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Snow Hill Station

Snow hill, was totally synonymous, with my whole life , growing up in Birmingham, as child with my dear dad, taking me regularly to visit the trains, and visiting other parts of the Midlands. To train watching, as a boy and youth, left Birmingham to go into the army from there, and catching the light blue bus to my Nans in handsworth from just outside, all my young life, the hot chestnut man at the entrance in winter, hot potatoes to. Snow Hill was, and is Birmingham to me, in my memories, and like alot of my cherished places in that memory nearly all gone .
 
paul stacey said:
Snow hill, was totally synonymous, with my whole life , growing up in Birmingham, as child with my dear dad, taking me regularly to visit the trains, and visiting other parts of the Midlands. To train watching, as a boy and youth, left Birmingham to go into the army from there, and catching the light blue bus to my Nans in handsworth from just outside, all my young life, the hot chestnut man at the entrance in winter, hot potatoes to. Snow Hill was, and is Birmingham to me, in my memories, and like alot of my cherished places in that memory nearly all gone .
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Great story Paul, one that I believe is echoed by many of us! Reading your words, I realized how inexpensive a hobby it was for us. For me it was the 29 bus and everything else you suggest. My other thrill was saving to get the new Ian Allen spotters book, sometimes for Christmas.
Thank you for the memories, I would love my children or grandchildren to feel the rush of a King or County hammering through Snow Hill!
 
So very true Richard, being a poor boy , but with a paper round, and a very kind shop keeper who would help and sometimes gift, An old Ian Allen, for a twopence bus ride, on the number 11 , and penny platform ticket, would sit with all the travellers, going to places I could only dream of, and stand next to the smoking monsters , which shone with brass, and green or black paint, was real heaven!!
 
IMG_1866.jpeg

“Rebuilding of Snow Hill station in progress, with contractor's track and steam crane perched above the parcels yard. To the left, the buildings on the up island platform take shape with the old station roof behind. To the right, the ribs of the main roof over the down island platform are beginning to appear. The old station platforms are only half as long as the new.’

Main line to Metro : train and tram by John Boynton,
 
The image relates to the important reconstruction of Snow Hill post 1900 which was part of a more extensive scheme.
Snow Hill had been reconstructed previously, so this was the second reconstruction.
 
“The up side of Snow Hill during rebuilding. A billboard advertises the new direct service to Bristol and beyond. Platform 11 (later re-numbered 12) is not yet ready for use. The stationmaster's office is strategically placed, so that he can easily check the smooth running, or otherwise, of the principal trains. Mr.H.Herring served as stationmaster during a very eventful period in Snow Hill's history, 1897-1921.”

Main line to Metro : train and tram- by Boynton, (2001)

IMG_1875.jpeg
 
AnnS said:
Kings were regular motive power for the down Cambrian Coast Express from the 1957 Summer timetable.

Initially they worked only as far as Wolverhampton but from Summer 1958 were permitted
through to Shrewsbury.

The up working was usually handled by a castle with the King being diagrammed for a return
Birkenhead-Paddington working coming on at Shrewsbury.

Perhaps Old Oak Common borrowed 6026 for the day if one of their regular engines wasn't available.
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I worked at Tyseley MPD as a fireman for a spell after I returned from Old Oak Common. I lived in the hostel just above the depot there. I made great pals with the fireman in next door cabin who has since passed away. He was in No 4 link at Old Oak which was the North road link working to Snow Hill, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury. It was always Kings and Castles for him for me it was panniers every day unless it was a spell at Ranelagh Bridge shovelling coal forward on a holiday Saturday on engines being turned for their return journey. When I returned to Tyseley I kept in touch with my friend and met him a couple of times at Snow Hill and joined him on the footplate to Low level and once through to Shrewsbury and return. I hopped off at Snow Hill. The return Trip to Shrewsbury totalled 304 miles for him. The longest daily turn on the Western Region. He went back to Cardiff eventually to be a driver at Canton depot. When Steam was on the way out Tyseley men would work the Inter City up to London and return with the 8.10 to Snow Hill 220 miles. In my link at Tyseley we would relieve the 6.10 pm ex Paddington at Snow Hill and work to Low level. I fired most of the Stafford Road Kings even if it was only for a short distance. Great times. I have lived abroad in Europe since 1997 now 27 years and I still remember my loco spotting days and Railway years like yesterday. Nostalgia aaahhh.
 
