again nearly fully occupied and Arlington extended its lease of the works until 2019.[44]

## Locomotive Depot

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Eastleigh Locomotive Depot showing ex-Plymouth, Devonport & SW Junction 0-6-0T No. 756 'A.S. Harris' and C14 class 0-4-0T No. 3744 11 July 1946.

Adjacent to the locomotive works was a very large 15-road engine shed which was opened in 1903 and closed in 1967.[45] This depot was one of the largest on the SR: in 1946 its allocation was 131 engines of extraordinary variety in age and origin:- 17 4-6-0, 31 4-4-0, 7 2-6-0, 19 0-6-0, 15 0-4-2, 1 0-8-0T, 13 0-6-0T, 23 0-4-4T and 5 0-4-0T. Although closed as a TMD, the site was used for scrapping engines as late as 2003.

## References

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1. ^ "On shed". Rail Express. No. 259\. December 2017. p. 22.
2. ^ Burtt, F. (March 1949). Morris, O.J. (ed.). LSWR Locomotives: A Survey 1873-1922. London: Ian Allan. pp. 71, 73, 78–79\. 21/230/50/349.
3. ^ Larkin (2008), p. 19
4. ^ Bradley, D.L. (1965). Locomotives of the L.S.W.R.: Part 1. Kenilworth: RCTS. pp. 140–1\. ISBN 0-901115-08-8.
5. ^ Bradley, D.L. (1967). Locomotives of the L.S.W.R.: Part 2. Kenilworth: RCTS. p. 162\. ISBN 0-901115-07-X.
6. ^ Bradley (1967), p. 127
7. ^ a b Bradley (1967), p. 166
8. ^ a b Bradley (1967), p. 115
9. ^ a b Bradley (1967), p. 154
10. ^ a b c d e f Bradley (1967), p. 175
11. ^ a b c d Bradley (1967), p. 186
12. ^ a b c d Bradley (1967), p. 189
13. ^ Bradley (1967), p. 191
14. ^ Bradley (1967), p. 193
15. ^ Bradley (1967), p. 202
16. ^ Bradley (1967), p. 203
17. ^ a b c Bradley, D.L. (October 1975). Locomotives of the Southern Railway, part 1. London: RCTS. p. 24\. ISBN 0-901115-30-4. OCLC 499812283.
18. ^ a b c Bradley (1967), p. 206
19. ^ a b c Bradley (1975), pp. 41–42
20. ^ a b Bradley, D.L. (April 1980) [1961]. The Locomotive History of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (2nd ed.). London: RCTS. p. 121\. ISBN 0-901115-49-5. OCLC 60250456.
21. ^ Bradley (1980), p. 130
22. ^ Bradley (1975), p. 58
23. ^ a b c Bradley, D.L. (September 1976). Locomotives of the Southern Railway, part 2. London: RCTS. p. 53\. ISBN 0-901115-31-2. OCLC 653065063.
24. ^ a b Hunt, David; Jennison, John; James, Fred; Essery, R.J. (2005). LMS Locomotive Profiles, no. 8 - The Class 8F 2-8-0s. Didcot: Wild Swan. p. 21\. ISBN 1-905184-08-5.
25. ^ Bradley (1976), p. 107
26. ^ Marsden, Colin J. (November 1984). BR Locomotive Numbering. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 282\. ISBN 0-7110-1445-0. EX/1184.
27. ^ "Nothing sinister with Works purchase". Rail Magazine. No. 273\. 28 February 1996. p. 14.
28. ^ "Eastleigh Works to close". The Railway Magazine. No. 1246\. February 2005. p. 5.
29. ^ "British Rail Workshops". railwaybritain.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
30. ^ Michael Harrison (18 December 2004). "Alstom closes train renovation facility". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012.
31. ^ "EASTLEIGH WORKS HISTORY". rail-services.net. Knights Rail Services. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013.
32. ^ "Goodbye Eastleigh Works as last unit leaves". Rail Express. No. 120\. May 2006. p. 44.
33. ^ "Eastleigh, Campbell Rd". stmodwen.co.uk. St. Modwen Properties Plc. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
34. ^ "Company History". rail-services.net. Knights Rail Services. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
35. ^ "Siemens to overhaul SWT EMUs at Eastleigh Works". The Railway Magazine. No. 1305\. January 2010. p. 76.
36. ^ Slominski, Stephen (10 January 2018). "Railway Works changes hands in £20 million deal". Eastleigh News. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
37. ^ "Eastleigh Works lease signed for five more years". Rail Express. No. 147\. August 2008. p. 4.
38. ^ "Thriving…Five Years After Closure". The Railway Magazine. No. 1326\. October 2011. pp. 40–43.
39. ^ "£3 million investment in Eastleigh Works" (PDF). Railway Herald. No. 299\. 23 January 2012. p. 3.
40. ^ a b "Arlington takes control of Eastleigh Works". Rail Express. No. 198\. November 2012. p. 11.
41. ^ a b "Arlington buys Knight Rail Services". The Railway Magazine. No. 1339\. November 2012. p. 7.
42. ^ a b "ROUND AND ABOUT - Eastleigh Works". SOUTHERN COUNTIES RAILWAY SOCIETY. November 2012. No 767 Nov 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
43. ^ "Arlington Fleet". arlington-fleet.com. Arlington Fleet Ltd. "([home page]) : Arlington also makes use of rail connected depots and facilities around the country and has exclusive access to some logistically favourable sites. Examples include Eastleigh Works and Barrow Hill , ([paint shop]) : Arlington has designed and built a new paint shop at Eastleigh Works."
44. ^ Knox, Patrick (16 April 2014). "Seven years after closure Eastleigh Railway Works has a comeback". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
45. ^ Hawkins (1979), pp. 28–9.

### Literature

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* Aves, W.A.T., (2004) 'The locomotives built at the Southern Railway Works, 1- Eastleigh', Locomotives Illustrated, 255.
* Boocock, Colin and Stanton, Peter (2006) An illustrated history of Eastleigh Locomotive Works, Hersham: Oxford Publishing Co.
* Eagles, Barry J. (2002) Eastleigh: steam centre of the South Western, Settle: Waterfront
* Hawkins, Chris and Reeve, George (1979) An historical survey of Southern sheds, Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co.
* Larkin, E.J. and Larkin, J.G. (1988) The Railway Workshops of Great Britain 1823–1986, Macmillan Press
* Simmons, J., (1986) The Railway in Town and Country, Newton Abbot: David and Charles
* Winkworth, Bob (2007) Eastleigh: the railway, the town, the people, Southampton: Noodle Books

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eastleigh Works.

* Knights Rail Services Official Website (archived at Wayback Machine)
* Arlington Fleet Group Official Website

50°57′40″N 1°20′51″W﻿ / ﻿50.96124°N 1.34742°W﻿ / 50.96124; -1.34742
*[T]: Side tank