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I think the post regarding the Wren archive deserves clarification. MS 20 is the Richard Fowler Collection of Birmingham Library Archives. I looked at the valuable canal records in that collection over time from the 1990s. In those days access was on the 7th Floor for the many informative...

My understanding as to rubbish, night soil was that it was tipped into the hold of a canal boat (narrowboat) at the various depots near the canal. Night soil from the hold to be placed on the fields was removed in the same way. Salvage depot procedure did change over time where incinerated dust...

I did try to visualise the arrangements as they were at the time of the accident and the location of the two signalmen (police) huts. One was at the Station side at the south end of the tunnel and the other to the north was at the ticket platform. By this date, the Shrewsbury and Birmingham...

I think Heath Robinson is not the correct term if this report is read throughout and does mention that the needle telegraph system was in use at the North and South Tunnels. The issue was with what happened in the North Tunnel. That form of signaling was considered an important innovation at the...

Mike Gee's post of December 6th shows the Grand Central Station, or New Street Station. On Thursday 10th December 1857 a 3rd class train left after mid-day for Liverpool. The signalman at the South end of the tunnel gave the right of way, but then later allowed a pilot engine to go to what was...

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.

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...

Monument Lane Station was opened in 1854 for passenger trains but was known as Edgbaston from 1853 when it was not advertised for trains. However, apart from providing a need for passengers to access or egress the platforms, there was also the need to serve as a "ticket platform". The need to...

It has to be remembered that the greater Lawley Street site includes the depot that deals with paper waste and has changed names and ownership over time, the queuing system for vehicles to pick up containers, etc, the Freightliner depot (presently an American company) and a cement terminal. Part...

Whilst the first image shows a train of what may be oil tanks, but could be tanks for the Albright & Wilson factory and a diesel locomotive at the head of the train, not a diesel multiple unit. Also the Oldbury Railway (the branch on the right) was made from Langley Green towards Oldbury and...

As to Farmers Bridge Junction, there have been recent discussions on the Canal Forum site. The choice of calling the junction by the Indoor Arena as Farmers Bridge is not the best and is one devised in relatively modern time. Distance tables refer to the Junction as Deep Cutting when looking...

Taking goods by narrowboat from Birmingham was limited to what could be packed into the hold of one or a pair of boats and would have also needed transshipment for carriage across the Mersey to Liverpool Docks. Carriage by train may have been a more practical option. The LNWR, in 1854 provided a...

A useful collection of images from various books. I must take issue with Historic England's reference to Farmers Bridge wharf and although the first development of wharves did happen opposite the junction between the Lock flight and the Newhall Branch, the wharves that developed from Farmers...

Brenda is accumulating information on the Lock Cottages relative to the BCN and present research is to discover those buildings that continued the numbering system beyond 1948 There were of course cottages that existed on the BCN before the numbering system came into being. 23 Summer Row for...

I would have thought Pedrocut might have paid more attention to the strike of May 1920 where boatmen engaged in the coal trade grieved by the lack of wage advancement and engaged in hostile action. At this time the canals were an essential supply of coal for industry and electricity generating...

The comment about Severners needs a response The River Severn, Warwickshire Avon, and Wye like other waterways had people who were paid to assist craft upstream they were called halliers (bow haulers). Such a practice became less familiar with the introduction of towing paths. While bow hauling...

Well, Birmingham factories made copious amounts of pen nibs with a former nib maker Brandauer still in business. There was once an important trade in coal south to the salt works and salt from the Droitwich and Stoke Works north to the chemical works of South Staffordshire. On your ride to...

There was another image that shows the buildings at the end of the arm at Samson Road Wharf. It was a scene busy with traffic and Grand Union Canal Carrying craft. Then the GUCC, and other operators, carried to other destinations in Birmingham including the Bakelite Wharf at Tyseley

That view shows the wharf at Birmingham Quay, Samson Road as the warehouses came to be made. These formed a group close to the top lock of the Camp Hill Flight.

The Chester & Liverpool Lighterage had taken over parts of the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Co trade and Midland & Coast took over another part and the LMS boatage service also took over a part. As to Neville Chamberlain he did persist and become involved with waterways improvement...