The History and Development of Stratford Depot

This presentation outlines the history and development of Stratford depot, then describes the depot in the late 1980s and his experiences as an engineering trainee there.  The various workings of the depot are detailed, together with the area it served at the time.  It closes with the decline and eventual closure of the depot.

Hugh commenced his railway career in September 1987 as an engineering trainee.  He spent his first 3 months in the training school at Derby Litchurch Lane works before moving to Stratford depot.  After gaining his engineering qualifications and completing his training, he spent 2 years at Bounds Green Intercity depot working on class 91 locomotives and Mk4 coaches.  He moved to Eurostar in May 1994 where he spent the majority of his career.  He began at North Pole International depot as a technician and progressed through various supervisory and management roles.  These involved the maintenance, fault finding, repair and reliability of class 373 units.  After a stint with Network Rail, he returned to Eurostar to assist with the introduction of the class 374 units, liaising with SNCF, SNCB and the Dutch railways NS.  He took early retirement from Eurostar Temple Mills International depot a few years ago, finishing his career as a senior electrical engineer.

Physical meeting at Shenfield Parish Hall some parts of which will also be available on Zoom as a Hybrid Meeting.