Flemington Maintenance Depot facts for kids
Flemington Maintenance Depot, 2015
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| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bachell Avenue, Lidcombe |
| Characteristics | |
| Owner(s) | Transport Asset Holding Entity |
| Operator(s) | NSW TrainLink Sydney Trains |
| Roads | 20 |
| Rolling stock | K sets V sets |
| History | |
| Opened | 1927 |
The Flemington Maintenance Depot is the biggest train workshop for Sydney Trains. It's located in Lidcombe, a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. Even though it's in Lidcombe, it's named after the nearby suburb of Flemington.
This depot is a very important place. It's where trains go for repairs, cleaning, and regular check-ups. Think of it like a big garage or hospital for trains!
Contents
What is the Flemington Maintenance Depot?
The Flemington Maintenance Depot is a large facility where trains are kept in good working order. It's owned by the Transport Asset Holding Entity and operated by NSW TrainLink and Sydney Trains. This means it looks after trains from both city and regional services.
A Bit of History
The Flemington depot first opened its doors in 1927. It was one of four special depots built to help with the new electric train system in Sydney. This big plan was led by an engineer named John Bradfield. The other depots were at Mortdale, Hornsby, and Punchbowl.
Inside the Depot
The depot is a busy place with lots of cool features. It has 20 tracks where trains can be parked or worked on. Ten of these tracks are inside the main building, protected from the weather.
Inside, you'll find special equipment:
- A lift shop where parts of trains can be lifted for repairs.
- A wheel lathe which is a machine that reshapes train wheels to keep them smooth and safe.
- A train washing facility to keep the trains sparkling clean!
Trains You'll See Here
Flemington Maintenance Depot is responsible for looking after specific types of trains. It maintains the K sets from Sydney Trains. It also takes care of the V sets which are used by NSW TrainLink for longer journeys.
In the past, the depot also looked after S sets and C sets before they were retired. If a train is maintained at Flemington, it usually has a special blue circle sign on it.
Sometimes, other trains visit the depot too. Endeavour and XPT trains from NSW TrainLink occasionally come to use the wheel lathe. This helps keep their wheels in top condition for long trips.
Getting Trains to the Depot
Trains can enter and leave the depot from all the main railway lines nearby. This makes it easy for trains to get there for maintenance. For deliveries of parts or supplies, trucks can access the depot from Bachell Avenue in Lidcombe. There's even a special shuttle bus for staff that runs between the depot and Lidcombe station.
Old Trains and Their New Homes
For many years, Flemington depot also maintained older types of long-distance carriages. These included the HUB, RUB, and stainless steel carriages until 1968. It also looked after the DEB sets until 1971. These older trains were later moved to another workshop called ACDEP for their maintenance.
