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Snow Hill Station

Ell, the Shakespeare Express is shown in the Timetable as an "Unadvertised Express" operated by West Coast Railway Co. Yesterday it was recorded as leaving Snow Hill at 1404, 3 minutes late. However it arrived at Stratford at 1459¾, 4 minutes early. Who knew that trains were timed to the ¼ minute! Time table information from realtimetrains.co.uk

Before I headed down to platform 3, saw the timetable screen saying for platform 1 a Charter service for 14:01. A Chiltern Railways service was in the way on platform 2 (that didn't depart until after the Shakespeare Express).
 
Going back to 1912, here's a view of an entrance to Snow Hill station closed because of the coal strike opposing the introduction of the minimum wage for pit workers.The strike lasted quite some time through the winter months, from 26 February to 11 April 1912. Poor man with the portmanteau, wonder what he was thinking! Viv.

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The Station was shut due the Coal Strike but I think it was the Coal Owners who were opposed. For some years the miners had sought the introduction of a minimum wage, from at least from 1893. This strike was mainly for an introduction of a minimum wage, government intervention led to the Coal Mines Act an its introduction for the first time.
 
Two locos at Snow Hill facing each other as the signal man watches. I presume the one enveloped in steam is giving the other one a push.
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Dismantling the station in the 1960s. The balcony in which the wood is being removed must be the one above the Empire stall in the second attached photo. Viv.

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Two locos at Snow Hill facing each other as the signal man watches. I presume the one enveloped in steam is giving the other one a push.
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It could be that the loco which appears to be a freight 2-6-0 tender type, almost shrouded in steam, has a problem - a leakage of steam and the 2-6-2Tank is hauling it to Tyseley. Another possibility is that they are both in good running order and have just come off the trains that they have brought into Snow Hill and will go, coupled together to save an extra rail movement at a busy place, for servicing; that is change of crews, take on coal and water. On the other hand it might be the reverse, although the bunker of the tank loco does not seem well filled, in that they have arrived, coupled together for the same reason as given above, to become the train engine of a freight and passenger departure.
The 2-6-2T could well have been one of the Station Pilots; they moved rolling stock from arriving terminating express trains for servicing and brought stock back for departing express trains. They also moved, after detaching or adding to, some special freight wagons that conveyed milk, horses. hay and one or two other special vehicles that were attached to passenger trains.
 
Snow Hill

Hi

Not sure wether I have sent this before.
One thing about Snow Hill was once you had bought
your platform Ticket 1d you were safe for the day.
Wander all over the place.
New Street generally wasnt too bad but often on a Saturday
if too many of us were there you could be moved.
I remember those day's.

Mike Jenks


Not strictly true because the wording on the platform ticket stated that it was valid for one hour, though I must admit never being challenged when leaving the station after a stay well in excess of one hour!
Once I left school and became a 'booking lad' in the old Snow Hill North Signal Box any problems there might have been simply vanished anyway.
 
Actually I was honest and never stayed more than one hour on my platform ticket. I would then buy another penny ticket and go down the steps to the other platform rather than going past the same ticket collector. I was actually embarrassed about being honest! When they doubled the price of platform tickets I started buying a child's ticket to WesT Smethwick because I could get a bus home from Smethwick so making a circular trip.
 
Although I've occasionally stumbled on this thread in the past, I've never read it thoroughly. Having done so for forty minutes, I'm left perplexed. Several members have written about their train-spotting past, and mention the Kings, Castles, Halls ..... and Manors?? which frequented Snow Hill. I went to Snow Hill almost every Saturday between about 1958 and 1961 ...... and can remember NEVER having seen a Manor. Surely the mini-Collett was inappropriately small, light and "weak" to work trains through one of the most important stations in the country? They were designed and built to work the lightweight lines of mid-Wales, Devon and Cornwall, weren't they? I know they operated between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth because my grandfather "drove" one at the head of the "Cambrian Coast Express" for many years. db84124
My records show that in the mid/late 1950s No.7821'Ditcheat Manor' was sheded at nearby Tyseley (84E) together with three of the other 'lightweight' Grange class locomotives (6853 Morehampton Grange, 6861 Crynant Grange and 6866 Morfa Grange), so it is extremely likely that it/they would have appeared at Snow Hill at some time in their operational lives. I guess you just didn't happen to be there at the time!
 
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Another one with no information, but it says Snow Hill on the wall.

Taken prior to spring 1939. The clue is the sign above the shelter which states 'CARS load here for ....' .
Birmingham City Transport (who were rather particular about that sort of thing) would have changed the signage to read 'Buses load here for ....' within minutes of the last tram commencing its final sad journey.
 
Taken prior to spring 1939. The clue is the sign above the shelter which states 'CARS load here for ....' .
Birmingham City Transport (who were rather particular about that sort of thing) would have changed the signage to read 'Buses load here for ....' within minutes of the last tram commencing its final sad journey.
The shelters were built around 1931, as far as I know replacements for older ones. After the bombing of The Great Western Arcade, opposite Snow Hill, much of the glass - if not all - was replaced with boards. The last tram from Snow Hill was 31/3/39
.
 
Until 1954, when I moved, I can assure anyone that Grange and Manor class locomotives were often to be seen on the North Warwickshire line. On the Bank Holiday occasions there was a significant demand for locos and rolling stock heading to Stratford-upon-Avon. This often resulted in some unusual locos and ancient rolling stock appearing.
 
I know that such locomotives were used for trains between Birmingham and Cardiff via the North Warwickshire line.
 
My records show that in the mid/late 1950s No.7821'Ditcheat Manor' was sheded at nearby Tyseley (84E) together with three of the other 'lightweight' Grange class locomotives (6853 Morehampton Grange, 6861 Crynant Grange and 6866 Morfa Grange), so it is extremely likely that it/they would have appeared at Snow Hill at some time in their operational lives. I guess you just didn't happen to be there at the time!

In the forties, one would often see a Manor, or a Grange class engine working between Snow Hill & Tyseley, even Bulldogs, Saints/Courts, & Stars. Happy days, and a wonderful steam era. I started engine 'spotting' around 1942, both GWR & LMS, but gave up in 1948. Becoming a professional musician was more important to my future.

Technically speaking, Ditcheat Manor was never a Great Western Railway engine. It was built in November 1050.

Eddie
 
A couple of Grange class locomotives at Tyseley: 1950 & 1965
 

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Just to confirm that Manor class locomotives were still running out of Snow Hill as late as June 1963. The caption is self explanatory.

Eddie
 

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Living close to the North Warwickshire line I saw all GWR and post nationalization Swindon products, except the King Class pass by with passenger and freight. There were, for a short period, the famous GWR railcars and some grim looking austerity locomotives in the 90XXX series. I can't say I liked them. This ceased in 1954 when I left the area but still lived within former GWR territory. Air Force service introduced me to other lines ( I had seen LMS in Birmingham, the Black Country and The Potteries, when visiting those areas. Not a patch on the GW of course. ;)
There are still many ex GW and Swindon locos in the West Country on Heritage lines.
 
There were thirty GWR Manor Class locomotives built.7800 -7819 were built 1938/9 and the remainder 7820 - 7829 in 1950. Nine still exist and as far as I know three are presently in running order and work on heritage lines. I have seen 7820 and 7827 in action recently.
 
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