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Snow Hill Station

I often saw Kings on the up Cambrian Coast on Saturdays but I just watched trains, I never was taking down loco numbers.

I once saw two Kings double heading but since then everybody has told me that never happened and would never have been possible but if Wolverhampton had an engine that needed to be returned to OOC what would you do with it? You would not send it light engine all that way.

By the way I did read in a magazine that here was one working that was rostered for 2 Kings. It was a regular Friday working to avoid a light engine movement. I think it was in the Norton Fitzwarren area.
 
I was an avid spotter at both Snow Hill and Shrewsbury in 1959 (the year of the picture) even got to drive the station pilot in the yard at Snow Hill! I never once saw a King at Shrewsbury or a King on the Cambrian Coast which usually had an engine change at Shrewsbury, from a manor to a Castle. However in September 1960 everything started to change with the introduction of the Blue Pullman and there must have been quite a few spare Kings! A few years later I can even remember seeing a King in appalling condition on a freight working. The whole rundown of Snow Hill and the Western Region in the Midlands area was pretty shameful and pathetic.

Still, guess who searched Snow Hill from top to bottom including the subway after closure every weekend?
 
interesting map of snowhill tunnel from the 1930s showing the two shopping arcades (Great Western Arcade and North Western Arcade)

gwrbsh3827.jpg
map Robert Ferris warwickshirerailways.com
 
mw0njm. said:
interesting map of snowhill tunnel from the 1930s showing the two shopping arcades (Great Western Arcade and North Western Arcade)

gwrbsh3827.jpg
map Robert Ferris warwickshirerailways.com
Click to expand...
Fascinating! I could study that for hours! I also like the cross section (top right) showing the tunnel in relation to the arcade, shops and properties over them.
 
Also not often shown is the entrance to the tunnel from the basement of the old Bank of England.

I have heard a story about how one day the driver of a bullion train had a problem with his engine and could not get it started. The signalman got concerned when the train did not appear so the driver was surprised when he eventually arrived in the station he was met by armed police.
 
You are right about the effort used on building the railways, but in this case these tunnels involved just building a roof over an already existing cutting (which admittedly must have been constructed earlier)
 
mikejee said:
You are right about the effort used on building the railways, but in this case these tunnels involved just building a roof over an already existing cutting (which admittedly must have been constructed earlier)
Click to expand...
The tunnel was opened in 1852 by the Great Western Railway as part of its London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside main line. It was built using the cut and cover method as far as Temple Row, and then a deep cutting to Snow Hill. In 1872 the cutting from Temple Row to Snow Hill was roofed over and the Great Western Arcade built on top.
 
“A splendid portrait of railwaymen who is in his element on the footplate of his charge as he poses for the camera at Snow Hill during the fifties. Joe Evans, presumably a local man based at 84E at Tyseley, would have long since retired from the railway scene as has his mount. GWR Modified Hall Class 4-6-0 No 6984 Owsden Hall. although the latter has since been saved after along period of storage at Barry Docks. (K.S Carpenter)

British Railways steaming through the fifties by Hands, Peter (1993)


4433880C-6CF9-4EF6-8462-F38051A2D417.jpeg
 
mw0njm. said:
British Railways' flagship Blue Pullman is seen arriving at Platform 5 with the 4 50pm Paddington to Wolverhampton service on 9th April 1962.
gwrbsh1296.jpg

pic from warwickshirerailways
Click to expand...
Great photo, and it begs the question, was it a special event? The immaculate (brand new?) Western class diesel hydraulic loco on the right is parked up against the buffers of the bay platform. Is it on show?
 
mw0njm. said:
British Railways' flagship Blue Pullman is seen arriving at Platform 5 with the 4 50pm Paddington to Wolverhampton service on 9th April 1962.
gwrbsh1296.jpg

pic from warwickshirerailways
Click to expand...
I was there!!! although I'm surprised it was as late as 1962, I took a picture of it with my rubbish camera.
I have the Bachmann version of the Blue Pullman, it's a brilliant model.
 

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brummy-lad said:
I was there!!! although I'm surprised it was as late as 1962, I took a picture of it with my rubbish camera.
I have the Bachmann version of the Blue Pullman, it's a brilliant model.
Click to expand...
as i posted earlier we sneeked in the mcw to have a look at it being made but a security person told us to leave. have you got the pic still?
 
The tunnel was opened in 1852 by the Great Western Railway as part of its London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside main line. It was built using the cut-and-cover method as far as Temple Row, and then a deep cutting to Snow Hill. In 1872 the cutting from Temple Row to Snow Hill was roofed over and the Great Western Arcade was built on top.

The period of construction and opening of the railway from Oxford, through Banbury, Leamington, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, and Chester involved several railway companies and working arrangements. many of which became vested in the Great Western Railway and came eventually to enable the running of trains to Birkenhead.

The railway through the tunnel of the GWR to the station was opened to passengers in October 1852. Timetables call the station Birmingham, although other names such as Livery Street were applied. Snow Hill was not used until 1858, it would appear.
 
brummy-lad said:
I was there!!! although I'm surprised it was as late as 1962, I took a picture of it with my rubbish camera.
I have the Bachmann version of the Blue Pullman, it's a brilliant model.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the extra photos. It looks as if D1000 was on display.

I guess the Blue Pullman was the forerunner of the HST, having a power car each end, but I have heard it was a bit noisy and rough riding. Can anyone comment? It was certainly on the scrap lines outside Swindon by 1973, so I surmise not a great success?
 
There was more than one Blue Pulman set of units and it was part of the development of higher speed passenger services using internal combustion rather than electricity. Some were Western Region and others were Midland Region.
None were preserved.
 
Heartland said:
The tunnel was opened in 1852 by the Great Western Railway as part of its London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside main line. It was built using the cut-and-cover method as far as Temple Row, and then a deep cutting to Snow Hill. In 1872 the cutting from Temple Row to Snow Hill was roofed over and the Great Western Arcade was built on top.

The period of construction and opening of the railway from Oxford, through Banbury, Leamington, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, and Chester involved several railway companies and working arrangements. many of which became vested in the Great Western Railway and came eventually to enable the running of trains to Birkenhead.

The railway through the tunnel of the GWR to the station was opened to passengers in October 1852. Timetables call the station Birmingham, although other names such as Livery Street were applied. Snow Hill was not used until 1858, it would appear.
Click to expand...
While I don’t have a time line, I think it’s amazing how quickly this work is completed without very much equipment!
 
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