The Last Steamy Days At Laira Maintenance Depot In Plymouth Devon!

This was taken in the very last days of steam, at the Laira Maintenance Depot, Plymouth, Devon. I don't know much of the details of this movie, apart from it was taken on 8mm. The quality is not the best, but the images speak for themselves.
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[@hemerdonbank]

What a great video. It brought back memories of when I went to Laira as a young lad of 8 and 9. I remember standing on the steps by the running lines and also walking through the roundhouse. Thank you for producing this.

[@chorlton4]

Lovely! what it lacks in quality is more than compensated by the atmosphere. Shows how much was changed/swept away in the 1960s, and how quickly even the newer diesel types vanished too

[@traveller5098]

What great memories the video brings back.

[@levelcrossing150]

Lovely old footage, it captures the time perfectly. It's just like my treasured stills were on my Ilford Sprite camera, but it was the best I could afford as a child.

[@gs425]

Here are a few clues to the date shot....
The dieael shed was built in 1962.
Warship class locos started to have yellow ends in 1962 also. All steam ended in the plymouth WR area in 1963, with a few random turns into 1964.
That said, the film is 8 minutes long. That auggeats 2 reels of 50ft film, as they are 4mins eaxh. So some footage could possibly be older than others here.
You can call me "clusoe" lol

[@AarchiveRailways]

Thank you so much, I'm great with the cine film, not so much with the content sometimes.

[@Martin_Adams184]

Thank you!

[@davemitchell9941]

Don’t remember the ol western shed but remember mum taking me to tothill park from Salisbury rd school 62/63/64, so I could watch the engines coming up past friary shed. Remember 34069 as if twas yesterday ambling up on a freight. Std 5’s etc.
Saw 34011 in the gap by anson terrace must have been just before withdrawal er was filthy.
Grandad was on the railway as a shunter at friary & finished up his time caretaking at Laira diesel depot. Used to take me there on pay days. Out the back by boiler house the Bulleids, stds & ivatt tanks were stabled. Friary had shut so this was 63/64.
Western steam had finished. No interest in them ol diesels.
Remember seeing 34024 coming up through the rock cutting to mount Gould Junc gleaming (ex works?) with the 10 green gleaming bogies of the up Brighton.
Spent a lot of time with grandad at north rd & Exeter central mesmorised by the ol Bulleid Pacific’s. Amazing what a 5-6 yr old remembers.
My uncle was a passed man on steam at friary & took his seniority to Laira amongst all them ol western men!! A lot of noses put out of joint by men being put back with the southern men with their seniority taking their redunandcy moves to Laira.

[@michaelkinsey4649]

1363 still lives! At Didcot.

[@davebinsweden]

That is some rare footage of the depot. Thanks for the work to get this together. Where were southern locos coming into Plymouth serviced?

[@AarchiveRailways]

I'm afraid I don't know personally, but I hope someone else answers for you.

[@davebinsweden]

Plymouth Friary had a shed so I guess that's the answer.