22. The Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Heritage Centre

Scenes from the English East MIDLANDS

East MIDLANDS INDEX

[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD plus help from AI these days, page updated May 14th 2026]

Nostalgic Steam Train Photos from the 1960s  *  Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse is a Transport Trust - Transport Heritage site near Staveley and Chesterfield in Derbyshire. It is based around the 1870 Midland Railway roundhouse engine shed. This is the last operational turntable based locomotive depot in the UK. It is free entry except for special events so PLEASE leave a DONATION to help in the upkeep and further development of this excellent historic industrial heritage site - a bit of industrial archaeology to some extent, though its great to see how industrious the site is in the restoration work on the steam and diesel locomotives. The Barrow Hill Roundhouse is quite informal and peoples seem very willing to talk about the work going on.

STEAM LOCOMOTIVES at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Ex BR 60532 BLUE PETER shed plate 61B next to Ex LNER 8217 in the Barrow Hill Roundhouse

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: The Barrow Hill roundhouse and turntable.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: View of the other half of the roundhouse

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: LNER 8217, BR 60532 BLUE PETER and GCR 506 BUTLER-HENDERSON

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: GCR 506 BUTLER-HENDERSON became LNER 5506 or 2660 and was subsequently numbered British Railways locomotive 62660 (which I last saw in Sheffield Darnall locomotive depot in 1959). Worked on the Midland region between London, the Midlands, Sheffield and Manchester.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: It is a 4-4-0 Class D11 Improved Director built in 1919 in Gorton Works, Manchester to a design by Robinson for the Great Central Railway (GCR).

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The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: 506 next to 60532

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Ex British Railways Class A2 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive 60532 BLUE PETER was built at Doncaster Works (the famous 'Plant', LNER Co. Ltd. works number 2023) in 1948 and is a development by Peppercorn of a Thompson LNER design. Worked as an express passenger locomotive hauling trains on the East Coast main Line between London-York-Newcastle-Edinburgh.

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The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Class J17 locomotive 8217 is an 0-6-0 Ex GER freight locomotive (GER no. 1217) built in 1905 to a design by Holden. It became LNER number 8217, then 5567 and eventually 65567 when incorporated into British Railways.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: The classic LMS workhorse of mixed freight and passenger trains - Stanier Black Five 4-6-0 Ex BR 45110 (shed code 18D, Ex LMS 5110) See pictures of 45110 in action in 1968! and more pictures of Stanier Black Fives on the NYMR

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Next to 45110 is the 0-6-0 tank engine 41708

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: 0-6-0T tank engine Ex BR 41708 (shed code 41E) was built in 1880 at Derby to a design by Johnson for the Midland Railway (MR No. 1708, a number it retained on incorporation into the LMS) and still going strong.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: NCB CLIPSTONE No 9 being restored by the Chesterfield Locomotive Action Group.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: 0-4-0T tank engine HENRY was built for the British Celanese Limited built by R & W Hawthorn Leslie Co. Ltd. in 1901 (works number 2491).

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: VULCAN which acted as a shunter at the famous Vulcan Foundry Works (of English Electric locomotive fame) between Newton-le-Willows & Earlestown in Lancashire.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: An array of mainly diesel locos plus one steam tank engine and an express electric locomotive.

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: 0-4-0 12589 was built by the Drewry Car Co. Ltd.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: The main yard of Barrow Hill is filled with lots of diesel-electric locomotives (pity not more steam engines!).

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The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Green liveried Class 55 Co-Co English Electric diesel-electric locomotive D9019 ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIER (D 9019, 55019, 55 019) of the 'Deltic' Class built at the Vulcan Foundry in 1961. The Deltics took over the duties of the LNER 4-6-2 pacific locomotives on the East Coast main-line.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Blue liveried 1Co-Co1 Sulzer Diesel-Electric 45 112 THE ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS (45112, D 61, D61) built at Crewe in 1962.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Blue liveried 1Co-Co1 Sulzer Diesel-Electric locomotive Class 45 060 SHERWOOD FORESTER (45060, D100, D 100) built at Crewe Locomotive Works in 1961.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Blue liveried Co-Co English Electric Class 37 275 (37275, D6975, D 6975) called STAINLESS PIONEER built at the Vulcan foundry in 1965.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Blue liveried Bo-Bo English Electric Class 20 096 (20096, D8096, D 8096 built ?, above) and 20 107 (20107, D8107, D 8107 built 1961, below)

