Snow Hill Station

[Genmac1]

Just found this wonderful forum. Brought back so much personal nostalgia as part of my early life in late 1940's and 1950 .Thank you Mike for sharing all your recently found pictures which sadden me to see the station in such disrepair, neglect and demolition.

As a boy I was a keen GWR train spotter on the Snow Hill/Wolverhampton line enjoying all the Kings, Castles, Halls and Manors. We often took a local steam train from Soho Station into Snow Hill for a few old pennies to spend the day train spotting on the station platforms. We used to lower the slash windows to experience the steam and soot in our faces and eyes.

During the lockdown we did a super jigsaw of Snow Hill Station which brought back memories

 

[Genmac1]

Just found copy of image of Snow Hill Station jigsaw we did at start of lockdowns

 

[AnnS]

That jigsaw is based on a painting by renowned Birmingham artist Philip Hawkins.

 

[Genmac1]

That jigsaw is based on a painting by renowned Birmingham artist Philip Hawkins.

Thanks Ann for acknowledging original Birmingham artist. Passengers off on their summer holidays to South West in 1950's.

'The Cornishman' in his painting is a 'Castle' class No 5070 'Sir Daniel Gooch' on a main packed platform 7. A 'Prairie' tank is on platform 5 with a northbound local train, similar to those I used to catch back on return journey to Soho station after a day's train spotting. Happy memories.

Found more of his wonderful paintings on line in the Birmingham area including New Street Station. Some of his work reminded me on another great railway and wildlife artist ,David Shepherd

 

[Mark Tooze]

As I now have time on my hands due to a positive CV19 test (gggrrrrr!!!!) I can now put onto the site some of the backlog of photos I have been promising to post for ages.
Firstly, these are some of the demolition of the Colmore Row end tunnel portals. 3 points:-

• The workmanship is amazing, particularly the intricate brickwork - "built to last"
• The guy on the digger with the Kango hammer is a damn sight braver than I am
• I doubt I would be allowed this close to a demolition site today!

 

[Mark Tooze]

And some more. I think the first photo is of some roof truss bases - no doubt these will have been "weighed in" at some stage!

 

[Mark Tooze]

And some more. It is now a few days later, some of the rubble has been cleared, and the digger driver is now on a narrow bridge - a testament to how well these tunnels were originally built!!

 

[Mark Tooze]

Last few.


The last two are from Colmore Row looking down over the fence.

 

[Phil Twining]

I left Snow Hill Station Feb 1955 to do my National Service I'll never forget that.But I loved that Station and would spend hours there Train Spotting hoping to see a Castle, Manor, Grange or Hall woderful Engines O0

It was Steam Trains then

 

[A Sparks]

@Mark Tooze thanks for the photos - hope you're not feeling too rough.

 

[Phil Twining]

My mothers family lived in the Black Country. I used to visit a great uncle who lived at Nethertonas quite a young child I was allied to get th Alum Rock tram, walk to Snow Hill and take the train to my uncles. I am not sure that I should use the term Blackies but that’s what we called the train no to the Black Country my Grandfather and the many great uncles were engineers. My mum used to spend all her school holidays with the big family. It seems that, in those days , thought that children on their own were safe, which we proved to be.

 

[Genmac1]

@Mark Tooze thanks for the photos - hope you're not feeling too rough.

I hope you will be fully recovered very soon. Thank you for rest of promised photographs.

Do the tunnels still exist if so are they still used?

 

[Richard Dye]

And some more. I think the first photo is of some roof truss bases - no doubt these will have been "weighed in" at some stage!
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Just thin’ most of that work was done by hand!

 

[Richard Dye]

Welcome to the Forum Phil! Enjoy…

 

[Mark Tooze]

The middle tunnel still exists, as it connects Snow Hill to Moor St station. The new buildings were built over them effectively on stilts - see photos below:-

 

[Mark Tooze]

There were also some shops / industrial units on the Livery Street side - close to Great Charles Street. Only got a couple of photos of these - sorry!


From the posters, I would guess this would be around 1984-85?

 

[Mark Tooze]

And some better detail close-ups of the Great Western Railway crest on Livery Street:-

 

[Genmac1]

Great pictures of GWR crest and 2 ex shops in Livery Street, thanks

 

[2amilto8]

Went to KE Five Ways, 1953/1959; started day at New St to catch the Pines Express, caught 95 bus to school just in time for registration. Monument Road sheds at lunchtime. Those were the days. Robert Lawson

 

[Richard Dye]

Went to KE Five Ways, 1953/1959; started day at New St to catch the Pines Express, caught 95 bus to school just in time for registration. Monument Road sheds at lunchtime. Those were the days. Robert Lawson

Robert, welcome to the Forum, a great place and people!

