Former Railway Workshop At Derby Railway Works

DERBY SK 33 SW 893-/9/10035 Former Railway Workshop at Derby Railway Works GV II*

Railway workshop, incorporating former beam engine house,fitting and turning shops and smithies, latterly pattern shop and store,and disused at the time of inspection. 1839, with C19 and C20 alterations and additions. Built for the Midland Counties Railway. Red brick with ashlar dressings and slated roof coverings. Plan; Triple pile single storey shed formerly accommodating 3 lines of track,with double pile 2 storey workshop area beyond, having rail access to part of ground floor,and incorporating a beam engine house. South-west elevation; 6 bay single storey shed with attached 9 bay 2 storey workshop range to south-east.Late C19 double gabled timber infill sheds link with early C20 gable of truncated cross range of smiths' shops, also of 1839. Side wall blind arcades rise from a shallow plinth,with semi circular arch heads springing from plain impost band. Semi-circular windows with small-paned cast iron frames set within arcades;gauged brickwork to inner and outer arches. First floor windows of 2 storey part with flat gauged brick heads. North-west elevation triple gabled,with pilasters separating gable bays. Each apex has a blind oculus, flat-copings and below, a raking double band. Each gable has a tall central opening with semi-circular archedhead, 2 now altered to form windows,that to the right with C20 double doors.These were formerly access doorways serving lines into the shop. North-east elevation with 4 bay addition linking workshop with gable of smithy range Interior; Single storey part supported by 2 arcades of cast iron columns, the heads supporting curved brackets on which adjacent tie beam ends are carried. Principal rafter ends are carried in metal shoes fixed to the ends of the tie beams. Roof trusses with timber raking struts and vertical tie rod linked to metal apex cradle. 2 storey section with arcaded spine wall,formerly with rail access to south west part. Roof trusses carried on a single arcade of iron columns, with a wide timber bearer at the head of each column supporting adjacent tie beams. Queen post trusses support single purlins. Former beam engine house to south-east end of 2 storey range, the bed blocks in an under croft which extends into the smithy range.This complex of workshops,sheds and smithies was built as part of the maintenance facilities for the Midland Counties Railway at the trijunct station at Derby, and is the earliest surviving railway works in the country.

Listing NGR: SK3633335699