Galen Junction Shed

* **Operator**: Dark Railway
* **Constructed**: 1892
* **Closed**: 1969
* **Shed Code**: 77A
* **Status**: Closed

**Galen Junction Shed** was the southern Motive Power Depot (MPD) of the Dark Railway. It was located on the western side of Galen Junction Station.

In 1969, the shed complex was destroyed in a fire which also destroyed three locomotives. It was believed to have been caused by a leaking diesel tanker ignited by ashes from a steam engine's fire, but was later revealed to have been caused by an explosion caused by some stolen dynamite from Soma. In 1971, the new workshops for Caracus Smash Ltd and the Galen Junction Railway Museum were built on the site of the sheds.

## Layout and Facilities

Galen Junction shed had three shed roads, where basic maintenance could be complete. If more extensive work was required, locomotives were required to visit Gothland Works, or Caracus Smash Ltd.

When constructed, the shed buildings were made of wood, and included two main shed buildings with three roads for storing and disposing of locomotives. A turntable was provided for turning locomotives, but was inconveniently placed in regards to the station, so that, if a locomotive had to be turned, it would have to journey from the station all the way in to the yard for turning. It is for this reason that most engines didn't bother turning at the Junction, unless absolutely necessary.

In the sixth series, the two main shed buildings became a single building with four shed roads instead of three, and a fifth road was added leading into the shed in front of the turntable. After the explosion that destroyed the sheds in 1969, the complex was closed, with the remains of the sheds and the buildings being removed due to the heavy damage caused, and the area cleared. The turntable was also removed and stored until it was later installed at the railway's new southern MPD at Colhapper. The storage sidings and fuelling stages, however, remained until 1971, when they were removed to make way for the redevelopment of the site.

## Appearances

### The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

* Series 1 - Pilots, The Party, The Shunter's Gamble, Dave's Dating Tips, Something's In the Air, The Beauty Overheard, The Betrayal, The Road to Radstock, and Sir Eustace's Secret
* Series 2 - Dave's Reward, Colin and the Coaches, Tenders, Hide and Seek, Goodbye, Dai, Eddie and Maxen, Some Kind of Fuel, and Taking Out the Trash
* Series 3 - The Return of Sir Eustace Missenden, Like a Sir, 257 Squadron, Tender Moments of Tender Engines, Football Shortfalls, Poor Leno, Who Goes There?, and Revenge of the Forgotten
* Series 4 - Traction Reaction, The Big Bad Wolf, Turbo, Allan Does Galen, Trucks, Instant Crush, and Pogo Rides Again
* Series 5 - What a Catch!, Signal Lost, Repulse, Make Love, and Time Waits for No One, Part 2
* Series 6 - Fustercluck, Ed, Ed and Eddie, Plunk 'n Bang, Burnin', The Purple Man, and The Prime Time of your Life

Specials:

* Brian and the Bank Robbery
* The Missing Christmas Presents
* 200 Subscribers
* The Adventures of Sir Edgar Woolwinder and Bob the Invisible Pink Sailor
* The Aspergers Flyer

Films:

* Event Horizon

## Trivia

* The shed code for the MPD (77A) is completely fictional, as the highest Southern Region BR shedcode was actually 75G (Eatbourne).
* The sheds have been home to many locomotives over the course of the series, including Dave, Brian, Raymond, Eustace, Leno, Cammer, Colin, Owen and Allan. However, though some of these engines carried the shedcode for the sheds (77A), many of them actually stayed at 77C (Merecombe), which has more facilities and space for storing and disposing of engines.
* After the explosion that killed Cammer, Colin and Owen in 1969, the shed complex was removed, and the facilities were closed. There are no plans currently to build a new shed complex here, but other plans for the land are being assessed by Mr Dark, including the possibility of a long needed museum or a proper engineering facility.
* Despite being a rather busy junction, the shed complex here was very limited for engines, especially for the larger engines, who had to travel quite far just to turn on the turntable for their return journey.