• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

aston sheds

pistonvalve said:
The high level was the Aston-Stetchford line and the low level the Midland - New St Derby line.

Somebody on here will surly remember the local 'club' 'stovepipe' club I think. A coach used to pick up a load of us on the corner of Aston Church Road - Washwood Heath Road early on a Sunday morning an convey us all to all over the country visiting sheds or bunking them arriving back late Sunday night. Then we would spend all night underlining in our ABC's.

Mike.
Click to expand...

Not me Mike, my train spotting buddies lived all over the place. New St was where we met up to exchange notes and brag about what we had seen. I had no local friends that shared my passion for steam. What year would that have been?

Dave A
 
pistonvalve said:
Hi Dave, if my memory serves me right 1956 - 1958. I was there too on the end of No6

Mike.
Click to expand...
Well I left Brum in '56 and by this time I was at the age where girl spotting was more appealing. No 6, is that the platform where the spotters stood? I recall it was just before the tunnel.

Dave A
 
adap2it said:
Again Mike, I've been left Brum 60 years, I don't even recall 2 levels. I do remember the diversions, sitting on grassy banks overlooking the line, there were grassy banks on both sides something like a "cutting"or culvert, maybe this is what is being referred to. I do remember bunking in to Aston sheds and copping Clan Buchanan, Oh! the jubilation!!
Click to expand...
It got its name from the stetchford line embankment near the Derby line. That was the thrill of spotting in those days, you never knew what was going to turn up. When the Bullieds turned up in Birmingham on the football specials was one of the more spectacular I remember. I saw them from the over bridge at Tyesley Station. They looked fantastic coming round the curve from Leamington going at full tilt.
 
Yes Dave, No 6 end where we all went, close to the Midland side. Going out the first junction was 'Proof House' where I spent an hour or two working the levers mid 60's. My two legged spotting came just after!! No ABC to underline here.

Mike.
 
pistonvalve said:
Yes Dave, No 6 end where we all went, close to the Midland side. Going out the first junction was 'Proof House' where I spent an hour or two working the levers mid 60's. My two legged spotting came just after!! No ABC to underline here.

Mike.
Click to expand...
Was Proof house the box on the the right at the top of the grade from the tunnels. If it was we had a look round it when it had been closed and stripped out. The local vandals had been in there but I did find an old train register in all the rubbish on the floor but I think it was from the early 70,s. It,s in the loft so hav,nt seen it for ages.
 
HI Alan,

Yes it was, I would love to see the train registers for Washwood Heath box on the Aston-Stetchford line (grassy banks high level) just to see what I have missed on diversion days. What happened to these registers I wonder?

Mike.
 
Thought it was, such a shame to see the state of the box knowing what pride the signalmen took in their boxes. It was demolished shortly after, "bells no more". Yes they were good days, when the world was a nicer place. Do they use the Divi line much now do you know? Cheers Alan.
 
alan bartlett said:
Was Proof house the box on the the right at the top of the grade from the tunnels. If it was we had a look round it when it had been closed and stripped out. The local vandals had been in there but I did find an old train register in all the rubbish on the floor but I think it was from the early 70,s. It,s in the loft so hav,nt seen it for ages.
Click to expand...

Alan, you might want to get that train register valued, just in case. Odd bits of railwayana fetch surprising prices at auction nowadays.

Regards, Ray
 
Cheers Ray, I will dig it out. Years ago I had about 30 shed plates. My mom gave them to the scrap man when I was working away! WTF.
 
Alan, the Aston- Stechford line is still used. The recent fire at the scrap metal place by the line as shown on midlands TV, a freight hauled by a class 67 on the up line. I am not sure about Trent Valley diversions since Tamworth - Stafford was quadrupled. Some body on here may know of scheduled traffic using the line?

Mike.
 
