Changes

[[File:Kidderminster_Shed.jpg|thumb|300px|Right|Kidderminster shed]]Through services [[Locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service]] on through services were mainly operated from the southern end of the line by locomotives based at [[Worcester]], with its sub-shed [[Hartlebury]], and from the northern end of the line by locomotives from [[Shrewsbury ]] shed. Some local and through services on the Severn Valley and [[Tenbury Branch|Tenbury]] branches were operated by engines stabled at '''Kidderminster shed'''. Locomotives could also be based at other sheds in the area including Stourbridge. In particular the daily Stourbridge – Tenbury Goods would regularly be a Stourbridge (84F) based loco. Kidderminster shed also housed locomotives serving the [[Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway]].

Kidderminster was GWR shed number 125, code KDR, and was part of the Worcester division. The shed was situated on the south side of the line between [[Hoo Road Bridge]] and [[Worcester Road Bridge]] (on the left when travelling from Kidderminster towards Bewdley). It was built in between 1930 and 1932 under the Loans & Guarantees Act (1929) to replace the [[Kidderminster mainline station#Locomotive shed|original smaller single-road GWR shed ]] which was situated adjacent to the main line [[Kidderminster mainline station]].<ref name=Lyons>[[Bibliography#Other References|Lyons (1972)]] p. 180.</ref> The extract from Ordnance Survey Map SO87, surveyed 1938 - 1949, published 1951, shows the later location.

It required some existing properties and land to be acquired in 1930 before work could begin.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, November 1930 and June 1932</ref> The structure which housed the locomotives was steel framed with corrugated sheeting, and was previously the 1921 engine shed from Basseleg, Newport on the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway.<ref name=Lyons/> Dimensions were 200' by 30', and it accommodated 10 locomotives over the two roads.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1933</ref> Along the side of the shed (to the right of the shed in the picture) was a row of brick built offices with a sloping slate roof which served as the Foreman’s office, stores, fitters’ shop, enginemen’s cabin and shed men’s rest room. Two water columns and pits served the two roads into the shed. The picture also shows a small sand furnace building to the right of the water column. The coaling stage was further to the right, out of sight in the picture.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books| Barfield (1994)]] p. 21.</ref>

A snapshot in 1943 shows the following locomotives allocated to Kidderminster (GWR unless stated)<ref>The Tenbury [[Bibliography#Books|Beddoes & Bewdley Railway, Keith Beddoes and William H Smith (1995)]] p. 136.</ref>:*[[Cleobury Mortimer & and Ditton Priors Light Railway ]] CMDP Class 0-6-0PT Nos 28, 29

'Asleft', a fireman at Kidderminster between 1945 and 1949, described Kidderminster as "...''a small but complete engine shed. The men working there were an example in miniature of the range and types of men found at larger depots''". In addition to the drivers and firemen based there, there was a small workshop with a small fitting staff responsible for simple repairs such as adjusting brakes and repairing blown joints, although larger repairs such as the removal of pistons and valves were carried out elsewhere. One man was normally responsible for boiler washouts and working on the coal stage<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|'Asleft' (1978)]], pp. 42--43.</ref>. There were around 69 men based at the shed, comprising the Shed Foreman, approximately 25 sets of Footplate Men (drivers and firemen), 4 Fitters, 8 Cleaners, a Boiler Man, 4 Shed Men and a Clerk<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Turley (2005)]] p. 17.</ref>.

During the 1950s , with new DMUs introduced the shed lost top link passenger work to Tyseley and Stourbridge sheds, and all passenger work between Kidderminster and Birmingham Snow Hill.<ref>Fursdon, Peter, 'My Railway Journey', SVR News 215, Autumn 2021, p. 56</ref> The area covered by Kidderminster based locomotives included passenger/goods services on the Severn Valley Branch between Shrewsbury and Hartlebury, in some cases continuing south to Worcester and thence to Ledbury. Services on the Tenbury Branch to Woofferton also continued south to Leominster. Services north from Kidderminster worked via Stourbridge as far as Wolverhampton and also via Stourbridge to Birmingham and thence to Leamington Spa.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Barfield (1994)]] p. 20.</ref>

Kidderminster shed closed on 10 August 1964, with the last 8 engines being transferred to nearby Stourbridge shed (84F) 2 days earlier. The last 8 engines at Kidderminster were:

*1927 OS map showing the fence line extended and a single siding in the area where the shed was to be built.*1938 OS map showing the engine shed and a further siding extending in to gravel pits to the south. [[H. Whitehouse's Sand Siding]] is north of the Severn Valley Branch.

File:GWRplanKidderminsterEngineShed.jpg| GWR planFile:Kidderminstershed1927map.jpg | 1927OS mapFile:Kidderminstershed1938map.jpg | 1938OS map

*[[Hoo Road Bridge]]<br>*[[Shed and Depot Codes]]*[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Map of the Route and Nearby Railways|Map of the Route and Nearby Railways]]