List of British Rail TOPS depot codes

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From the introduction of TOPS in 1973, all British Rail diesel and electric locomotives and multiple units were allocated to a particular traction maintenance depot or TMD. Drawing from the terminology of steam traction, these depots were generally referred to as "sheds", and indeed most locations were those which had possessed depots for steam locos. Each TMD had a two-character code which was originally displayed underneath the number of each locomotive allocated there. Later this was extended to cover each carriage of diesel multiple units (DMUs), and even some coaching stock; at this time additional depot codes were added covering places with coaching stock allocations, and also works locations.

Allocations and TOPS depot codes[edit]

Locations given a TOPS code included all TMDs, servicing depots (where minor work such as A exams could be undertaken), and some stabling points (SPs) where locomotives or multiple units would be parked when not required. The locations varied from comprehensively equipped depots, through covered accommodation with fuelling point, to a mere siding. The use of TOPS codes for SPs was somewhat haphazard, with Machynlleth (code MN) hosting one or two locomotives on some weekends while Wolverhampton station, which had no TOPS code, stabled more than a dozen locos.[1]

The application of a depot code was generally reliable as a guide to the base from which the locomotive or multiple unit operated but with some variations, mainly relating to shunters and departmental locomotives.

EMU depots such as Birkenhead North (BD) often required a diesel shunter for moving stock when not powered. As there was no fuelling or maintenance capability at BD, a shunter allocated to nearby Birkenhead Mollington Street (BC) was used, returning to its home depot every four weeks.[2] This arrangement also existed at other locations such as Ilford/Stratford.

Departmental locomotives, by the nature of their use, were sometimes reported as allocated to a base location or even to a region in general rather than an official depot. The Western Region sometimes followed this practice, with number 20 (latterly 97020) reported as allocated to "Reading Signal Works" throughout the 1970s.[3] Locomotives used for research purposes would be reported as allocated to the Derby Research Centre.[3]

List of TMD, Servicing Depot, SP and other non-works codes[edit]