Rod Liddiard said:
I worked at Tyseley MPD as a fireman for a spell after I returned from Old Oak Common. I lived in the hostel just above the depot there. I made great pals with the fireman in next door cabin who has since passed away. He was in No 4 link at Old Oak which was the North road link working to Snow Hill, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury. It was always Kings and Castles for him for me it was panniers every day unless it was a spell at Ranelagh Bridge shovelling coal forward on a holiday Saturday on engines being turned for their return journey. When I returned to Tyseley I kept in touch with my friend and met him a couple of times at Snow Hill and joined him on the footplate to Low level and once through to Shrewsbury and return. I hopped off at Snow Hill. The return Trip to Shrewsbury totalled 304 miles for him. The longest daily turn on the Western Region. He went back to Cardiff eventually to be a driver at Canton depot. When Steam was on the way out Tyseley men would work the Inter City up to London and return with the 8.10 to Snow Hill 220 miles. In my link at Tyseley we would relieve the 6.10 pm ex Paddington at Snow Hill and work to Low level. I fired most of the Stafford Road Kings even if it was only for a short distance. Great times. I have lived abroad in Europe since 1997 now 27 years and I still remember my loco spotting days and Railway years like yesterday. Nostalgia aaahhh.
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Great story & yes nostalgic!
 
“Birmingham Snow Hill, 1898. The photographer was standing at the platform end, almost on the bridge above Great Charles Street.
One feature not carried over into the new station was the footbridge, positioned above the mid-platform cross overs.”

Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western (J Boynton, 2001)

IMG_1889.jpeg
 
“A pair of 4-2-2 'Singles' wait at the Wolverhampton end of Birmingham Snow Hill with what is probably a down express to Shrewsbury or Birkenhead. The style of clothing worn would suggest a year around 1905, just before complete rebuilding and enlargement of the station.”

Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western (J Boynton, 2001)


IMG_1890.jpeg
 
Pedrocut said:
“A pair of 4-2-2 'Singles' wait at the Wolverhampton end of Birmingham Snow Hill with what is probably a down express to Shrewsbury or Birkenhead. The style of clothing worn would suggest a year around 1905, just before complete rebuilding and enlargement of the station.”

Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western (J Boynton, 2001)


View attachment 194045
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Why do they call it a down express ?
 
Pedrocut said:
“Birmingham Snow Hill, 1898. The photographer was standing at the platform end, almost on the bridge above Great Charles Street.
One feature not carried over into the new station was the footbridge, positioned above the mid-platform cross overs.”

Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western (J Boynton, 2001)

View attachment 194042
Click to expand...
Looking at this picture, I wondered how many people have passed through Snow Hill? Last was there, November 1962, I took the boat train to Southampton.
 
“The north end of Snow Hill, summer 2000. Chiltern Clubman 168 005 awaits its next run to Marylebone, a Class 150 Sprinter leaves with a Leamington-Great Malvern service and two trams pass at St.Paul's.”

Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western (J Boynton, 2001)

IMG_1897.jpeg
 
Well of course you will have gone down to London, but on the Up train...

Some great pictures of Snow Hill showing the re-building.
 
‘The very end of the line. Grant Rail loco No.4 has propelled the overhead wiring train to the buffers at Snow Hill, late on the evening of 27th November 1997.”
(Main line to Metro: train and tram on the Great Western route: John Boynton, 2001)

IMG_1898.jpeg
 
“6911 "Holker Hall" assists a "Castle" into Birmingham Snow Hill with the Paddington-Wolverhampton "Inter City", 12th June 1962.
The crossovers meant that two short trains could enter and leave each main platform independently of each other, as long as the through roads were empty.”
Main line to Metro : train and tram on the Great Western route, J Boynton, 2001)

IMG_1891.jpeg
 
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