Hi all, searching about Aston sheds, I came across this forum, thanks for having me, when I left school at 15 in 1963, My brother in law who was a fireman got me a job at Aston loco sheds as a engine cleaner, and progressed as far as past cleaner, and did a fair bit of firing before the demise of the sheds, unfortunately my memory of these days are very limited, and the only name I can remember was my foreman which was Savage, we were all transferred to new street, where all we did was second man the express's down to Vauxhall to drop off the coaches, and walk back to new street, also I lived in Aston Church Road opposite the signal box, and when I was at School I got to know the signal man, and spent many a happy hour in the signal box getting quite a expert at operating it, I used to bunk off school and had to hide in the underneath of the box, if a train stopped and the fireman came to see what the problem was, Happy days, I also remember it burning down.
 
Welcome aboard chazchas, Lived in Highfield Road and could see the line as it went through Wardend Park. Used to watch the down distant signal from my bedroom window especially on a Sunday Morning to see if there was a diversion on. After the electrification I witnessed the closing of the signal box on a Sunday morning in the mid 60's and the removal of the down distant peg - so sad. I had no idea the box caught fire, you learn something new every day!

Mike.
 
we used to get up early Sunday mornings when the diversions were on,and it was still dark, and when a train was coming we used to run across the road halfway up the path to the signal box, and shine a torch to see the numbers, I think the signal box had been closed for some time before it burnt down, always remember my farther going up to it with a small fire extinguisher, and it was in full blaze, we all took the p,
 
Hi Charles,

In the mid 50's was off school with a cold I recorded the traffic from early morning to late evening there were 24 up/down freights and one passenger - the 7.30am local and return at 7,45am, the record has long since gone!. Do you remember the 7.30pm shunt down the branch? to collect coaches/trucks from the met.

Mike.
 
Hi Mike,
vaguely, was this the branch that crossed the road on the bridge the bottom of the road by Arley road, we used to go onto the embankment by the viaduct putting pennies on the line, and there was a canal also, which I fell in more than once, my friends were Terry Vaugan, Peter Lodge, Alan Spears, Roger Tovey, Alan Smallville, did you know any of these
 
https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/ Yes that was the one, single line protected by a very old LNWK lower quadrant signal by the box. Sorry Charles, I don't remember any of the friends you recall. If you visit Warwickshire railways there are 5 pics. of the signal box and junction which will bring memories flooding back.

https://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg453.htm
https://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg454.htm
https://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg455.htm
https://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg456.htm

Mike.
 
Last edited:
Hi Charles, Interesting picture of Highfield Road looks like it was taken at the Alum Rock end. I used to walk down Aston Church Road under the single line branch bridge and enter 'grassy banks' as we called it through a gate in the fence then under the Aston Stechford line to a point by the met siding. Spent many hours there, just think we may have met!

Mike.
 
Hi Mike,more than likely, there was always lads and girls down there, I occasionally went to leigh Rd School, hated it with a passion, often dragged there by my Farther when caught bunking off, my farther was a taxi driver, and his cab was parked out side the house in Aston Church Rd, You may remember that.
Charles
 
Hi Charles, I went to Leigh Road school then Thornton Road school. I don't remember your father's taxi parked outside. But I remember about 4 oc. on the Midland up line the quadruple header light engine movement and two double header's soon after. Usually a mix of 9F, 8F all on the main heading to Water Orton sidings, this movement occurred every day! Likewise 45509 Derbyshire Yeomanry - backwards and forwards every day we used to call it Derbyshire Yo-Yo!! Bring back those times!!!

Mike.
 
pistonvalve said:
Hi Charles, I went to Leigh Road school then Thornton Road school. I don't remember your father's taxi parked outside. But I remember about 4 oc. on the Midland up line the quadruple header light engine movement and two double header's soon after. Usually a mix of 9F, 8F all on the main heading to Water Orton sidings, this movement occurred every day! Likewise 45509 Derbyshire Yeomanry - backwards and forwards every day we used to call it Derbyshire Yo-Yo!! Bring back those times!!!

Mike.
Click to expand...
Oh Yes, the Derbyshire Yeomanry, one of those Patriots rebuilt to look like a Scot...
Dave A
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top