TOPS code Shed name Origins Comments
AB Aberdeen Ferryhill [4]
AC Aberdeen Clayhills [5] Carriage maintenance depot
AF Ashford Chart Leacon [4]
AK Manchester Ardwick [6]
AL Aylesbury [7]
AN Allerton [4]
AY Ayr [4]
BA Basford Hall (Crewe) [7]
BB Beachbrook Farm EWS [7]
BC Birkenhead Mollington Street LNWR and GWR joint [4]
BC MoD Bicester [7]
BC Beachbrook Farm Freightliner [7]
BD Birkenhead North Wirral Railway [4] EMU depot,[8] from BN from 1976[7]
BE Bedford Midland Station [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
BG Botanic Gardens (Hull) [4]
BG Billingham [7]
BH Barrow Hill (Staveley) Midland Railway [4]
BI Brighton Lovers Walk [4] EMU depot[8]
BJ Bristol Marsh Junction [4] DMU depot[8]
BK Birkenhead Central Mersey Railway [7] EMU depot
BK Bristol Barton Hill [7] from 1992
BL Blyth [4]
BL Basford Hall Freightliner [7]
BM Bournemouth [4] EMU depot[8]
BN Birkenhead North [7] to BD from 1976
BN Bounds Green [4] HST depot,[8] from 1976[7]
BP Beattock [7] to 1976
BP Blackpool [5] Carriage maintenance depot
BQ Bury [4] EMU depot,[8] from BV from 1975[7]
BR Bristol Bath Road GWR [4]
BS Bescot [4]
BT Bo'ness [7]
BU Burton [4]
BV Bury [7] to BQ from 1975
BW Barrow [4]
BW Barry [7]
BX Buxton [4] DMU depot
BY Bletchley [4]
BZ St. Blazey (Par) Cornwall Minerals Railway [4]
CA Cambridge [4] DMU depot
CB Crewe Basford Hall [7]
CC Clacton [4] EMU depot[8]
CD Crewe Diesel Depot [4]
CE Crewe Electric Depot [4]
CF Cardiff Canton [4]
CG Croxley Green [4] EMU depot, to closure in 1985
CG Crewe Gresty Lane GWR [7]
CH Chester [4]
CJ Clapham Junction [4] No allocation.
CK Corkerhill [4] DMU depot[8][9]
CL Carlisle Upperby [5] Carriage maintenance depot
CM Camden [7] Carriage maintenance depot
CO Coquelles (France) [7]
CP Crewe Carriage Shed [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
CQ Crewe Heritage Centre Crewe Heritage Centre [7] Storage Facility & Heritage Centre
CR Colchester [4]
CS Carnforth West Coast Railways [10]
CV Coalville [11]
CW Cricklewood [4]
CZ Central Rivers [7]
DA Darnall [4] DMU depot[8]
DE Dewsbury [10]
DE Dundee [4]
DF Derby Fragonset [10]
DI Didcot Railway Centre [10]
DL Dollands Moor [7] No allocation.
DM Dagenham [7]
DM Dee Marsh [7]
DN Darlington [4]
DR Doncaster [4]
DT Dunfermline Townhill [4]
DY Derby Etches Park [4] DMU depot
EC Edinburgh Craigentinny [11] HST depot[8] Carriage Maintenance Depot[5]
ED Eastfield [4]
EG Edge Hill [4]
EH Eastleigh [4]
EJ Ebbw Junction (Newport) [4]
EM East Ham [4] EMU depot[8]
EN Euston Downside [5] Carriage maintenance depot
EU Euston Station [4]
EX Exeter St Davids [4]
FB Ferrybridge [7]
FF Brussels Forest (Belgium) [7] Eurostar depot
FH Frodingham (Scunthorpe) [4]
FP Finsbury Park [4]
FR Fratton (Portsmouth) [4] EMU depot[8]
FW Fort William [4]
FX Felixstowe [7]
GC Cowlairs (Glasgow) [5] Carriage maintenance depot
GD Gateshead [4]
GF South Gosforth [4] DMU depot[8]
GI Gillingham [4] EMU depot[8]
GL Gloucester [4]
GM Grangemouth [4]
GU Guide Bridge [4]
GW Glasgow Shields Road [4] Electric locomotive/EMU depot[8]
GY Garston Yard [7]
HA Haymarket [4]
HD Holyhead [4]
HE Hornsey [4] EMU depot[8]
HF Hereford [4]
HG Hither Green [4]
HI Hitchin [4]
HM Healey Mills (Wakefield) [4]
HN Hamilton [4] DMU depot[8]
HO Holbeck (Leeds) [4]
HQ BRB Headquarters [7] Paper allocation
HR Hall Road (Liverpool) [4] EMU depot[8]
HS Hammerton Street (Bradford) [4]
HT Heaton [4] HST and DMU depot[8]
HY Hyndland [4] EMU depot[8]
IL Ilford [4] EMU depot[8]
IM Immingham [4]
IP Ipswich Station [4]No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
IS Inverness [4]
KD Carlisle Kingmoor [4]
KK Kirkdale (Liverpool) [7] EMU depot
KM Carlisle Yard [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
KN MoD Kineton [7]
KT MoD Kineton [7]
KX Kings Cross [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
KY Knottingley [4]
LA Laira (Plymouth) [4] Intercity HST, DMU
LC Longsight International [7] Eurostar depot
LE Landore (Swansea) [4]
LG Longsight Electric Depot (Manchester) [4] Electric locomotive and EMU depot[8]
LJ Llandudno Junction [4]
LL Liverpool Edge Hill [5] Carriage maintenance depot
LM Long Marston (MoD) [7]
LN Lincoln [4] DMU depot[12]
LO Longsight Diesel Depot (Manchester) [4]
LP Le Landy (Paris) [7] Eurostar depot, to 1994
LR Leicester [4]
LV Liverpool Street [4] No allocation
LY Le Landy (Paris) [7] Eurostar depot, from 1994
MA Manchester Longsight Carriage Maintenance Depot [5]
MB Middlesbrough [7]
MD Merehead [7]
ME Marylebone [4] DMU depot[8]
MG Margam (Port Talbot) [4]
MH Millerhill (Edinburgh) [4]
ML Motherwell [4]
MN Machynlleth [4]
MR March [4]
MV Manchester Victoria (Red Bank) [5]Carriage maintenance depot
NA Newton Abbot South Devon Railway [4]
NC Norwich Crown Point [11] Carriage maintenance depot
NG New Cross Gate [5] Carriage maintenance depot
NH Newton Heath (Manchester) Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway [4] DMU depot
NL Neville Hill (Leeds) [4] HST and DMU depot[12]
NT Nottingham Carriage Sidings [4]
NM Northam [7]
NN Northampton [7]
NP North Pole International [7]
NR Norwich [4]
NW Northwich [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
OC Old Oak Common [4]
OD Old Dalby [7]
OH Old Oak Common (Heathrow Express) Heathrow Express EMU depot [13]
OM Old Oak Common Carriage Maintenance Depot [5]
ON Orpington [4] EMU depot[8]
OO Old Oak Common (HST) [4] HST depot[8]
OX Oxford [4]
OY Oxley (Wolverhampton) [5] Carriage maintenance depot
PA St Pancras [4] No allocation.
PB Peterborough [4]
PC Polmadie Carriage Maintenance Depot (Glasgow) [5]
PH Perth Station [4]
PI North Pole International [7] 1994-1995
PM Bristol St Phillips Marsh [4] HST depot[8]
PO Polmadie (Glasgow) [4]
PQ Parkeston Quay [7]
PZ Penzance [4]
RB Ranelagh Bridge [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
RE Ramsgate [4] EMU depot.[8] Changed to RM.
RG Reading [4] DMU depot
RL Ripple Lane [4]
RM Ramsgate [14]EMU depot.[8] Was RE.
RR Radyr [11]
RS Reddish [4]
RU Rugby [7]
RY Ryde [4] EMU depot[8]
SA Salisbury [5]
SB Shirebrook [4]
SD Selafield Direct Rail Services [14]
SE St Leonards [4] DEMU depot[8]
SF Stratford [4]
SG Slade Green [4] EMU Depot[8]
SI Soho (Birmingham) [4]
SL Stewarts Lane [4] Electric locomotive and EMU depot[8]
SN Stranraer [7]
SP Wigan Springs Branch [4]
SQ Stockport [7]
SR Stratford Repair Depot [4]
ST Severn Tunnel Junction [4]
SU Selhurst [4] EMU depot
SV Wembley Chiltern [7]
SW Swindon [4]
SY Saltley (Birmingham) [4]
SZ Southall [4] DMU depot[15]
SZ Southampton Maritime [14] Freightliner
TB Three Bridges [7]
TD Temple Mills [7]
TE Thornaby (Tees) [4]
TF Thornton Fields (Stratford) [5] Carriage maintenance depot
TG Tonbridge [7]
TI Tinsley (Sheffield) [4]
TJ Thornton Junction [4]
TL Tilbury [7]
TN Taunton [7]
TO Toton [4]
TP Trafford Park [7]
TS Tyseley [4] DMU depot
TW Tunbridge Wells West Station [4] DEMU depot[8]
TY Tyne Yard [4]
VR Vale of Rheidol Railway (Aberystwyth) [4] Steam locomotive depot[8]
WA Warrington Arpley [14]
WB Willesden Brent Sidings [5] Carriage maintenance depot
WC Waterloo & City line [11]
WD Wimbledon [4] EMU depot
WH Wath [4]
WH Whatley [7] from 1994
WJ Watford Junction [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
WK Workington [4]
WN Willesden [4]
WO Wellingborough [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
WS Worcester [4]
WT Westhouses [4] No allocation - Fuelling Point only.
WY Westbury [4]
YC York Clifton [11]
YK York [4]

