The depot is located 1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly on the eastern side of the line to Stockport.

Locally three Air-Braked locos covered operations as depot pilot, at Mayfield parcels depot and also Trafford Park Container terminal with this turn also covering operations at Manchester International Freight Terminal.

Further afield one shunter worked Stockport carriage and parcels sidings while another operated freight trips in the Buxton area.

[6] In the following year there were no passenger train duties planned for Class 25 locomotives based at Longsight, but there were a variety of diagrams for Class 40s predmonantly on summer-only services from Manchester to destinations in North Wales.

The allocation of Class 08 shunters had risen to 17 although one of these was stored in an unserviceable condition.