Railway Stables

[Heartland]

The use of horses for cartage and shunting, led to railway companies erecting large stable blocks at the main goods depots. The Great Western Railway, Midland Railway and the London & North Western Railway provided stables at Aston (LNWR), Central (Midland), Curzon Street (LNWR), Hockley (GWR), Lawley Street (Midland) and Moor Street (GWR) as well as others elsewhere. Most of these have now gone and demolished. Those at Moor Street (north side of Park Street) may still survive, they had air vents in the viaduct and were visible from passing trains.

 

[Heartland]

There were stables at the Hockley Goods depot and at the Interchange basin,

A view of the former stable blocks at Hockley

 

[Vivienne14]

Two LNWR express trains collided on the viaduct at Lawley Street in May 1892 and damaged the nearby railway stables, but fortunately most of the horses were out of the stables at the time. Viv.


Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[Vivienne14]

There were Midland Railway Co stables at Holliday Street for 111 horses. Viv.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[mikejee]

To "prevent dripping"- very delicately put

 

[Heartland]

The Lawley Street accident involved two trains a Midland passenger service from Carlisle to Bristol and a LNWR train from London to Birmingham & Wolverhampton. The track arrangements were different then, the Midland Railway viaduct joined directly with the LNWR near the stable block. These building were in Landor Street and I recall a building on that site which was taken down a few years ago.

This was also the spot where there was a wagon siding under the LNWR from the MR depot to a wagon lift. Track alterations were subsequently made to take the MR under the LNWR and it is that arrangement which prevails today.

 

[izzy eckerslike]

My father worked for BR parcels starting around 1933. He used to tell me about some of the horses based at Curzon Street, some of them were huge and very bad tempered, probably because they were mistreated so they would kick & bite at every opportunity. Some horses would only behave with certain drivers.
Dad used to go out with a driver on the delivery cart aged 14 along New Canal Street, the horses used to know exactly where to go and where to stop which was outside the nearest coffee house. Dad had to wait with the horse. Coming back after the cart was empty the horse would stop at at certain pubs while the driver had a quick half.

 

[Jeepwolf]

The use of horses for cartage and shunting, led to railway companies erecting large stable blocks at the main goods depots. The Great Western Railway, Midland Railway and the London & North Western Railway provided stables at Aston (LNWR), Central (Midland), Curzon Street (LNWR), Hockley (GWR), Lawley Street (Midland) and Moor Street (GWR) as well as others elsewhere. Most of these have now gone and demolished. Those at Moor Street (north side of Park Street) may still survive, they had air vents in the viaduct and were visible from passing trains.

Heartland, the stables you mention at Moor Street, would these be the ones that are located in the tunnel ? If so there was also a blacksmiths shop within them, and the tethering posts are still in there.

 

[mikejee]

Not Birmingham, but just come across this cutting from 1965 about the retirement of the last but two horse on the railways (from Railway World.Jan 1965)