Redditch Locomotive Shed

The Redditch locomotive shed was opened in around 1872 at a cost of £3,800 close to the site of the first Redditch station site. The shed had a single road and measured some 118 feet by 23ft. A 42ft turntable was provided in front of the with a short stub siding. Both the turntable and stub siding were removed in 1903. The shed was designated 3C by the Midland Railway and was home for around six locomotives.  The London Midland and Scottish Railway in turn designated the shed 21B as a sub shed of Bournville Shed in 1923. Around 1938 the former pitched roof of the shed was replaced by a flat roof structure. The LMS was using this type of design for a number of Locomotive shed rebuilds of the time. However this type of roof was unusual

on such a small shed. In February 1958 with the redrawing of regional boundaries the lines south of Halesowen Junction (by the present Longbridge Station) were moved from the London Midland to the Western Region. As a result Redditch Shed became a sub shed of Bromsgrove which because of the same regional changes had become 85F (originally 21C). Shed closures in the early 1960’s changed the code to 85D in January 1961. The shed also had quiet primitive coaling facilities.

The Redditch shed remained open until 1 June 1964. At that time station pilot duties at Redditch were transferred from steam to diesel operation with Saltley Shed in Birmingham providing a 0-6-0 diesel shunter (normally a Class 11 locomotive).  On closure, the Redditch shed was demolished by simply filling the inspection pit with the rubble from the walls. In the 1990’s members of the Redditch Railway Society, who at the time had a lease on part of the adjacent former T&M Dixon coal siding, excavated a large part of the shed site. It was found that the inspection pit and floor were still intact under the brick rubble from the walls when the shed was demolished.