Eastleigh Works


Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England.

History

LSWR

The London and South Western Railway opened a carriage and wagon works at Eastleigh in 1891. In 1903, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Dugald Drummond, oversaw the construction of a large motive power depot in the town; replacing the existing maintenance and repair shops at Northam, Southampton. In January 1910, locomotive building was likewise transferred to the new workshops at Eastleigh from Nine Elms in London.
The first locomotives built at Eastleigh were the two S14 delivered in September 1910, and these were followed by Eastleigh's first tender locomotives, the five P14, delivered between October 1910 and February 1911.
Among the other locomotives produced by the LSWR under Drummond at Eastleigh, were the M7 0-4-4 tank engines, the T14 4-6-0, and D15 4-4-0, classes. Following the appointment of Robert Urie as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1912, the works were responsible for the construction of the H15, S15, and N15 4-6-0 classes, and the G16 4-8-0, and H16 4-6-0 tank engines.

Southern Railway

Following the merger of the LSWR and other railways in southern England to form the Southern Railway, as part of the Railways Act grouping of 1923, Eastleigh was to become the principal works for the new railway. The new Chief Mechanical Engineer, Richard Maunsell re-organised the works and directed the design and construction of various new classes.
Like most of the railway works, Eastleigh was heavily involved in the war effort, producing, in 1938, sets of parts to convert Blenheim bombers so that they could be used as fighters. The works was also part of a joint venture with other workshops, railway and private, to produce Horsa gliders for the D-Day airborne assault. With Lancing works, it turned out 200 tail units. It also produced 1,500 anti-tank gun barrels and, with Brighton railway works, 240 multiple rocket launchers, plus landing craft, fuel tenders and harbour launches.
Under the Southern Railway, the works were responsible for building the Maunsell SR Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0, the Schools 4-4-0, U1 2-6-0, W class 2-6-4 tanks, and Q class 0-6-0 locomotives. Under the regime of Oliver Bulleid, after 1937, Eastleigh works constructed all thirty of the SR Merchant Navy Class and six of the West Country 4-6-2. During the Second World War, Eastleigh works built 23 examples of the London Midland and Scottish Railway designed 8F 2-8-0s. By the end of 1947, the works had built 304 locomotives with a further 16 before steam locomotive building ceased in 1950.
In 1945, the carriage works began constructing all-steel carriages, both electric and steam hauled. It pioneered the use of plastics and glass fibre reinforced resin for doors, seating and roof sections.

British Rail

In 1950, following the nationalisation of the Southern Railway to form the Southern Region of British Railways new steam locomotive building ceased at Eastleigh. However the works were kept fully occupied between 1956 and 1961 in rebuilding over 90 of the Bulleid 4-6-2 classes. Thereafter the works gradually changed over to steam and diesel repairs.
In 1962, the works was again reorganised with the carriage works site being sold, and carriage and electric multiple unit repairs transferred to the main locomotive works. In 1962, Eastleigh Works built the first six electro-diesel locomotives of British Rail Class 73 but the remainder of the class were built at the Vulcan Foundry.
Order numberClassWheel arrangementQuantityNumbersYearsNotes
P14LSWR P14 class5448–4521910–11
S14LSWR S14 class2101, 1471910
T14LSWR T14 class5443–4471911
X14LSWR X14 class5125–91911
A15LSWR X14 class5131, 328, 479–4811911
B15LSWR T14 class5458–4621911–12
D15LSWR D15 class5463–71912
G15LSWR D15 class5468–721912
H15LSWR H15 class5486/7, 482/3/81914
K15LSWR H15 class5484/9/91, 485/901914
M15LSWR H15 class13351914Renewal of E14 class
N15LSWR N15 class5736–7401918–19
P15LSWR N15 class5741–51919
S15LSWR S15 class5497–5011920
A16LSWR S15 class5502–61920
C16LSWR S15 class5507–5111920–21
E16LSWR S15 class5512–5, 4961921
G16LSWR G16 class4492–51921
H16LSWR H16 class5516–5201921–22
L16LSWR N15 class5746–7501922
N16LSWR N15 class5751–51922–23
R16LSWR H15 class5473–71924
T16LSWR H15 class5478, 521–41924
A17LSWR H15 class5330–41924–25Renewals of F13 class
LSWR N15 class10448–4571925Renewals of P14 and G14 classes
LSWR N15 class14793–8061926–27
SR Lord Nelson class18501926
LSWR S15 class10823–8321927
LSWR S15 class5833–71927–28
SR Lord Nelson class10851–8601928–29
SR Lord Nelson class5861–51929
SR V class10900–91930
SR U1 class10A891–A9001931
SR U1 class101901–101931
SR W class51911–51932
SR V class20910–9291932–34
SR V class10930–91934–35
LSWR S15 class10838–8471936
SR Q class20530–5491938–39
SR Merchant Navy class1021C1–21C101941–42
LMS Stanier Class 8F108600–9 1943Ordered by Railway Executive Committee for the LMS
LMS Stanier Class 8F138650–62 1943–44Ordered by Railway Executive Committee for the LMS
SR Merchant Navy class1021C11–21C201944–45
SR Merchant Navy class1035021–301948–49
SR West Country class634095/7/9/101/2/41949–50Order transferred from Brighton Works,
which built the other 14 in the series 34091–110.
British Rail Class 73Bo-Bo6E6001–61962Electro-diesel locomotives

Post privatisation

As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the plant was acquired from British Rail Engineering Limited through a management buyout in June 1995 and rebranded Wessex Traincare. In 1998 it was sold to Alstom and renamed Alstom Wessex Traincare. The site was used for carriage and multiple unit repairs. In 2004, Alstom announced the works were to close due to lack of work, which took effect in March 2006 after the completion of a contract to refurbish Class 455s for Southern.
The site has been managed since 2002 by St. Modwen Properties; with the site being lease to several sub tenants including Knights Rail Services and [|Arlington Fleet Services]. , the site's facilities include overhead cranes, third rail electricity supply, paint facility, and refuelling facility. Additionally Siemens undertook maintenance of its South West Trains Class 444 and Class 450s on site, and Network Rail MPVs were stored on site.
In January 2018 KPI Property Investments who are jointly owned by St Modwen Properties and Salhia Real Estate sold the works to the corporate pension fund clients of Savills in a £20 million deal.

Knights Rail Services

In 2007 Knights Rail Services began operations on site, using it to store off lease rolling stock, as well as undertake repairs and refurbishments. It removed asbestos from withdrawn London Underground A60, A62 and 1967 stock. In January 2012, KRS signed an extended lease on the site to 2016. In September 2012, KRS was purchased by co-tenant Arlington Rail Services.