• 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
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co

H

Heath Street

master brummie
Edit.
Background. MRCW Co was established in 1853. By 1924 it was an associate company of Cammell, Laird and Co. In 1929 Vickers, after acquiring the shares of the Metropolitan Co, came together with Cammell, Laird and Co and each merged their rolling stock interests to form Metro Cammell.
Then by 1932 the preference shares in the company were acquired by Metro Cammell

A thread about Metro Cammell is here: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/metro-cammell-saltley.354/page-3
—————————————————————————————————————————————

Hi A Wayne - found this interesting thread - would you know of any records available to view giving the names of employees in this company during 1850 - 1860 - regards Val
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I too Val would love to know if there are any records of the name of employees as in our family tree we have someone who was a "coach builder" and we assume! that he worked at the Met.

Fingers crossed eh!
 
Hello to you - I also PRESUME as I have no other information whatsoever to go on, have you done any research into tracing any records, if not I will try and delve, the person in your tree what year approx. do you think they were 'possibly' working there. At the beginning of my family tree research I thought it was motor coaches, never entered my head it could be train coaches, it was only through posting a message on this wonderful site that someone replied with the suggestion of train! I have been onto the web and looked at a few Met. sites but nothing yet regarding employees! will keep you informed - love the A Spotless Home is a Homeless Spot

surnames
Hemmings, Osborne
 
This might be of interest (Metropolitan Works, Birmingham). Strange that there's a policeman prominently on duty there. Sorry no date. Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalkHD1390298324.351959.jpg
 
An interesting photograph Vivienne.

I looks rather like it is lunchtime to me, shadows and no frantic rush to leave the factory, as so often seen on old newsreels. I think the policeman is there simply for safety for 'crossing the road' reasons. Not much traffic then, but being pre WW2, when I believe the pic was taken there would be enough to warrant caution with so many people exiting the works.
Now who has other ideas?
 
No ideas about the policeman, but T.J. Swingler took over the shop on the corner ( no 2) as a post office around 1900 (hei is not there in 1899, but at another nearby site. He continued there till sometime between 1913 and 1915 , when he moved the post office next door to no 4, and George Edward Swingler took over the corner site as a stationer.
 
Thanks both for all that info. Yes it does look like lunchtime and I expect Swingler's did very good trade there. I notice there's one lonely girl sitting outside the shop (you have to zoom in to see her). Been trying to make out the newspaper headline on the board by the shop entrance, but all I can see is ".... .... must come off" . Viv.
 
..YS SMILE MUST COME OFF"

Metropolitan_Works2C_Birmingham_part.jpg
 
Thanks Mike. This could be a candidate for the 'Have I got news for you' caption round. Can't even guess the rest. But thanks. Viv.o
 
Wonderful pic Viv thank you. I wonder who the caption was referring to.
 
Archaeologists and historians are being given the opportunity to review the story of the development of Birmingham as an international powerhouse when they explore the remains of the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Company at Saltley and Washwood Heath.

Was this connected with Metro Cammell anyone ?


Viv.
 
My Grandad and his brother, worked at a Carriage works in Smethwick,? I thought for all their lives was this the same one?
 
Hi,
After the acquisition of MRCW Co by Metropolitan Cammell the Washwood Heath site was
known as the Midland Works and MC's works in Metropolitan Rd Saltley as the Saltley Works.

Kind regards
Dave
 
Hi OldBrit,

The works in Middlemore Rd Smethwick was the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co.

Kind regards
Dave
 
Great, thanks all. Shall give some thought as to how we use this thread in relation to the Metro Cammel ones. I’d like to have a thread which makes it clear what findings are made from the archaeological (HS2) investigations. Shall look at all the threads first. Viv.
 
What an interesting thread. Can't resist posting a pic of one of their wagons from my 00 gauge collection.
Incidentally Acocks Green Library has on display some models of their carriages & very nice they are indeed. Proper engineering models made by the firm.
 

Attachments

  • 1540841884868.png
    1540841884868.png
    292.3 KB · Views: 27
oldbrit said:
Thanks Dave What happened to it do you know?
Click to expand...

Hi Oldbrit,

I think it just went out of business, I don't believe it was taken over by anyone else, but I could be wrong.
I remember a chap who had worked for them when I was at the Met.

Kind regards
Dave
 
Dave89 said:
Hi Oldbrit,

I think it just went out of business, I don't believe it was taken over by anyone else, but I could be wrong.
I remember a chap who had worked for them when I was at the Met.

Kind regards
Dave
Click to expand...
BRCW went into administration in 1963, they worked very closely with Metro Cammell who took over a lot of the contracts they had towards the end.
 
Vivienne14 said:
This might be of interest (Metropolitan Works, Birmingham). Strange that there's a policeman prominently on duty there. Sorry no date. Viv.

View attachment 90734
Click to expand...
One of my husbands ancesters was a works policeman at the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Works according to the 1911 Census, I wonder if it was him. He previously had been in the Grenadier Guards.
 
When we went train spotting at grassy banks,one day we sneaked in the works,while they were building the pullman, but we got caught and was escorted out by security.after getting a tongue lashing.
 

Attachments

  • blue-pullman_1.jpg
    blue-pullman_1.jpg
    423.7 KB · Views: 5
Kathsutton46 said:
One of my husbands ancesters was a works policeman at the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Works according to the 1911 Census, I wonder if it was him. He previously had been in the Grenadier Guards.
Click to expand...


Hi Kath,

The picture is outside the Metropolitan Works at Saltley.

Your relative would have worked at the MRCW Works in Washwood Heath, later
known as the Midland Works after the amalgamation of the two, but this would
have been over a decade after the 1911 Census.

When I was at the Midland Works in the 70s/80s, the works police had posts at the
Aston Church Road and Leigh Road entrances, and their office and weighbridge
at the main entrance in Common Lane.

Kind regards
Dave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top