Penzance TMD

A four-road engine shed was built at Long Rock in 1914. As well as the engine shed there was a turntable built to fit all size locomotives which ran on the route. The depot had watering facilities and coal stored for the locomotives, as well as sidings around the depot. The turntable was removed in 1966 and two of the four shed roads were removed in 1968.

From 1958 Long Rock serviced diesel locomotives, which continued after steam traction had ended in 1962. The steam depot was closed in June 1976.

A new depot was constructed on the same site as the steam shed, designed for British Rail's fleet of new Intercity 125 fleet (now referred to as High Speed Trains or HSTs). The depot consisted of a 750 ft long maintenance shed, long enough to fit a full IC125 set, along with a fueling lane on the southern side of the shed. Six long sidings were built to the east of the maintenance shed for stabling IC125's when not in use, which also have overhead gantry lights. The mainline next to the depot was also singled at the same time. In total the new depot cost £1.5 million to build, and was ready for use in October 1977.

Capacity at the depot was increased in a project that started in 2017 to cater for additional rolling stock maintenance such as additional cars for the Night Riviera sleeper service. The work cost £20m.^[2] On 13 April 2019, after the work was completed, an open day was held at the depot in aid of Penlee Lifeboat station and the RNLI.^[3][4]

Allocated to the depot:

• Class 08 08645 St. Piran is the depot shunter
• Class 57 and the Mark 3 coaches for the Night Riviera overnight service to London Paddington.

The following classes visit the depot but are based elsewhere:

• Class 43 for services to Plymouth and Cardiff Central
• Class 150 and 158 Sprinters for local and branch-line services
• Class 220 and 221 for CrossCountry services to Scotland and North West England
• Class 800 and 802 diesel/electric bi-mode units for services to Cardiff Central and London Paddington.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penzance Traction Maintenance Depot.

• Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland, S.K. Baker ISBN 0-86093-553-1
• An illustrated history of the Cornish Main Line, John Vaughan, 2009, ISBN 978-0-86093-625-1