On 25 December 1971, the then Railway Minister, K. Hanumanthaiya, laid the foundation stone for the loco shed.

These locomotives were used for shunting in the marshalling yard at Tondiarpet, the goods sheds at Royapuram, Salt Cotaurs, and the coaching depot at Basin Bridge in Chennai division.

[9] The locos of this shed were thoroughly traverses over entire South India for passenger and freight services.

TNP locomotives used to be predominantly the regular links for trains traveling on the Konkan Railway as well.

Indian Railways allows diesel loco sheds to paint their locomotives in their own unique liveries.