Listed Building record MDR10600 - Former LMSR School of Transport, London Road, Derby

LMSR Research Department, London Road. The extensive railway research complex on London Road includes the LMSR School of Transport (SK372343). All the buildings are now in the hands of private companies following the privatisation of British Rail in 1994. (1) The Railway School of Transport, Derby. An imposing brick building with lower wings, all perfectly symmetrical, topped by a lantern, and set in spreading and well-kept grounds. Built 1937-8 to provide residential facilities to train railway operatives and signallers for employees of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). It was a ground-breaking innovation, and was intended, when capacity allowed, to be extended to those from all over the Empire. It remains dedicated to the same use today, although the courses are now run by the subsidiary of a private company, and not by a railway operating concern. The complex was designed by William H Hamlyn, the LMS Principal Architect, the contractors were Holiday & Greenwood of London, and the whole was completed in ten months. There are several good Art Deco rooms. The building passed into the ownership of the nationalised concern in 1948, and was disposed of to the firm which presently runs it by British Rail[ways] residuary body in the 1990s. In 1998 the freehold was disposed of to a development company, a subsidiary of which has now applied for permission to develop the site. (2) The main building, now The Derby Conference Centre, was listed in December 2005. In addition to the main building a building to the west is also listed (garages with boiler room below), as is a building marked 'gas govn' further west and the London Road boundary wall and main gates. (3)