If only we could have realized how good(and simple) those days were!

Enjoy!

 

[Phil Twining]

Robert, welcome to the Forum, a great place and people!

If only we could have realized how good(and simple) those days were!

Enjoy!

As a child I would walk right through New Street Station then down the steps and across the road to The Newstheatre to watch the cartoons. I wonder what happened to it. Sometimes in those days if you went to the pictures you might see a cartoon between the two films if you were very lucky. But lots were shown at the News Theatre if I remember correctly…

 

[Richard Dye]

As a child I would walk right through New Street Station then down the steps and across the road to The Newstheatre to watch the cartoons. I wonder what happened to it. Sometimes in those days if you went to the pictures you might see a cartoon between the two films if you were very lucky. But lots were shown at the News Theatre if I remember correctly…

Phil, you are correct.............I loved going to the NT for cartoons!

 

[Lloyd]

Went to KE Five Ways, 1953/1959; started day at New St to catch the Pines Express, caught 95 bus to school just in time for registration. Monument Road sheds at lunchtime. Those were the days. Robert Lawson

I went to the same school, but later when it was the annex to George Dixon's in City Road. Myself and a friend would regularly 'bash' Monument Lane (21E in those days) after school, and became known to the staff there. I took this photo of 44760 on the turntable there.

 

[AnnS]

I was also going to post a photograph from Monument Lane but realised this thread
was titled 'Snow Hill Station'.

 

[mw0njm.]

I was also going to post a photograph from Monument Lane but realised this thread
was titled 'Snow Hill Station'.

there is a post on if it helps

Monument Lane Station/Shed

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[Phil Twining]

Thanks Alf for that link - some nice pictures on that site. I even got to park my car in the old station before it was demolished. The author Derek

HI ALF , NICE PIC OF THE PULLMAN ,THEY WAS SMART AND CLEAN THEM DAYS AND VERY COMFORTABLE,TO TRAVEL ON , NO WORRY OF BEING ACOSTED, BY YOBS, CARRIDGES WERE ALWAYS KEPT CLEAN AND TIDY , THE OLD CONDUCTORS,WHERE VERY SMART IN THERE UNIFORMS , AND REGIMENTAL, YOU WOULD NOT GO IN THE FIRST CLASS COMPARTMENT WITHOUT THE RIGHT TICKET, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN THE SECOND CLASS COMPARTMENT, AND TOLD TO GET YOUR FEET FIRMLEY ON THE FLOOR, TODAYS CONDUCTORS ,ARE SCRUFFY, AND DO NOT CARE A MONKEY IF YOUPUT YOUR FEET UP AND VANDERLISE THE TRAIN, I TRAVEL FROM FOREGATE ST,WORCESTER,AND HALF THE TIME THEY DNT COME TO CHECK YOUR TICKET, THATS WHY THEY ARE LOOSING MONEY, IWROTE TO THE B,HAM MAIL LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, GOT NO REPLY ,AND I SAID THE TICKET COLLECTER WAS TOO SURPOSE TO WATCH OUT FOR FARE DODGERS , BUT WHO HIS WATCHING THEM DO THERE JOB , THEY ARE NOT DOING THERE JOB PROPERLY,IF THEY DID THEY WOULD,NT LOOSE MONEY, ANY WAY ALF ITS A NICE PIC OF THE COACH WELL DONE , ASTONIAN,;;;;;;

Harrison ( sadly died a couple of years back now ) did two books about Snow Hill - both are still in print I think although you can get then easily enough used. They're a good read and have some great photos and reminiscences

Colin

 

[Bob Davis]

My tablet provides me with information,action from localities where I have stayed overnight and because of visits to Birmingham, I get Birmingham news. Today I have just seen 15 historic pictures of the station which are on Birmingham Live, well worth a look.
Bob

 

[Mark Tooze]

Now for a very sad set of photographs:-

The final demolition of the Snow Hill side of the station, taken in the mid-1980's. I am just going to post them in the order in which they were taken, over a period of several weeks - so they will "jump around" from location to location.

 

[Mark Tooze]

And some more:-

 

[Mark Tooze]

The next lot:-