Cardiff Canton

closes its doors for the last time...

The new depot was opened by The Rt. Hon. Lord Brecon (Minister of State for Welsh Affairs) on Friday 18th September 1964.

EWS finally announced its closure as a major maintenance depot early in 2004. The site still functions with both Arriva and Pullman Rail.

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37413 seen at the rear of Canton prior to its move to Margam

Long time resident 37413 fades near Cantons old water tower

Former Royal Scotsman engine 37428 awaits its fate inside Canton main shed with 47772

47772 now resides at Margam and has recently been moved from the scrap lines having been sold

There has been a locomotive depot at Cardiff Canton since June 1882 when a six road, 240 feet long shed was built to replace a smaller shed situated at Long Dyke (1.5 miles east of Cardiff General station) As traffic increased then this facility had to be extended in 1897	09203 & 37412 Canton	37248 & 37707 Canton
and a 55ft diameter turntable was installed in a square building with some 28 roads radiating of off the turntable. This arrangement remained substantially unaltered until 1925 when a locomotive repair and lifting shed was built together with a new coaling stage. In 1931 the original 55ft. turntable was removed and replaced by a larger 65ft. diameter table at the west end of the yard. At this time, around the peak of GWR operation, the depot had allocated 50 main line passenger locomotives, 40 heavy goods/mineral locomotives and 30 smaller local passenger/goods and shunting locomotives. The depot then remained unaltered, until its closure to steam locomotives on Saturday 8th September 1962. The remaining steam locomotive allocation was then transferred to Cardiff East Dock shed. During the winter of 1962-63 the steam depot was demolished. Kyle Stewart, as contractors, then rebuilt the site as a diesel maintenance and servicing shed. The only part of the old steam shed to be retained was a section of the original 1882 shed, which formed the new servicing shed and the large water tank at the east end of the yard. The depot cost £1,324,000 and occupied a 30 acre site. The locomotives allocated to the depot cost between £28,000 for a Class 08 shunter and £140,000 for a class 47 locomotive.

37517 & 37415 inside Cantons main shed

The original allocation was 360 locomotives for major maintenance, 197 for normal maintenance and 62 shunting locomotives. Employed were 40 managerial and supervisory staff, 31 clerical staff, 382 maintenance staff and 55 unskilled staff.

Happy memories will remain despite what becomes of the depot.

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Cardiff Canton

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