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New Street Station From 1854 - 1966

Having read the correspondence on New Street station I thought you might wish to be updated on the station's pages on my website. See www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/bhamnewstreet.htm

I have completed some 178 photos on the station's infrastructure from 1863 to 1964 and for those that like engines, another 54 photos of locos pre-1923, 65 photos of locos between 1923 and 1947 and I am just about to start writing the captions for the 131 photos of trains post-1948.

If anyone wants to help write the captions they are very welcome to join in.

Regards

Mike
 
mikemusson, Thanks for posting the link full of historic views, i shall enjoy browsing through them no matter how long it takes!. Len.
 
Thanks MikeMusson for the link to your site. It is magnificent. I've Bookmarked it and look forward to browsing through it. The last time I used New St Station was at weekends during National Service in the late 50's.:)
 
Photo (possibly 1950's) of the Derby end of the 'Midland' side of the station showing New Street No.2 signal box.
 
Not seen that one of the Signalbox before Laurie ....... Thanks for sharing it here.
ragga .....
 
hi laurie
great photo brings back many memories I used to train spot not far from the No 2 signal box, on the other side you could see right down the line and the goods and shunters locos working the station.
paul
 
Hi Laurie and Paul, I used to train spot there too- end of no 6 platform I think. Saw all the Eastern region Brits except Britannia herself come in on the 'Glasgow' and leave the following day at 11 ish. we used to go and 'bunk' Aston shed (3D) in the evening and cab the 'Glasgow' loco. I think these loco's were on a running in turn from Crewe works, they were so clean you could eat your dinner of them! Those were the days.
 
Ooooh Yesssss!!! Platform 6...and sometimes 1A..........my goodness....what memories!!!! I used to be there in the early 1950's and sometimes go for a treat to Tamworth....One shilling and Three ha'pence return....then they put it up to One shilling and Fourpence Ha'penny.....didn't we think that a cheek !!!! also 'bunked' 3D Aston too.....and Monument Lane as well......what happy days....used to do our home shed too...21B Bournville to get the Cadbury specials.
 
Yes Mike, I remember the 9.00 from New St crammed full of spotters eagerly waiting the stop at Tamworth. Then we all piled out passed the café through the tunnel where one heard the echos of 'clangers' and 'peg on the main' long before we saw the field, and the cry 'semi' as an express went through. What memories.
 
Yeah Pistonvalve.....we found a wrinkle ......a train used to go out at 8.45 and straight there non stop.......and got us into Tamworth for the '9 o'clock stopper'....usually a good Jubilee 'Cop'.........sat in that field a few times wrapped in my bike cape with it pouring with rain....remember the cafe and those bottles of Cheethams lemonade????? 1 litre bottles which in those days were very unusual......and the photos at the cafe of trains too........still have one or two by a guy named Burrows.........
 
Living in Vauxhall over looking the Viaduct we often got single ,double and sometimes triple headers (all namers with no livery) come down the line from New Street(wish i had a camera ). Can anyone tell me what they were doing and where they were going. Dek
 
The other day I found a cutting (no railway pun intended!) that I had saved from the Birmingham Mail many years ago,probably from the early 60's.
The article in 'Uncle Len's Corner' featured one of the old shunting/pilot locos that were used at New Street at one time.The loco was based at the nearby Monument Lane shed,and the staff there named the loco 'Chipper' after the cartoon dog also from the Mail.
Also attached is a photo (from the early 1950's at a guess) that I found of the actual engine at New Street with the name Chipper painted on the leading wheel splasher.
Does anyone know who the writer "A.J.R." was? I wondered if he may have been the founder of A.J.Reeves & Co,a firm that supplied model engineers for many years,and who had a shop in Moseley Road at one time.
 
Hi Dek, I think the loco's you saw were on their way to Aston shed (3D) for servicing before their return to New St. Traffic control tended to do this for light engine movements - to keep pathing requirements to a minimum.

Hi Laurie - Haven't seen a picture of 'New Street Nuisance' for years!!.

Regards.
 
Anyone see or travel on the City of Birmingham Express? Good outings at a reasonable price back in 1962 and hauled by steam! Two visits to Birmingham on Sea (W-S-M) if you went both weeks.
 
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Hi
I read with interest of the Tamworth field & wonder if anyone out there still has a copy of their sightings on a day out to Tamworth during steam days please, there was also an article in one of the Railway magazines about the 'Field of Gold' which I cannot get hold of if anyone has a copy of this could they copy it & forward it to me please.
Cheers
Dave Rock
 
Four fascinating photographs, ragga. Thank you. But how strange to to see Photos #3 and #4 .............. not a steam engine in sight! Interesting to think that the photographer took them purely for their environmental/ architectural aspect. db84124
 
Excellent Ragga! May I ask regarding the first...that is Queens Drive looking TOWARDS Navigation Street or away?
 
Richie said:
Looking more closely with the skyscraper behind, No 1 must be looking towards Smallbrook Street?
Click to expand...

Yes Riche i think that is looking up Queens drive never seen it that empty it was usually full of parked cars. Dek
 
Thanks for posting those photos Ragga...it really takes me back since there are not many photos of the front of the station and the Queen's Hotel. Basically,New Street Station, although my work place, I entered my office through the white arch every working day for the 18months I worked there. ....it was also a playground of sorts for me. I could basically go anywhere on the station in 1957 when I started working there. I remember going down to see Duchesses and the Castles , very often at Platform One getting ready for their journeys with a team of workers making sure everything was in order. I wish I had had a camera to record those moments.

Of course, I was older than when I went to Lawrence's College just up the road in Corporation Street in the early l950's. I loved the blazing fires in the Waiting Rooms that usually blazed on all day for no one to appreciate. Someone had a job in the winter to keep the fires going and they did that job well. It was really great to spend a lunch hour with your sandwiches and a book in front of one of these fires in the winter. The usual battles occurred in the office about how long the windows should remain open and even then there was an awful incinerator just below our office windows which didn't deter the fresh air brigade....so escaping to any Waiting Room with a blazing fire in the grate in the middle of Winter was very welcome during the cold winter months at lunchtime.
 
As last year's posting of the Mace Archive newsreel regarding New St might have got lost in the changes recently, here's the chance of posting it again:

www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=6104#

However, a more recent newsreel has come on-line featuring the New St/Corporation St/Stephenson St junction. The appearance of the station comes in at 0.28 thereabouts. In addition, forumers might like to detail us about the views of Burton's, Barclays, and other now-lost landmarks on there:

www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=7577#

Richie.
 
Good piccy Mike :thumbsup: looks like it was taken on the opposite side of Queens drive
as to the photo in post 83 . thank you ............ ragga :)
 
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