Toton :: Fotopic.Net

Toton

30th October 2007

At the southern end of the Erewash Valley line lies the huge marshalling yard at Toton (actually a bit of a misnomer as it is really in Stapleford, Toton is further away).

The huge motive power depot here was (and still is) the largest on the UK network and was at one time the largest in Western Europe, maybe someone can say if it still is? Pre health and safety days Toton was probably the easiest major depot on BR to bunk and in hundreds of visits I only got questioned once and even then I got round! To add to it's attraction for the spotter, not only was it accesible but it was also always packed solid, a sunday visit could easily net over 100 locos and sometimes all ten class 44s would be present though there was often one missing to spite you. Do this place and then Derby, Notts carriage sidings and westhouses on one sunday and you'd clear most of the LM region's 20s as well.

These days the place is like Fort Knox and you need to walk down Bessell Lane and binocular the lines of locos from the hill down one side of the yard. The footbridge in the 1991 and 2008 shots is easily accessed by finding Long Eaton ASDA and walking along the footpath to the railway.

Like most of the southern section of the route, the canal runs alongside the route and often I would walk along the canal to the depot which took a few hours but at least it was flat.

20052 and 034 at Toton May 10 1991 1024x676	20040 and 20187 arriving at Toton south end 10 may 1991. 31164 in the background. 696x1024	20070 and 20135 leaving Toton on up ballast 10 May 1991 1277x897	20177, still in green livery as were many of Toton's 20s at the time at Toton 29th March 1978 1024x706
20190 and 20104 Toton May 10th 1991 1024x665	Withdrawn 24137 dumped at Toton 29 March 1978. Also visible is D13, one of Moorgreen Colliery's locos, down for attention. 1024x658	58016 heading North at Toton 10 May 1991 1024x682	60100 passes Toton with the Lindsey-rectory junction oil 5 August 2008 768x968
66173 leaves Toton with the 6K73 Toton-Crewe 1024x1146	66180 arrives at Toton 5 Aug 2008 1024x683	66305 Toton 11 Aug 2009 1500x1000	66601 leaving Toton 24 Feb 09 with down coal empties. 1024x686
66614 on the Lafarge tanks passing Toton 11 Aug 2009 1500x1000	Driver climbs aboard 67029 Toton 18 Aug 2009 768x1231	Better than Skeggy... 1024x840	66055 arriving at Toton with the Ratcliffe-Tunstead lime empties 24 Feb 2009 3888x2592
66116 leaving Toton 24 Feb 2009. 2592x3888	Wagon spotting Toton 24 Feb 09 510x1024	45053 37121 and 25053 at Toton on 29 March 1978 1024x663