The depot was constructed and opened by the Midland Railway in 1890 as part of the company’s expansion to handle increasing freight demands. Initially, the depot served as a maintenance facility for freight locomotives operating along the Erewash Valley line and servicing local collieries.
Sited to the south east of the Westhouses and Blackwell Station, the Westhouses Locomotive Depot was constructed as a brick-built, dead-ended shed accommodating six tracks, primarily for stabling and light maintenance of locomotives. It incorporated arrival and departure roads for efficient engine movements, an ash road for waste disposal, six internal roads within the shed, and an external turntable that originally featured a shear leg crane for handling heavy components.
The facility had an allocation of up to 61 locomotives in 1950, reflecting its role in supporting intensive freight traffic. During the LMS and British Railways periods, minor expansions addressed evolving operational demands, such as additional sidings, but the core dead-end configuration remained unchanged, inherently restricting shunting manoeuvres and requiring careful planning for locomotive positioning.
The depot closed to steam locomotives in October 1966 and fully as a motive power depot in January 1987.
The above is gratefully shared from Shed Bash UK, at https://shedbashuk.blogspot.com/2014/04/westhouses-1958-1966.html