Camden Motive Power Depot was a railway

motive power depot The motive power depot (MPD) or locomotive depot, or traction maintenance depot (TMD), is the place where locomotives are usually housed, repaired and maintained when not being used. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine she ...

, close to

Chalk Farm Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. History Manor of Rugmere Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentioned ...

, Camden in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England from 1837 until 1966, servicing express passenger locomotives using Euston Railway Station. It was closed following the

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

of the

West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...

and largely demolished. However, part of the original facility has been preserved as

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...

centre for the performing arts.

History

The

London and Birmingham Railway The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom, in operation from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR). The railway line which the company opened in 1838, betw ...

opened a locomotive servicing facility at

near to the present site in 1837, which was replaced in 1847 by two further buildings on either side of the

. On the north side was a roundhouse intended for freight locomotives, and on the south side was a larger depot for passenger locomotives using Euston railway station. The roundhouse was closed in 1871 and replaced by the Willesden motive power depot. Its building was converted into a storage warehouse and in time became

centre for the performing arts. The passenger depot was enlarged by the London and North Western Railway in 1920 and then rebuilt by the

London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...

in 1932. The Depot was closed to steam locomotives by British Railways in September 1963 and briefly used as a diesel depot until 1966, when it was demolished and replaced by sidings. Under the LMSR and BR the depot had the shed code 1B.

References

{{coord, 51.54185, N, 0.15277, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Railway depots in London Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Camden