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Snow Hill Station

JOJ184 said:
Taken prior to spring 1939. The clue is the sign above the shelter which states 'CARS load here for ....' .
Birmingham City Transport (who were rather particular about that sort of thing) would have changed the signage to read 'Buses load here for ....' within minutes of the last tram commencing its final sad journey.
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The shelters were built around 1931, as far as I know replacements for older ones. After the bombing of The Great Western Arcade, opposite Snow Hill, much of the glass - if not all - was replaced with boards. The last tram from Snow Hill was 31/3/39
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Until 1954, when I moved, I can assure anyone that Grange and Manor class locomotives were often to be seen on the North Warwickshire line. On the Bank Holiday occasions there was a significant demand for locos and rolling stock heading to Stratford-upon-Avon. This often resulted in some unusual locos and ancient rolling stock appearing.
 
I know that such locomotives were used for trains between Birmingham and Cardiff via the North Warwickshire line.
 
JOJ184 said:
My records show that in the mid/late 1950s No.7821'Ditcheat Manor' was sheded at nearby Tyseley (84E) together with three of the other 'lightweight' Grange class locomotives (6853 Morehampton Grange, 6861 Crynant Grange and 6866 Morfa Grange), so it is extremely likely that it/they would have appeared at Snow Hill at some time in their operational lives. I guess you just didn't happen to be there at the time!
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In the forties, one would often see a Manor, or a Grange class engine working between Snow Hill & Tyseley, even Bulldogs, Saints/Courts, & Stars. Happy days, and a wonderful steam era. I started engine 'spotting' around 1942, both GWR & LMS, but gave up in 1948. Becoming a professional musician was more important to my future.

Technically speaking, Ditcheat Manor was never a Great Western Railway engine. It was built in November 1050.

Eddie
 
A couple of Grange class locomotives at Tyseley: 1950 & 1965
 

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Just to confirm that Manor class locomotives were still running out of Snow Hill as late as June 1963. The caption is self explanatory.

Eddie
 

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Living close to the North Warwickshire line I saw all GWR and post nationalization Swindon products, except the King Class pass by with passenger and freight. There were, for a short period, the famous GWR railcars and some grim looking austerity locomotives in the 90XXX series. I can't say I liked them. This ceased in 1954 when I left the area but still lived within former GWR territory. Air Force service introduced me to other lines ( I had seen LMS in Birmingham, the Black Country and The Potteries, when visiting those areas. Not a patch on the GW of course. ;)
There are still many ex GW and Swindon locos in the West Country on Heritage lines.
 
There were thirty GWR Manor Class locomotives built.7800 -7819 were built 1938/9 and the remainder 7820 - 7829 in 1950. Nine still exist and as far as I know three are presently in running order and work on heritage lines. I have seen 7820 and 7827 in action recently.
 
I know that the Kings had to come off at Wolverhampton to be replaced with Halls and Manors but does anyone know how far Castles could go. I presume they could go to Birkenhead but what about Wales?
 
Bob Davis said:
It's Rosa Klebb!!!!
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Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya)
 
Improvements to the station in 1908 and 1911. It seems the original, wooden 'shed' went to Didcot. Viv.

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This is a still I took from the BBC 1977 series 'Gangsters' showing the old Snow Hill Station as it was at the time of filming. Maurice Colborne who played the leading character John Kline in that series seen walking on platform 8 shortly before the incident described as the 'Battle of Snow Hill Station' in the series. There were four tracks on the left of the picture between the platforms Snow Hill 1.jpg
 
I believe Maurice Colborne was the star in Howard's Way (series about a shipyard on the south coast), it must have been the last thing he appeared in, as he died very early on in the series (heart attack, I think).
Peg.
 
Peg Monkey said:
I believe Maurice Colborne was the star in Howard's Way (series about a shipyard on the south coast), it must have been the last thing he appeared in, as he died very early on in the series (heart attack, I think).
Peg.
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Correct died 1989 in DinAn France age 49
Bob
 
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