• 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

Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co

Simon Altham

proper brummie kid
The original company has appeared here a few times, so maybe time to post a little info about the new company.

It was set up as a not for profit in 2014, with the target of full charitable status as soon as we tick all the boxes. The company has 3 main aims. First is to rebuild a number of prototype diesel locos from the 1950's and 60's along with other items of rolling stock that failed to survive into preservation, the pride of the fleet will be the famous white Lion. In doing this we hope to be able to take on apprentices to pass on the skills needed to bash metal into some beautiful machines. We will create a museum dedicated to the original company, possibly 2 if we can find a suitable site in Smethwick. Finally we plan to establish a reference library containing as many drawings and publications as we can locate covering the diesel and electric era of British Rail. We plan to help owners of BRCW products wherever possible to get their vehicles back to peak condition, whether it's working space or help sourcing spares.

A new site will be up in the next few days with more information about our projects and links to our photo gallery, hosted on Clickersnap, which contains photos of over 240 of the 285 locos built in Smethwick and a growing number of multiple units, wagons and coaches.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As I have posted before my Grandfather and his deaf mute brother work there all their lives, I will be very interested in any info
 
This is a useful development. Several of the original BRCW buildings still remain on the former site.

LION (D0260) was a prototype that was made for the express passenger trade and was a competitor of the Brush factory prototype FALCON (D0280) that led the way for the class 47.

BRCW used Sulzer engines in the classes they did build for the Southern and Scottish Regions and LION had a Sulzer engine too. FALCON had a Maybach engine. LION had 3ft 9in diameter wheels, whilst FALCON had wheels of 3ft 7in diameter.

When Brush started to build the Class 47 (starting with D1500 in 1962), Sulzer engines and the larger wheel size was adopted. So it would seem that British Rail in choosing Brush also incorporated elements of the BRCW design in the new class.

60.jpg

With the failure of BRCW getting the contract to build the new express locomotives, the decision was taken to close to the Handsworth/ Smethwick factory.
 
A Green Line bus is shown (AEC "Q", 1935) whose body was made by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. The route details on the side of the bus reveal that it had a very lengthy journey from Uxbridge, through central London, then down to Epsom, Leatherhead and Great Bookham in Surrey. The engine was unusually placed on the offside of the bus. It is now at Brooklands Museum. Dave.
IMG_20200124_112142874 (2).jpgIMG_20200124_112125891 (2).jpg
 
BRCW were due to recieve a grant in April that would have allowed us to rent the former Test House on the old works site. Unfortunately the grant became a victim of Covid-19 and we started a crowdfunder to try and replace the money. The landlord couldn't hold the building for us any longer and had to rent to someone else. It isn't all bad news as we have been offered a better building which will be available in November. If you can spare any cash to help us we have a crowdfunding page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/testhousemuseum. We are also holding a prize draw for people who become members or make donations in multiples of £5 with several prizes that money can't buy. More info on this is at www.brcw.co/prizedraw/
 
This is a useful development. Several of the original BRCW buildings still remain on the former site.

LION (D0260) was a prototype that was made for the express passenger trade and was a competitor of the Brush factory prototype FALCON (D0280) that led the way for the class 47.

BRCW used Sulzer engines in the classes they did build for the Southern and Scottish Regions and LION had a Sulzer engine too. FALCON had a Maybach engine. LION had 3ft 9in diameter wheels, whilst FALCON had wheels of 3ft 7in diameter.

When Brush started to build the Class 47 (starting with D1500 in 1962), Sulzer engines and the larger wheel size was adopted. So it would seem that British Rail in choosing Brush also incorporated elements of the BRCW design in the new class.

View attachment 130969

With the failure of BRCW getting the contract to build the new express locomotives, the decision was taken to close to the Handsworth/ Smethwick factory.
 
Back
Top