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The City of Birmingham - 46235

Yeah, I too have seen several photo's of Coronation Class in New Street. But what the tunnel head clearance is now is unknown and it seems to me that the photo's of this engine were all taken on the up line to London. Maybe that was the only line to have the necessary head room. The stacks are very flush. I can't remember if any of the photo's were semi's though.
Bit daft to build engines for the LMS that would not fit into the second city station. What were they thinking if this is the case. Great looking engine with or without the streamlining. The last hurrah for steam although there is another one that was built recently that is not too shabby also. I can't imagine that you would want to run these heavy thumpers on track that modern light Pendulino style rolling stock runs on
 
Hi Rupert,

I agree, but having lived by the track throughout the 1950s, I can say with certainty that during that time,
I never saw one in use on the Stechford to New St Line. Maybe there was a weight problem
rather than the myth regarding the height. Perhaps the track was lowered in the 1960s.
Again, you wouldn't have expected the clearance in tunnels to be that critical.

Kind regards

Dave
 
https://www.railuk.info/members/steam/getsteam.php?row_id=10785

https://www.semaphoresandsteam.com/p127970527/h5FE186C2#h5fe186c2

A couple of links about the loco. It was always shedded at Crewe I understand and at some points in its career, being one the principal main line locos, it must have visited Birmingham New Street.

I know of the former LMS/BR main lines north of New Street, but being a GWR person I never used the London route from New Street. only the Paddington one, so I am not sure of its route southwards.
 
Princess Coronations were built for long haul expresses on the West Coast Main Line (ie London to Glasgow) It would be a waste of power to use them on the Wolverhampton-L-Birmingham- London route. This route was very ably handled by LMS Jubilee and LMS Black Fives based at Bushbury.
 
I remember the tale about clearances from my train-spotting days and after a bit of delving on the web it seems that there was limited clearance in a tunnel between New Street and Proofhouse Junction. As a part of a line upgrade this was opened out in 1961 by building an additional external lining to the tunnel and then using controlled explosions to remove the inner lining. As part of the West Coast main line upgrade quite a few "Duchesses" were diverted via New Street from about 1963.

This is City of London in 1963 https://www.flickr.com/photos/16749798@N08/3164834488/in/set-72157622673062635/

Regards

Sandy Brook
 
I heard the same story re 46235 City of Birmingham getting stuck in the tunnel whilst attempting to visit New Street Station from Proof House Junction for the centenary celebrations. I believe the chimney got damaged and also the lining of the tunnel. There was no problem with clearances from the Wolverhampton end.

The loco passed through the City on many occasions (Aston - Stetchford line) on Sundays whilst been diverted from its normal route - WCML. I lived close by in the 50's and saw it pulling the 'Royal Scott' express on its way north at about 12.30 PM.


Mike.
 
There was a rumour going round that City of Birmingham was going to be refurbished at Tyseley and brought back into steam. Unfortunately the cost of getting it to Tyseley could not be raised. Pity there are no entrepreneurs interested.
 
It will be a bit hard to get it out of Thinktank at Millennium Point now. Especially since the Thinktank Science Garden got built!

This is the view from inside Thinktank to the Science Garden



 
Yeah, I too have seen several photo's of Coronation Class in New Street. But what the tunnel head clearance is now is unknown and it seems to me that the photo's of this engine were all taken on the up line to London. Maybe that was the only line to have the necessary head room. The stacks are very flush. I can't remember if any of the photo's were semi's though.
Bit daft to build engines for the LMS that would not fit into the second city station. What were they thinking if this is the case. Great looking engine with or without the streamlining. The last hurrah for steam although there is another one that was built recently that is not too shabby also. I can't imagine that you would want to run these heavy thumpers on track that modern light Pendulino style rolling stock runs on


It seems that Semi's did reach new Street in the 1960's https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwrbns_br2003.htm


I've read before that the ballast on railway lines has been raised, reducing the clearances that are available.
 
Hi

Nice picture, but just one academic point. The train is not standing at Platform 1 as stated in the article, but
at Platform 3. Platforms 1 and 2 were not through lines, but stopped just behind the stairway down from the overhead
bridge to Platform 3. You could walk through the gap to the bar at the back of Platform 1. Happy Days!

Kind regards

Dave
 
On another academic point, had 46257 arrived from somewhere up North, and is waiting to remove the stock to Vauxhall or was it a train bound for Euston?
 
Hi

Nice picture, but just one academic point. The train is not standing at Platform 1 as stated in the article, but
at Platform 3. Platforms 1 and 2 were not through lines, but stopped just behind the stairway down from the overhead
bridge to Platform 3. You could walk through the gap to the bar at the back of Platform 1. Happy Days!

Kind regards

Dave


It is a very good site, but I have noticed mistakes in the past, however I never noticed this one.
 
In the Feb. 2015 issue 'Steam World', there is a photo of 46235 City of Birmingham on a 3 coach Crewe-Warrington train in 1955. It is fitted with a sloping smoke box boiler indicating that during its early years, it was one of the streamlined locomotives however, the locomotive in the Birmingham Museum has a straight smoke box. This raises an interesting question, did 46235 have a boiler change between 1955 and it being donated to the museum or is the present exhibit another locomotive purporting to be 46235?
 
In the Feb. 2015 issue 'Steam World', there is a photo of 46235 City of Birmingham on a 3 coach Crewe-Warrington train in 1955. It is fitted with a sloping smoke box boiler indicating that during its early years, it was one of the streamlined locomotives however, the locomotive in the Birmingham Museum has a straight smoke box. This raises an interesting question, did 46235 have a boiler change between 1955 and it being donated to the museum or is the present exhibit another locomotive purporting to be 46235?

Hi, that seems like an odd working for a Princess Coronation Pacific! I've seen a nice colour picture of 46235 at Crewe North Shed in 1958 while wearing "Royal Highlander" headboards. According to the trustworthy folks at Wikipedia, it had a boiler change in 1952.
 
Hi

Nice picture, but just one academic point. The train is not standing at Platform 1 as stated in the article, but
at Platform 3. Platforms 1 and 2 were not through lines, but stopped just behind the stairway down from the overhead
bridge to Platform 3. You could walk through the gap to the bar at the back of Platform 1. Happy Days!

Kind regards

Dave

Oh right, thanks for the info. Did you visit the old Snow Hill station much, and if so did you prefer it to the old New Street?
 
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