By 1843, the main building was a 16 road roundhouse which eventually became known as the Polygon, with outbuildings including workshops, a blacksmith and saw pits all contained within the shed complex.

During construction the Engineer reported on 30 August 1871 that "during a gale on 24th instant both the gable ends blew down", and the "New Shed" opened later that year, retaining its epithet throughout its life.

There was a 70-foot turntable installed a few years before Parker's article and part of a re-modelling scheme improving access to the depot.

A breakdown train was also located at Stratford and its staff lived in nearby company owned flats.

A bell from the shed telegraph office was connected to the flats and according to Parker the train could be on its way to an accident site within 30 minutes.

At this time Stratford was responsible for supplying the royal train locomotives that operated between London Kings Cross to Sandringham.

The depot usually supplied an immaculately turned out D15 Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 class and at the time of Parker's article Stratford engine fitter Day had been accompanying the royal train for twenty years.

In 1929 an automatic boiler wash was supplied to increase turn round time of locomotives in what was otherwise a time-consuming task.

During World War II both the depot and works complex was hit a number of times during the London Blitz.

the opening of the Ford factory in Dagenham saw the depot finding it difficult to attract labour - a problem that continued throughout the fifties and, despite dieselisation, into the 1960s.

The Class 15 and 16 engines were generally employed on local freight workings but as traffic to London Docks disappeared, these locomotives were deemed surplus and withdrawn.

The Class 21 locomotives were notoriously unreliable and were dispatched back to Scotland (they had been built by the North British Railway Company in Glasgow) after an ignominious start to their career.

These were later replaced by Class 08 locomotives but the tradition of a clean smart engine was maintained until the end of station pilot duties in the 1980s.

The Class 40 locomotives were delivered brand new to Stratford and allocated to main line express duties.

This move was in the face of strict British Rail guidelines but proved so popular that soon other locomotives were adorned with silver roofs.

In 1997 the final allocation was:[7] In 2004 preserved locomotive 31271 was named Stratford Depot 1840 - 2001 and is based at the Midland Railway Trust, Butterley.

[10] Stratford had a number of sub-sheds including in 1959, Walthamstow Wood Street, Enfield Town, Chelmsford, Epping, Ilford and Brentwood.

Lea Valley Lines including the branches to Enfield Town, Hertford East, Palace Gates and the Southbury Loop to Cheshunt Inner suburban trains to Ilford, Romford and Shenfield Shenfield to Southend Victoria Wickford to Southminster Romford to Upminster Stratford to North Woolwich and Camden Road Willesden Sudbury sidings Cricklewood Brent sidings Cricklewood to Acton Wells via Dudding Hill Old Kew and Feltham Acton and Reading Hither Green, Norwood and Bricklayers Arms A shunt turn is where a shunting locomotive is allocated to shunting a yard or set of sidings.

As well as covering the numerous goods yards throughout East London other shunting turns included Liverpool Street station pilots, Thornton Fields Carriage Sidings, Temple Mills yard, Stratford Locomotive Works, Temple Mills Wagon works and London docks.