Penzance TMD
Local pilot engine 08410 at the Western end of the depot.
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| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Penzance, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 50°07′40″N 5°30′39″W / 50.1279°N 5.5107°WCoordinates: 50°07′40″N 5°30′39″W / 50.1279°N 5.5107°W |
| OS grid | SW491312 |
| Characteristics | |
| Owner(s) | Great Western Railway |
| Depot code(s) | PZ (1973-present) |
| Type | Diesel, HST, DMU |
| History | |
| Opened | 1914 (Rebuilt) |
| Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | British Railways |
| Former depot code(s) |
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Penzance TMD, also known as Long Rock TMD, is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in the village of Long Rock east of Penzance, Cornwall, England, and is the most westerly and southerly rail depot in the country. The depot operator is Great Western Railway. The depot code is PZ.
The depot is beside the Cornish Main Line, where it runs as a single track on the Southern side and terminates at Penzance railway station, half a mile west of the depot.
The depot is small, with six long sidings to store High Speed Trains and Voyagers, and four smaller sidings. If the longer sidings are all used up, trains are stored at Laira TMD, Plymouth, and then make their way to Penzance railway station in the morning. The depot also has a fuel lane, a single-tracked modern maintenance shed, and a small carriage washer. A few years ago, facilities at Penzance TMD were expanded to cater for the new fleet of Voyagers used by CrossCountry.
The main line and depot lie near the sea, with just Long Rock beach and the embankment that carries the South West Coast Path separating them, which means this depot and the main line sometimes have problems due to the sea.
The fuel storage tanks at the depot are located behind the maintenance shed and are replenished on a daily basis by road deliveries.
A four-road engine shed was built at Long Rock in 1914. As well as the engine shed there was a turntable built to fit all size locomotives which ran on the route. The depot had watering facilities and coal stored for the locomotives, as well as sidings around the depot. The turntable was removed in 1966 and two of the four shed roads were removed in 1968.
From 1958 Long Rock serviced diesel locomotives, which continued after steam traction had ended in 1962. The steam depot was closed in June 1976.
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Wikipedia