Snow Hill Station

[Harbornite76]

I don't know if it is still happening but once a day in each direction a train hauled by a Class 68 runs through the station on driver training, Marylebpone to Stourbridge Junction. Sorry I don't know the time.

Here's a shot of 68010 on a Stourbridge- Stourbridge run via Leamington and Wembley.

 

[Harbornite76]

You also get a handful of 170's and 153's.

 

[ellbrown]

170630 at Snow Hill in December 2013

 

[ellbrown]

New group on Flickr Long-Gone Birmingham Snow Hill

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks for posting the link Ell. What a great collection of photos. Love the booking office one with all the tickets lined up ready for passengers. How times have changed even, I expect, down to the control offices. Viv

 

[ellbrown]

No problem Viv!


All automated now (ticket machines near both entrances). Ticket barriers that are or are not open.


The only steam trains you see there now are things such as the Shakespeare Express! (and other ones in the summer from Vintage Trains). https://www.flickr.com/search?text=Birmingham snow hill steam train

 

[smithy82/3]

Hi anybody! they tell me that Snow Hill is being 'done up' anyone remember the diesel 'Bluebird' railcar which ran from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton? I also remember that machine which stamped your name, we had them sewn on our school bags, Cheers. P.S it always looked like smoke anyway

\\

Hi Dave - You have brought back a memory from my dim and distant past. Yes I do remember stamping out my name on that machine, I had forgotten all about that. I used to love it, and getting the strip with the print on it. Fantastic. It seemed to me as a child that we always used to start out holidays by train from Snow Hill in the late 40's/early 50's, and got so exited when the train came in, pouring out smoke, ready to take us to the seaside.

Judy

 

[Phil]

Hi Smithy

Is there anything left of the old Snow Hill to be "done up", I didn't think there was. Is this the railcar that you referred to in your post?


Please note I have replaced what photos I can to this thread

 

[smithy82/3]

Thanks Phil, it looks like the one, very comfortable for a 9d ride. cheers

 

[oldMohawk]

The photo of the GWR Diesel Railcar brought back some childhood memories ...

I've probably mentioned it before somewhere on the forum, but I had my first childhood holiday towards the end of WW2 at Arley. I went on a train to Bridgenorth or probably Shrewsbury and was very disappointed because it was a GWR Diesel railcar and not a 'real' steam train. So I had my 'Forties Week' in the real Forties.

My first holiday as a child was towards the end of WW2. We went with our next door neighbours, by Midland Red bus to Bewdley, I can't remember how we got to Arley, but do remember standing at a signpost with the 'grown-ups' arguing about which way to go. We stayed in a real gypsy caravan in a farmer's field near Arley. The caravan had large wooden wheels with horse shafts, and steps up to the end door. It was decorated with bright colours inside and out. It had a wood burning stove for cooking. I used to go with my sister down a hill across the railway track to the River Severn, and I remember a small island in the river at that point. We used to watch US airplanes flying along the river so low we could look down on them from the hill. I also remember the pub down by the river.
Memories........

Click the up arrows if you want to go to those threads ...

 

[Harbornite76]

Thanks Phil, it looks like the one, very comfortable for a 9d ride. cheers

I hadn't heard of the railcar being referred to as the bluebird before. They used to run to Dudley via Old Hill and Blowers Green and were nicknamed the Dudley dodgers. There was also the Blue Pullman which was an express diesel unit that ran from Paddington to Wolverhampton Low Level.

 

[norfolk brummie]

Just came across a rather unusual, but great photograph, of L.M Region Coronation Pacific "City of Bristol" at Snow Hill station in B.R days, at the head of a Birkenhead-Paddington express train. Whether they went into New Street or not, they certainly went into Snow Hill!!

Cannot work out how to send a photograph under the new BHF website system. No problems with the old system.

Eddie

 

[DavidGrain]

Just came across a rather unusual, but great photograph, of L.M Region Coronation Pacific "City of Bristol" at Snow Hill station in B.R days, at the head of a Birkenhead-Paddington express train. Whether they went into New Street or not, they certainly went into Snow Hill!! Eddie

If it was on the Birkenhead-Paddington train it must have come on at Wolverhampton as the loco would have been too heavy for the lines north of Wolverhampton. So what was it doing at Wolverhampton? and what did WR men think of being rostered with an LMR engine?

 

[mike jenks]

Haven't got the picture? There was a period of swapping Pacific Class Locos between regions it didn't last long. Few photos around on various sites.

 

[oldMohawk]

Hi Eddie, to post a photo ...
1.
Click the second button 'Upload a File' on the right at the bottom.

2.
A small window will appear which lets you search for your photo in your computer.

3.
Click on the photo you want showing in the window and it will appear as a small thumbnail below the forum's 'Upload a File' button with the word 'Insert' next to it.

4.
Click on either 'thumbnail' or 'full image', position your pointer where you want your photo to show in the post and then click the 'Insert' button.

5.
Your photo should insert and appear in the post.

oldmohawk

 

[norfolk brummie]

If it was on the Birkenhead-Paddington train it must have come on at Wolverhampton as the loco would have been too heavy for the lines north of Wolverhampton. So what was it doing at Wolverhampton? and what did WR men think of being rostered with an LMR engine?

Temporary loan to replace 'King' 4-6-0s under repair, heading a Birkenhead/Paddington express. No further information.

However I will attempt to print the photograph onto the website, together with the caption.

