Snow Hill Station

[Heartland]

Thanks for date

 

[Mickymoo]

An early view of Snow Hill station with Hotel which may be pre 1900. It shows the cable tramway and horse drawn omnibuses

View attachment 200737

Sorry,it's not Snow Hill Station,it's opposite there,it's the entrance to the Great Western Arcade,which was destroyed by bombing during WW2...Here's another photo of it,also showing the Great Western Vaults pub next door.

 

[Lloyd]

The locomotive in the 19/04/1957 photo does not look like a GWR engine - the type usually associated with Snow Hill. Probably an interloper from the Midland Region.

The first shot is of a Midland Region double headed train, ex LMS locos, almost certainly at New Street. The rest is Snow Hill.

 

[Heartland]

So it would seem that the 1880's image is of the front of the Great Western Arcade and the wall to the right would be consistent with the wall of the Blue Coat School. The tramway came up Snow Hill and turned into Colmore Row then according to the o/s maps, but accounts of the cable tram have stated it terminated at Snow Hill.

The double deck cable trams had two staircases, one at either end of the vehicle

 

[DavidGrain]

The double deck cable trams had two staircases, one at either end of the vehicle

This was the normal layout for double deck trams but only the rear staircase was in use. The front staircase would have lead to an exit on the offside of the tram. Single ended trams require a turning circle at the terminus and at any short working turning points.

 

[Heartland]

The 50 in ordnance survey shows the tram track ending opposite the grand hotel

 

[Lloyd]

The 50 in ordnance survey shows the tram track ending opposite the grand hotel

View attachment 200818

What year issue is that? I know the electrified lines were extended to the Grand, but think the cable tramway ended before Livery Street.

 

[mikejee]

Surveyed 1887. published 1889

 

[DavidGrain]

The Colmore Row to Hockley Brook route was converted to cable traction in March 1888, because of the steep climb up Hockley Hill, and extended in April 1889 to Handsworth. Information from https://localtransporthistory.co.uk/fleetlists/birmingham1/

This information therefore is contemporary with dating of the map.

The above website also gives information which I had not previously found in any books that a horse drawn tram line ran from Hockley along Colmore Row, Paradise Street, Suffolk Street and Bristol Road from 1876.

 

[Lloyd]

The Colmore Row to Hockley Brook route was converted to cable traction in March 1888, because of the steep climb up Hockley Hill, and extended in April 1889 to Handsworth. Information from https://localtransporthistory.co.uk/fleetlists/birmingham1/

This information therefore is contemporary with dating of the map.

The above website also gives information which I had not previously found in any books that a horse drawn tram line ran from Hockley along Colmore Row, Paradise Street, Suffolk Street and Bristol Road from 1876.

That fits with my understanding of the cable tramway terminating at Snow Hill Station, while horse trams did go along Colmore Row. If the cable cars went further, there would be photographs of them in Colmore Row, but none show them further than outside the station (or the Arcade, which is the same place but on the other side of the road. A map from between 1890 and 1910 would show the terminal arrangement.

I imagine that horse trams climbing Hockley Hill or Snow Hill would require a 'trace' horse to be added to assist with the climb.

 

[Heartland]

A view from the Railway Magazine of 1901 which shows the Snow Hill Side of the station and cable tramway tracks



And that magazine also published a map of the station as it was before reconstruction

 

[Pedrocut]

Here is a picture from Bill Dargue’s site…