South Ealing & Northfields

[setttt]

Two questions:

When were the car sheds to the north side of Northfields station removed? Click for image

I believe the entrance to South Ealing station was once on Weymouth Avenue (opposite end to current entrance). When was it removed?

Many thanks

[piccadillypilot]

They're not car sheds, in fact they're nothing to do with the railway.

The building in Weymouth Avenue was to have provided access to Northfields and replaced South Ealing but was never used. I don't know when it was demolished.

Photos of Northfield Halt in 1908 and of Northfields and Little Ealing in 1930. Note that until the line was four-tracked the station was on the west side of Northfields Avenue.

I've also been led to believe that South Ealing was originally on the east side of South Ealing Road, but I've not seen any evidence either way.









All courtesy of the LT Archive.

[setttt]

Thanks PP, however the caption says that they are car sheds! Here it is (otherwise I didn't know they existed myself!)

[piccadillypilot]

I see where you've got the idea, but it's not unknown for the Museum to be wrong.

Remember that most of the people who work in the Museum are "museum professsionals" not necessarily railway people (although some have acquired significant knowledge).

It's quite easy to work out that they are not car sheds, they are much too short. Car sheds (not that I've ever heard them referred to as such on the Underground, it's always the depot or the yard) must be the same length as a train, i.e. they're going to be a similar length to the platform which those in the picture quite obviously are not. Add to that the fact that they're outside the railway's boundary and at a lower level.

You might also want to consider why would such a building be erected when there is a depot adjacent? That depot has got 18 stabling roads in the shed, plus a similar number at the Boston end in the open, plus a wash road (No 19) plus two workshop roads (20 and 21). At the time of the photo there were also (I think) three sidings between the west and eastbound roads, west of the station.

[setttt]

Ok thanks again (I should have realised they were too short ). And I'm sure your right about the sidings West of the station - the flat area between the reversing siding and the EB road certainly hints this.