Eddie

 

[norfolk brummie]

With grateful help from oldmohawk, this is the photograph

 

[devonjim]

In 1970's I needed some hardcore/ballast for the foundations of a building project, a neighbour was involved with the demolition work at Snow Hill. I have long family connections with GWR so how could I resist getting a load of Snow Hill track ballast as the foundation for my garage! I was a bit worried by the diesel contamination when it came!

 

[Lady Penelope]

Just a few atmospheric shots of the ruins of Snow Hill taken in the sixties. All from slides.

 

[Shortie]

It was only after viewing John's pictures (before and after) that I started to wonder why the Grand Hotel was never called the Great Western, as so many others were. Was it because, although close to the station, it didn't actually belong to the Great Western company?

Wellington Street, where I was born and bred, in Winson Green was a train spotters' paradise, with both LMS and GWR bridging it. The back of our house wasn't bad either with the LMS railway bank at the bottom of the garden and a signal stop so close you could chat to the drivers while sitting on the garden wall.

I don't come to this forum very often and I can't see a reply to this, so I think I can answer your question. The frontage of Snow Hill was the Great Western Hotel but the Grand was nothing to do with the railway. It was built by Isaac Horton (the existing Hortons' Estate is what his company became). He also built The Midland Hotel - Hortons' Estate owns a lot of property in Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Isaac Horton was a pig farmer who sold his meat and bought property, his first shop was in the Bull Ring. he died around 1881 and is buried in Key Hill Cemetery.

 

[mikejee]

But there was originally a Great Western Hotel which was in front of the station , on Colmore Row, but it was closed when the station was rebuilt in c1912, and made into railway offices.

 

[norfolk brummie]

From : Birmingham Snow Hill Station, by Derek Harrison

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi Folks, sorry I'm a bit late coming to the party, I hope its not too late, judging by the date of the last posting I fear everyone may have gone home! I chanced across your thread whilst putting some details together for a posting on my home thread Harry Lucas Secondary School. My memory of Old Snow Hill Station stretches back to the early 50's when me and my family caught the train for our annual holiday in Weston-Super-Mare, I think the train would have been hauled by a Castle, Manor or Hall, (I doubt it was a King, the train wasn't posh enough). I didn't start train spotting until the early 60's when I caught the bug from classmates. My journey home from school involved 2 buses first into the city; often, before I got the second, I would make my way to Snow Hill Station and set-up camp on a bench on Platform 7, close to the metal label printing machine and the BSA glass gun display cabinet, this was 62-63 and steam was fading fast. I would wait to see what was pulling the 7.00 pm Pullman to Glasgow before setting off home, invariably at that time the loco was one of the Class 52 Westerns.
I know I'm very, very late but I only learned recently of the death of Derek Harrison; I have spent many a happy hour watching his video: The History Of Snow Hill and I'm sure if the old station still remained his spirit would be roaming freely about it, the New Snow Hill?, somehow I think not.
Photo attached: Western Huntsman just about to return to Snow Hill with holidaymakers who had just finished enjoying the delights of Weston-Super-Mare, August 1964.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

Do you know what? I never spelt my name wrong so many times as when I was using the metal labelling machine, ended up with drawer full of useless labels, all with one letter too many or short - spent a fortune, anyway it was the journey that was important not the destination, being in charge of the machine was great fun, somehow it's not the same producing a perfect label by computer.
I wonder if anyone's got a platform ticket hidden somewhere? I haven't but I've got an Air Raid Shelter ticket dated 8 May 1941 for a Trinity Road Station - no idea where that was, (It's a bit grubby but I can try and copy and post if there is interest, but I know this is the wrong thread).
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Astoness]

peg we have sections for most topics and subjects so that where possible we try to post under the correct thread those who have already posted on it are more likely to respond to a new post that has been made..having said that we do not have a thread for air raid shelter tickets so could i suggest you post it under ww2 discussion section..click on sub section the blitz and homefront and start a new thread giving it your own title..ie AIR RAID SHELTER TICKET ...would love to see that...trinity road would i think be the one in aston

lyn

 

[Radiorails]

Until recently there was an advisory to users of BHF to make a search before opening new threads. I guess as there was much to do with the Forum revamp it was not re-instated.

 

[Peg Monkey]

peg we have sections for most topics and subjects so that where possible we try to post under the correct thread those who have already posted on it are more likely to respond to a new post that has been made..having said that we do not have a thread for air raid shelter tickets so could i suggest you post it under ww2 discussion section..click on sub section the blitz and homefront and start a new thread giving it your own title..ie AIR RAID SHELTER TICKET ...would love to see that...trinity road would i think be the one in aston

lyn

Hi Lyn, Done, thanks to your excellent instructions, ticket photographed surprisingly well.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[maypolebaz]

Thanks for posting this Peg. I remember seeing that gun display case in the late 50s when I was a young Gunner.
I was fascinated because the rifle inside was a "civilianised" Lee Enfield .303 No. 4 rifle, and a beautiful job had been made of it too.
I can't imagine a rifle on display like that in these troubled times !

 

[Peg Monkey]

Thanks for posting this Peg. I remember seeing that gun display case in the late 50s when I was a young Gunner.
I was fascinated because the rifle inside was a "civilianised" Lee Enfield .303 No. 4 rifle, and a beautiful job had been made of it too.
I can't imagine a rifle on display like that in these troubled times !

I'm with you there! Although the cabinet was in a fairly secure site on the platform you can well see that the contents could attract unwelcome attention.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Astonian]

Hi Peg and Phil
firstlyPeg i liked your photograph of snow hill ,and I know phil you like the snow hill and trains
they say history repeats its self so here we are again, judging by the photographs guys
I am posting down now , which of course is an early photo of snowhill station