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Steam Train

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I remember the shock of hearing while I was trainspotting there one November 1963 morning, "The train standing at platform 1A is the Stephenson Locomotive Society special train to Harborne, calling at Icknield Port Road, Rotten Park Road, Hagley Road and Harborne."
Even at 14 I knew that no passenger trains had run on that line since the 30s, just the odd freight one, and here was a crowd of grown up enthusiasts who had hired a train to have a trip on it. I later found out the line closed the next day, Sunday, so their train was probably the last one ever to run to Harborne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harborne_Branch_Line
https://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Photos/harborne_station_1934.jpg
 
Hi Lloyd: I like that story. I worked in the typing pool at New Street and we did a variety of work for several small departments which shared office space at New Street. I remember working for the Excusions Dept., sometimes typing their letters about bookings for groups, etc. I remember one letter from a scout group that had booked an outing and it was all set up for them by the Excursions Dept. One problem ...when the group came to catch the train home from another station it turned out that the station had been closed for several years! The scout group were more than upset after a long day walking:Aah:
 
Peter Walker said:
...when they......... put the flat asbestos sheeting over individual platforms.......
Click to expand...

Peter....

I have a memory of standing on a New Street platform with my parents waiting for my soldier brother to return from Italy either on leave (1945) or demob (1946), although it might, just conceivably, have been 1943. There had been some rebuilding work going on then. It might have been just temporary bomb damage repair but I had the impression that some sort of modernisation was in progress. I don't remember whether there was still the overall canopy above that part of the staion or what condition it was in but the platform itself had a low level structure down at least part of its length, upright girders and overhead protection of some kind. It was all fairly scruffy, as I recall, (and perhaps even unpainted) but so was everything else then.

I remember the train best. As it pulled in I looked in through the big LMS windows, streaming with condensation. The carriages were crammed with soldiers, huddled in greatcoats and surrounded by a great fug of cigarette smoke. Many were playing cards. The odd one glanced up and looked out disinterestedly, no doubt wondering at what God-foresaken place they had now stopped before resuming their long journey to the north-west, Scotland and home.

Chris
 
Louis Dalby Hi Louis Good to see you popping up here and there. I recall going thru the Royal Scot at New st I beleive around 1933 It was brand new train then and was a great experience . I used to watch with awe as engines similar to that Royal Scot would leave New St . A very carefull opening on the throtlle suddenly followed by amazing wheels spins follwed by a shut down and then another try . Got sime nice engine pics Lou which I will send on to you Cheers Old Brummy
 
Old Brummy said:
I used to watch with awe as engines similar to that Royal Scot would leave New St . A very carefull opening on the throtlle suddenly followed by amazing wheels spins follwed by a shut down and then another try.
Click to expand...
Turn the sound up full and imagine yourself trainspotting at New Street on a holiday Saturday morning in the early 60s, watching the Devonian, a dozen or more fully laden carriages behind a Coronation or Princess pacific loco, pulling away like this. I used to and this brings back wonderful memories!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NQyjaWycc"]YouTube - 6201 leaves Bewdley with a slip[/ame]
 
OK all you train spotters. Here is a nice picture of a train. Can you tell me anything about it or with what famous line it was connected to? Their is already a clue in the line leading up to the question mark. First one to get it gets a gold star :).
 
Complete guess....Would it be the French side of the Golden Arrow ( Fleche D'Or ) Express, London to Paris? Certainly looks continental with all those bits hanging off the smoke box.
 
Well done Arkrite...your on the right track - right track..gerrit!! You deserve another clue: Another nice one its as keen as mustard.
 
Dijon to Paris? Never travelled it myself. I cannot help thinking I have seen this picture somewhere before. It is not the Watercress Line. ( Mustard and Cress near Sandwich?)
 
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Your right Dijon is on route. Clue 3 and 4. The French can take this on the CHIN alright! Its a bit of a Mystery.
 
Don,t leave it to long O C i can relate to the sheds in diuddeston mill hanging over the wall in Malvina rd the brick yard crossing Adderley park,Rupert st loading coal coke.
Happy days regards Derek
 
Yep well done the Blue Train. Or as of friends in France would say Le Train Bleu.

The clues were. a NICE picture - stopped at Nice. The french could take it on the chin. It also stopped at Menton - French for Chin. A Mystery. Agatha Christie's The Mystery of The Blue Train. Dijon, keen as Mustard. So you are all regular Sherlock Holmes...Give yourself a Gold Star!
 
When I left school in 1961 I used to work in brum centre some of the time & my dad worked for British Rail parcels. Around 1963 I used to go over to Curzon street depot to meet my dad for a lift home as we had a car then. Whilst waiting for him loading some parcels on the van for next days early start I started to wander round & I stepped thru a small door & was amazed at a row of huge rusting steam engines all fitted with cowcatchers like the USA & I wonder what happened to them as diesel engines had taken their place. I never forgot that because it was all silent & misty & somehow ghostly. Lost forever I suppose
 
Thanks for that Beamish. Its good to get the grey matter working. Can I ask where the picture came from. It looked familiar.
 
Arkrite: The picture is in Riviiera - The Rise and Rise of the Cote D'azur by Jim Ring.

Jean...Of course a woman got it first, that goes without saying. My mom was a beautiful woman, so is my wife and my daughter and my sisters...so we men ain't got a chance have we? In fact other than make the tea and do the washing up we are pretty useless.

Kind regards,

Pinochio
 
Alf I also spent my misspent youth there in between the east side rail entrance circa 1957-1960. Then I realized there where better things to do, but had some good times train spotting. We could have been there at the same time, with our cucumber sandwiches, canvas shoulder bags, and short trousers. If only we could have had some of the opposite sex there we may have lingered longer. I wonder if anyone took photos of us train spotters? Happy days!!
 
Strange to see a "King" at Penzance, a sight not seen in steam days because the entire class were prohibited from crossing Saltash bridge because of their axle weight of 22tons and consequently the largest GW locomotives seen in Cornwall were "Castles". I presume the powers that be changed the rules to allow the "King" across the Tamar or perhaps, knowing the slipshod way the railway is run nowadays, the operating dept were blissfully unaware of any restriction.

Here's my version of the most famous of the "Kings" in GWR days for your delectation:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/artistjeffries/art/3587715-4-kg5-at-paddington
 
From recollection GWR King Class locomotives were also prohibited on the North Warwickshire line that ran from Tyseley to Stratford upon Avon and down through the Cotswolds. Never did ask why and wherefore. ;)
 
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