Barrow Hill depot remembered

Barrow Hill depot remembered

Barrow Hill (41E/BH) depot is on a spur from the North side of the Tapton Junction to Beighton Junction line North of Cheterfield. The depot yard is partially visible from the main line.

Barrow Hill depot went into decline with diminishing coal traffic through the eighties finally closing on February 9th 1991 with 20073/20193 the last locos to leave. The Barrow Hill engine shed Action group (later engine shed society) fought to save the depot with its famous roundhouse and were successful with the depot reopening as a preservation centre in July 98.

Today various railway Industry groups are based there including Harry Needle as well as many preservation projects with the DPS being the biggest. Long may 41E/BH thrive!

My first visit to Barrow Hill was on an South Beds Loco Club coach tour of Yorkshire on Saturday 1st September. We quickly did the depot and were back on the coach 15 minutes later but with a haul of 22 locos including 03 2389.

41E-Barrow Hill 010973 Sa

5243,5662,6836,2389,3209,5565,4039,1994,4038,3401,3337,3664,4036,8314,8306,7500, 8025,8309, 6781,8131,1977,8305

My second visit to Barrow Hill as a BR depot was on Saturday August 24th 1974 with 45011 hauling us from Sheffield for a noisy bus to our Barrow Hill working Mans club bailing point. We walked unchallenged into the atmospheric depot well filled with a variety of power with a good few in the roundhouse and on the South facing stabling line outside. As below 21 locos were recorded, a reasonable haul

41E-Barrow Hill 240874 Sa

47305,37121,20025,20065,20119,20033,20201,31252,37139,37121,20213,08267,47281,08331,08141,08871,08870,08509,47312,08868,25247

Prior to and after that visit it was all eyes on the depot’s South sidings as we passed on the “old line” avoiding Sheffield on Merrymakers and Football Specials to glimpse some of those exotic Tinsley 20’s that frequented Barrow Hill.

John Williams did the depot on Saturday September 4th 1976 with him recording 26 locos and a few phots too.

41E – Barrow Hill 040976

03129, 03189, 08141, 08267, 08331, 08509, 08861, 08868, 08870, 08871, 20020, 20056, 20057, 20058, 20091, 20098, 20130, 20204, 20206, 20213, 20228, 37133, 37141, 47281, 47294, 47305

John Williams memorable image of 08868, 03189 and 47294 in Barrow Hill Roundhouse on September 4th 1976

20098 is at the head of a line of 20s, 37 and 47 outside Barrow Hill shed on September 4th 1976

08871 centre stage in the roundhouse on September 4th 1976

Barrow Hill Open Days 031082

Until 1982 Barrow Hill held popular Open days with the last being held in Oct 82.

Thanks to http://www.bropendays.co.uk/barrowhill1982.html for the gen.

03129 Stavely shuttle, 08509, 13001, 20035, 20076, 31171, 37228, 40092, 45126, 47278, 56005, 56098, 56104

Barrow Hill BH 050487 – Thanks to Tony Joyce

08434, 08871, 20002, 20155, 56018, 56091, 58016, 58027, 58035, 58039

Barrow Hill was downgraded to a stabling point in 1988, closure came on February 9th 1991 with 20073/20197, 58016 and 58027 leaving the depot that sad day.

I resisted invitations/tours doing Barrow Hill until 2023, to be honest i wanted to remember the atmospheric depot as i saw and smelt back in August 1974 when me and a mate had the place to ourselves. I feared the depot would become a theme park like 55B’s conversion to the NRM.

The Grid Farewell Railtour, Sat Jan 14th 2023

This tour took in a Barrow Hill depot visit which after initial resistance i bailed at the depot platform to do the depot for the first time since August 74! It was good to see inside the roundhouse once again and it was largely as we visited in Aug 74 with a variety of power round the turntable. Other locos, some not seen for many years were seen in the sidings, to be honest it was good to be back!