Works codes[edit]

TOPS code Works name Origins Comments
ZB Doncaster Works Wabtec [14]
ZC Crewe Works [5]
ZD Derby Litchurch Lane Works [5]
ZE Derby Locomotive Works [5]
ZF Doncaster Works Bombardier transportation [5][14]
ZG Eastleigh Works [5]
ZH Glasgow Springburn Works [14]
ZH Glasgow St Rollox Works [5]
ZI Ilford works [14] Bombardier transportation.
ZL Swindon Works [5]
ZN Wolverton Works [5]
ZP Horbury (Wakefield) [14] Bombardier transportation.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Woodley, Geoff; Wood, Ron (1979). Shunter Duties. Inter City Railway Society. p. 65.
  2. ^ Castle, John; Wood, Ron (1981). Shunter Duties. Tiverton: Inter City Railway Society. pp. 4–5.
  3. ^ a b British Rail Locoshed Book. Shepperton: Ian Allan. 1981. ISBN 0-7110-1112-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep Kilpatrick, R (March 1978). British Rail Locoshed Directory. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0871-X.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Fox, Peter (1986). Locomotives & Coaching Stock. Sheffield: Platform 5. pp. 236–237. ISBN 0-906579-58-9.
  6. ^ "Diesel & Electric Locomotive Depot Search Results". Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be "The all-time guide to UK Shed and Depot Codes" (PDF). TheRailwayCentre.com. 5 May 2006. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah British Rail Traction Depot Directory. The Rail Enthusiasts Society Ltd. 1980. ISBN 0-907183-02-6.
  9. ^ Hunt, John (10–23 September 1997). "Corkerhill - a canny wee depot!". RAIL. No. 313. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 58–63. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
  10. ^ a b c d Fox & Hall 2002, p. 378.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Wood, Roger (1985). British Rail Locoshed Book. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1542-2.
  12. ^ a b Kennedy, Rex (1980). Diesels and Electrics on Shed Volume 2 - Eastern Region. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-86093-036-X.
  13. ^ Fox & Hall 2002, p. 379.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fox & Hall 2002, p. 380.
  15. ^ Kennedy, Rex (1981). Diesels and Electrics on Shed Volume 3 - Western Region. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-86093-042-4.

Sources[edit]

  • Fox, Peter; Hall, Peter (2002). British Railways locomotives & coacking stock. Sheffield: Platform 5. ISBN 1-902336-25-9.
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