Hoo Junction lies on the North Kent line between Gravesend and Higham. It is a mass of over 30 sidings, all of which hold stock such as diesel locomotives and engineers' trains. A platform for staff, aptly named "Staff Halt" was built at the junction in 1956 and on occasions a passenger service today will stop there to allow railway crew to disembark. At the end of the halt are the junction signals for the branch to Grain (a part of the branch which once went to Allhallows-on- Sea).

diagram by David Glasspool

Looking along the lines towards Higham and the branch to Grain. The down Staff Halt platform can be seen on the near left and the up platform in the background, on the right of the tracks. Some of the posts evident used to carry overhead wires. The line branching immediately to the right, goes into the main yard.

photograph by David Glasspool

A line up of EWS locomotives. From right to left - Class 60, Class 66, Class 58, Class 37 and a Class 73 electro-diesel.

photograph by Mike Glasspool

In the fields surrounding Hoo Junction can be found old ventilated van bodies used by local farmers and land owners, with severe rusting all over.

photograph by Mike Glasspool

The yard's current diesel shunter is Class 09,Nº09010, which still wears BR's old rail blue livery, although somewhat faded.

photograph by David Glasspool

A rusting 14T tank wagon with temporary painted letters 'EWS', basks in the evening sun alongside the fading sign proclaiming the English Welsh and Scottish Railway's presence.

photograph by David Glasspool

A view of the down Staff Halt platform and shelter. This is the original structure from 1956, with some later changes such as a Network South East name board and wood blocking out the shelter windows.

photograph by David Glasspool

A line of 46T VDA sliding wall vans, a common sight in the yard.

photograph by David Glasspool

A relatively new (in March 2003) piece of freight rollingstock on the network is EWS' 102T BRA steel strip carrier, finished in EWS maroon. Three of the type are pictured here in the Hoo yard.

photograph by David Glasspool

Viewing the east end of the yard, an array of wagons languishes in the sidings on the left. All the points in the yard are manually controlled and some of the levers can just be picked out.

photograph by David Glasspool

A view of the west end of the yard. It was fairly quiet on this particular Sunday and the only locomotives present were the diesel shunter and a Class 66. Much of the stock associated with Hoo is also stored at Hither Green on such days and several freight trains run between the two during the week. The junction signal box can be seen in the centre of the picture.

photograph by David Glasspool

The yard viewed from the entrance. The lines in the foreground form the sidings which would usually hold many of the diesel locomotives stored at Hoo (as seen in a previous shot of the EWS locomotive line - up).

photograph by Mike Glasspool

A look at the double track approaching from Gravesend, viewed from Hoo Junction Level crossing. Hoo is one of few places on the line where one can linger around on the crossing to take such shots of the track, although some common sense is certainly required to ensure one's safety!

photograph by David Glasspool

A side view of the yard looking south. The single line in the foreground is the branch heading towards Grain, which by this point has already left the mainline. This would originally have been a double track, the second line probably being lifted due to the reduction of traffic, especially after the closure of the branch to Allhallows. The main line continues towards Higham and through Strood Tunnel on the former site of the Thames and Medway Military Canal, sections of which still exist.

photograph by David Glasspool