Rochester Goods Depot
General decline of freight traffic by rail under British Railways auspices led to inevitable goods yard closures at stations. Indeed, the Kent Coast Electrification had its part to play, where platform extensions and layout revisions required the abolition of freight sidings and loops – Chatham’s 1959 revisions exist as good examples of the latter case. Being on a large area of land detached from the station, the goods yard at Rochester avoided any economising measures required by those facilities immediately adjacent to the platforms. Both it and the goods yard at Strood Docks, which again was on a large area of land detached from the station, survived beyond the 1960s. Hereafter, Rochester Goods Depot continued to handle sand and mineral traffic: like at nearby Hoo Junction, the yard was used for both re-marshalling freight formations and for the storage of wagons. The 1972 opening of Sheerness Steel Works also brought additional steel traffic to the goods depot. By 1980, the yard at Rochester was being shunted by those ''main line'' locomotives native to the South Eastern Division - Classes 33 and 73 - but in addition to these, Hither Green provided a diesel shunter to work the yard. At the weekends, the shunter could be found the 2½ miles down the line at Gillingham, where locomotive stabling sidings were provided, and every so often the locomotive would return to Hither Green. British Rail's own shunter was joined at Rochester by another diminutive diesel locomotive, this being privately-owned and having an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement. The latter was named ''Thalia'' (Works No. 7816), and the locomotive was on site to shunt mineral freights between the yard and an adjacent aggregate works. After withdrawal, the shunter entered preservation at the restored heritage area of Chatham Dockyard.
Strood lost its general goods traffic during August 1971, but sidings here remained in use beyond this date for the handling of coal and china clay. Significant freight yards also continued to exist at Rochester, Hoo Junction, and Tonbridge. The latter two were vast compared with the site at Rochester, having – under Southern Railway guidance – developed into multitudes of sidings in-between diverging routes. Furthermore, the ex-LC&DR site was allowed to decline over ensuing years, resulting in the impressive goods shed losing its roof, in addition to the seemingly customary deterioration of sidings and the spread of vegetation over the lines. Nevertheless, this did not stop the yard remaining on British Rail’s books as a freight depot until the Summer of 1988, after which the goods shed was demolished and the sidings functioned in the wagon storage capacity. By 1995, the sidings were no longer used, and over the next ten years a programme of track lifting ensued.
1984
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A southward view towards the station during 1984 shows a motley collection of EMUs making their way to
Ramsgate. On the rear is a 4 VEP driving trailer, next is a 4-CAP unit, beyond that a 2 EPB, and finally the
remaining three vehicles of the 4 Vep unit. On the left is the side wall of the goods shed. Chris
1984
A northward view from 1984 shows what is thought to be No. 33049 fronting a wagon containing drums of
lubricating oil. In the background can be seen rows of SPA 31.5 tonne steel plate wagons, which were two
-axle air-braked vehicles. These SPA wagons had been stored in the yard for some time. Chris
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