▁of ▁British ▁Rail ▁Engineering ▁Limited ' s ▁main ▁w agon ▁works , ▁but ▁as ▁trade ▁decl ined , ▁primarily ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁w ag ons ▁for ▁export ▁mark ets , ▁it ▁operated ▁on ▁an ▁ever - de cre asing ▁scale ▁until ▁it ▁closed ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Mot ive ▁power ▁dep ot ▁ ▁The ▁SER ▁opened ▁a ▁locomot ive ▁dep ot ▁at ▁Ash ford ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁s ited ▁to ▁the ▁East ▁of ▁the ▁station ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁works . ▁This ▁was ▁demol ished ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁SR ▁built ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁facility ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁line . ▁This ▁was ▁closed ▁to ▁steam ▁locomot ives ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁but ▁used ▁to ▁service ▁dies els ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁There after ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁Ash ford ▁Ste am ▁Centre ▁for ▁a ▁period , ▁but ▁has ▁now ▁been ▁demol ished . ▁ ▁Lo comot ive ▁building ▁at ▁Ash ford ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁the ▁Lo comot ive ▁Super int endent ▁James ▁I . ▁C ud worth ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁ten ▁' H ast ings ' ▁class ▁ 2 - 4 - 0 ▁locomot ives ▁there . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁these ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁two ▁fre ight ▁engines . ▁( An ▁unusual ▁feature ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁a ▁dual ▁fire box , ▁each ▁side ▁fired ▁altern ately .) ▁Over ▁the ▁next