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Green liveried BR Class 20 Bo-Bo diesel D8132 named BARROW HILL DEPOT (D 8132) built in 1966 by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry between Newton-le-Willows & Earlestown in Lancashire.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: English Electric Bo-Bo Class 73/1 Electro-diesel 73 134 (73134, ) named WOKING HOMES 1885-1995 built at the Vulcan Foundry in 1966.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Grey and yellow liveried BR Co-Co Class 56 040 OYSTERMOUTH (56040) was built by BREL at Doncaster in 1978.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: D 4092 and D 2302 in the roundhouse

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: D4092 CHRISTINE D 4092 is a Class 10 0-6-0 diesel shunting locomotive built at Darlington in 1962.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Class 04 0-6-0 diesel shunter D2302 (D 2302) was built in 1960

 The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Although housing some fine steam engines there were too many diesels for my later 1950's and early 1960's upbringing! BUT never-the-less a most enjoyable visit to the Barrow Hill Limited, Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre, Campbell Drive, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (near Staveley)

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Green liveried BR Class 40 1Co-Co1 D213 ANDANIA (D 213, 40 013, 40013) is named after one of the Cunard Lines liners and was built in 1959 by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry between Newton-le-Willows & Earlestown in Lancashire.

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse: A STAVELEY wagon for spun pipes - a reminder of its past industry!

The Barrow Hill Roundhouse is a railway heritage centre near Staveley and Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Its not the greatest of cafes but it is an interesting location for a cafe within the old engine shed! Although housing some fine steam engines there were too many diesels for my late 50's and early 60's upbringing!

A history of the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Heritage Centre

Short takeaway:
Barrow Hill Roundhouse is the last surviving operational railway roundhouse in Britain, built in 1870 for the Midland Railway, closed by British Rail in 1991, saved from demolition by volunteers, and reopened in 1998 as a major heritage centre. It remains connected to the national network and houses an extraordinary collection of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives.

Below is a full, structured, deeply detailed history tailored to your heritage‑railway interests.

1. Origins: The North Midland Railway Arrives (1841–1869)

• The North Midland Railway reached Staveley in 1841, opening the first Barrow Hill station on 6 April 1841.
• Industrial growth around Staveley Iron Works created heavy demand for locomotive servicing.
• An early four‑road engine shed was built in 1865, but traffic soon outgrew it.

2. Construction of the Roundhouse (1869–1870)

• The Midland Railway commissioned a new, much larger shed.
• Construction began July 1869 and finished November 1870.
• Cost: £16,445 4s 9d (a substantial sum for the era).
• Contractor: I. E. Hall.
• Design: a 24‑road roundhouse with a central turntable, roads 60–80 ft long.
• It is a rare example of a rectangular building enclosing a circular turntable, a distinctive Midland Railway architectural solution.

3. Steam‑Era Operations (1870–1965)

A major Midland Railway depot

• The shed served the Staveley Works and heavy industrial traffic.
• Under the Midland Railway shed‑code system (1898), Barrow Hill was M24.

Locomotive allocations

• Although designed for 24 engines, allocations peaked at ~90 locomotives in the 1920s.
• Types based here included:
  • Johnson 3F 0‑6‑0s
  • Kirtley double‑framed 0‑6‑0s
  • Johnson 1P 0‑4‑0Ts (working Mansfield and Doe Lea Valley branches)

LMS and BR eras

• LMS shed code: 18D (from 1935).
• BR Eastern Region code: 41E (from 1958).
• After steam ended (4 October 1965), the depot became BH under BR’s diesel coding.

4. Diesel Era and Decline (1965–1991)

• After steam withdrawal, Barrow Hill continued as a diesel stabling and signing‑on point.
• Allocations dwindled:
  • 5 diesel shunters in 1983
  • 3 in 1987
  • 0 by 1988
• The depot finally closed on 9 February 1991.

5. Threat of Demolition and Rescue (1991–1996)

• After closure, the building suffered heavy vandalism.
• Volunteers formed the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society in 1989 to campaign for preservation.
• The Roundhouse was Grade II listed on 5 February 1991, preventing demolition.
• After negotiations, Chesterfield Borough Council purchased the site from BR on 20 December 1996.

