Garages Rebuilt in Service
Page 57
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L./ US undertakings faced with the problem of replacing existing garage buildings by new structures without affecting operating schedules will be interested in the methods used by London Transport in reconstructing and extending old premises at Shepherd's Bush and Brixton, on which work has recently been completed.
Built originally to house horsed buses in 1906, the Shepherd's-Bush garage was later altered to accommodate 50 motorbuses. Before demolishing the original buildings, provision was made on an extended site for parking and servicing facilities, and alternative office and canteen accommodation.
The layout of the new building, which will house 123 buses, conforms with the general principles employed in London Transport's post-war garage design. Provision has been made for a future extension to accommodate another 25 buses.
Brixton garage was first built to accommodate trams, then altered to take motorbuses as well. It comprised two separate buildings divided by a 20-ft-wide access way to water mains.
In order to create a site with a continuous frontage to the main road, it was necessary to make an underground culvert for the water mains. When this was completed, work on the new structure was begun by partly demolishingone of the original buildings, leaving one of the walls standing to take one end of the new roof.
This was followed by demolishing the other original building, and the new roof covering the parking area, together with the walls and rooms on the north side, were erected. Brixton garage can now accommodate 108 buses.
Both designs incorporate administrative offices, canteens, and recreation rooms for the staff.