Exmouth Junction was built as a locomotive depot in 1885. The locomotive depot closed in 1967, but carriages and wagons continued to receive repairs there for a few more years.
Shed
There is a six road shed here. Inside is an elevated supervisor’s office had a grand view of the entire shed.
In it’s later years it was split into two – carriages and wagons maintained in one half, and track machines (used for railway renewal/maintenance) in the other half. The track machine side continued to be used after privatisation in 1994 and was refurbished. A couple of years later it was declared surplus to requirements.
One track machine was converted to be used as a shunter within the confines of the depot. When the depot closed, this was just left in the shed. It is due to leave soon as it has been purchased by a preservation group.
Another shed
This little shed was used to maintain smaller railway vehicles such as trolleys.
Stores
Not sure what can be said about this building. It was used to store items. There is an old Austin in one of the buildings – I was surprised that it wasn’t burnt out.
Water Tower
The depot also had a large water tower. Unfortunately the huge metal water tank has been cut off.
Twitter
RSS feed
A most fascinating visit and well worth recording before it inevitably gets pulled down for something else.
Keith 14/9/06
I’m not sure they will knock this down as it’s probably listed. Also the whole site is contaminated with heavy metals and industrial pollutants, so any developer would be liable for the clean-up. The yard is behind our house – I think they should let it go back to nature. That’s unlikely in a place like Exeter though…..
What a mess! I worked here in the early eighties as an apprentice and know every inch of the place. The small plant shed (ODM) I helped set up as it was refurbished from its former derelict state! Back then it was state of the art but look at it now! I even remember working on that heating boiler. Also of interest is the c&w supervisors elevated office I remember it well. Think the thing I most remember was the noise! defening with all the rivit guns! Thanks for the memories
Im not sure what they are doing either, but there is no chance of housing being built there.. Network rail applied to the rail regulator to sell it but there were objections from a few of the train operating companies, on the basis that the site was of strategic importance. With the much talked about re-doubling of the Exeter- Waterloo line it is probable that the site will be used as a track maintenance and storage yard. It is a complete mess there, if only the railways hadn’t been buggered in the 60′s this site would have still been a fully working yard.
the whole site has now been pulled down all apart from the water tower base.
What is the current state & use of Exmouth Junction Shed site, if not in use is it salvagable, to restore to use as a prospective MPD, servicing Mainline Specials & as a Base
Paula – it was demolished in 2008.
Hi DAB@derelicte, Many thanks for your reply. What a pity, It could have been a good site. One question,is the track layout still in place, Many thanks Paula
Things are happening. Over the last four years, the yard has been going back to nature. Today, however, we looked out and saw that half of the yard has been stripped out, leaving several acres of bare concrete. It’s totally weird, the site has become an echo chamber. You can still hear the voices of beered-up punters from the ‘Stoke Arms’ as they stagger home down the half-mile strip that is Prince Charles Road, which runs parallel to the yard on the opposite side of the valley, but all of a sudden those voices have a reverb (double echo) type of effect as the sound bounces off the vast, bare concrete space that has been revealed.
I’ve lived next to this vast, abandoned site for a few years now, and it would really p*** me off if suddenly it reverted back to a noisy, crashing, clanking great railway plant depot. That’s just my opinion, but I realise it was there for 115 years before we bought our house so I guess I can’t grumble:-)
anyone know what’s going on? something is being done in Exmouth Junction…..I have e-mailed Network Rail to try to find out.
Following the demolition of the C&Works(later On Track Plant Machine Depot) the site was taken over by Murphys. It has been used as a storage area for cabins/equipment used in connection with the GSMR project for Newtwork Rail. In deed a mast can be seen sited opposite to Exmouth Junction Signal Box.
In recent weeks the former Concrete Works/Coal Concentration Depot site has been cleared of vegetation. A firm called West Country Storage Solutions have moved in. Numerous large blue containers are on site all moved not by rail but by road.
there goes the neighbourhood