6. Restoration and Reopening (1996–1998)

Major restoration works included:

• Renewal of the 1870 glass roof (all but one section).
• Structural repairs to brickwork and internal roads.
• Installation of new utilities and public‑access facilities.
• Refurbishment of the turntable, making it operational again.

Funding sources:

• Derbyshire County Council
• Transport Trust
• North Derbyshire Training & Enterprise Council
• European Regional Development Fund
• UK Government SRB fund

Public reopening:

• The Roundhouse reopened as a heritage centre in July 1998.

7. The Roundhouse Today: A Living, Working Depot

Barrow Hill is now:

• The last operational railway roundhouse in the UK.
• Still physically connected to the national rail network.
• A working depot for preserved and mainline‑registered locomotives.

Collections and resident groups

• Home to a rotating collection of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives.
• Hosts locomotives on loan from the National Railway Museum.
• Headquarters of the Deltic Preservation Society, owning 3 of the 6 surviving Deltics.
• Houses the preserved Pinxton signal box, restored to its final year of operation.

Unique surviving features

• The only remaining set of timber locomotive lifting sheer legs in Britain.

8. Events, Community Role, and Cultural Impact

Barrow Hill is now a major events venue, hosting:

• Steam and diesel galas
• Model railway exhibitions
• Music events
• The hugely popular Rail Ale Festival

It is also a family‑friendly museum with regular open days, educational visits, and volunteer programmes.

9. Timeline Summary

MY HERITAGE RAILWAY PAGE buttons below

Good trainspotting 'TRAINSPOTS' Good trainspotting and photographic locations  Barnetby Station, North Lincolnshire  *  Carlisle Station  *  Clapham Junction Station, London  *  Colton Junction, south of York  * Coventry *  Crewe Station  *  Doncaster Station, South Yorkshire  * Grantham * Hellifield station - Carlisle to Settle line * Lancaster station  * Leicester station * Newcastle Station  *  Northallerton Station  *  Nuneaton Station  * Peterborough *  Sheffield Station  *  Stratford Station, East London * Tamworth * Warrington Bank Quay station * Wigan North Western - WCML *  York Station

See other TOPS classes index of diesels and electrics * Class 01 * Class 02 * Class 03 * Class 04 * Class 08 * Class 09 * Class 10 * Class 11 * Class 14 * Class 20 * Class 24 * Class 25 * Class 26 * Class 27 * Class 31 * Class 33 * Class 35 * Class 37 * Class 40 * Class 43 * Class 44 * Class 45 * Class 47 * Class 50 * Class 52 * Class 55 * Class 56 * Class 57 * Class 58 *  Class 60 * Class 66 * Class 67 * Class 68 * Class 70 * Class 71 * Class 73 * Class 76 * Class 77 *  Class 84 * Class 86 * Class 87 * Class 88 * Class 90 * Class 91 * Class 92 * Derby Lightweight * Class 101 * Class 108 * Class 114 * Class 117 * Class 120 * Class 121 * Class 122 * Class 127 * Class 141 * Class 142 * Class 144 * Class 150 * Class 153 * Class 155 * Class 156 * Class 158 * Class 159 * Class 165 * Class 166 * Class 170 * Class 172 * Class 175 * Class 180 * Class 185 * Class 195  * Class 196 * Class 197 * Class 220 * Class 221 * Class 222 * Class 252 * Class 313 * Class 315 * Class 317 * Class 319 * Class 320 * Class 321 * Class 322 * Class 323 * Class 325 * Class 331 * Class 332 * Class 333 * Class 334 * Class 350 * Class 357 * Class 360 * Class 365 * Class 373 * Class 375 * Class 376 * Class 377 * Class 378 * Class 379 * Class 380 * Class 387 * Class 390 * Class 395 * Class 414 * Class 423 * Class 442 * Class 444 * Class 450 * Class 455 * Class 458 * Class 460 * Class 465 * Class 466 * Class 489 * Class 507/508 * Class 700 * Class 730  * Class 755 * Class 800 * Class 801 * Class 802 * Class 803 *  Class 805 * Class 3000 *

IMAGES OF PRESERVED STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

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