The depot was situated to the east of Thornaby, on the northern side of the line to Middlesbrough.

[2][3] In the mid-1950s as part of British Railways modernisation plan, projects were developed to centralise the marshalling of goods wagons and the associated servicing of steam locomotives at the United Kingdoms largest freight hubs.

[1] Teesside had a number of marshalling yards servicing the coal mines and steel mills of Consett, West County Durham and North Yorkshire, as well as those for Middlesbrough Dock.

[1] On opening, the shed initially took over the allocations at Newport (depot code 51B) and Middlesbrough (51D).

[4] In June 1959 the depots at Stockton (51E) and Haverton Hill (51G)[5] were closed and the bulk of their locomotives added to Thornaby's allocation.