Forgotten Railways of the Midlands

[Steve K]

I went to the post office depot to collect a letter the other day and part of the old station building if not all of it has gone I was not able to get very close as there was construction fencing up but there is now nothing behind the post office depot the old goods building is still there but it does look in a sorry state.

Hi Pete - as far as Sutton Park station is concerned, you're right. The buildings have been gone for 10 or 20 years, and the site flattened. You can still reach the site via a path from Anchorage Road, though there's not much to see apart from the remains of the island platform now.

 

The station I was referring to in my previous post, however, is Sutton Town, which is very much still there, amidst the trees. New pictures to follow very soon...!

[Steve K]

Don't know if anybody's seen this (out today) - if you're in the area, you're probably aware anyway:

 

http://archive.railw...om/Issue219.pdf

 

And go to page 4 - "Reopening possible for Midlands route?"

Yes, this was mentioned in the local Sutton papars a week or two back. I like the way that they say that one of the proposed new station has been "temporarily dubbed" Sutton Park. How imaginative - that's exactly what it was called before! I had to chuckle, too, at the talk of a half-hourly service linking Walsall and Castle Brom. There are half-a-dozen or so stations to plan and build, and they've already worked out a timetable!

[DavidBelcher]

Yes, this was mentioned in the local Sutton papars a week or two back. I like the way that they say that one of the proposed new station has been "temporarily dubbed" Sutton Park. How imaginative - that's exactly what it was called before! I had to chuckle, too, at the talk of a half-hourly service linking Walsall and Castle Brom. There are half-a-dozen or so stations to plan and build, and they've already worked out a timetable!

 

All sounds a wee bit pie in the sky to me, more so given Centro's recent half-baked efforts on the Wolverhampton-Walsall line (lack of promotion to attract potential passengers, dithering over Willenhall station re-opening, etc.) which meant it was basically doomed from the outset.

 

David

[Steve K]

As I mentioned earlier, after taking the photo of the bridge across the old MR in Sutton Coldfield, I paid another visit to the site of Sutton Town station, to see what remained from my previous trip. That time, it had been obvious that the roof was starting to decay quite badly, and the building was rapidly approaching unrestorable condition. Not that I have any information to suggest that anyone seriously wants to restore it, you understand - I imagine that, if the current plans to re-open this line for passenger traffic go ahead, the very first act will be to knock this fine old building down.

 

Heading, once again, down the path beside Sutton College (through the wooden gate seen to the left of the bridge in my previous photo), I noticed that there was much less undergrowth than previously. Whether someone has had a go at clear the brambles, or whether there has simply not been much re-growth since the winter, I don't know. Either way, it makes the path much nicer!

 

Approaching the station site, the first thing you see is a bit of fencing to the left of the path, which I am confident once lined the rear of the platform. At the point where the fence started, I poked my camera through the metal railings lining the track and took the following picture:

 

 

The station, for those confused by the geography at this point, is to the left of shot.

 

Not much to look at, but the piece of fence with the gate leaning against it is in the same style as the fencing on the wooded side of the tracks. I imagine that this fence post (possibly with the gate attached in some way) marked the end of the platform on the Midland Drive side of the station. Maybe I imagine too much...

[Steve K]

The station building itself soon looms large after this point, and the first things that strikes you is how complete it looks. At the nearest end, however (the NW-ish), an outbuilding of some kind has collapsed to rubble.

 

These shots are looking SW, and the building on the opposite side of the railway is the other part of Sutton town station, now offices. The tower of Trinity Church can just be made out in the near distance.

 

In the foreground, behind the collapsed portion of the building, large pieces of cast-iron guttering litter the floor, the green paint still vivid, along with a scattering of bricks, most of which are marked "LLOYD & SON SUTTON".

[Steve K]

Inside the main building, things are, remarkably, much as I last saw them. Many original tiles are still on the floor, and some of what I take to be the 1920s benches are surprisingly intact. A certain amount of graffiti and one or two empty wrappers suggest that the local youth have continued to use the building as a meeting place since my last visit, but apart from that, the place has a time capsule feel. Breeze blocks have been removed from the blocked-up windows to gain access, but if anything, that makes the place look better, not worse.

As before, I resisted the (not terribly great!) temptation to clamber up this pile of bricks and investigate the room beyond. I'll leave that to someone more intrepid! Strangely, although the top of this photo is sharp, the bottom is shaky - I suppose that's what you get if you try to use a mobile phone to take pictures indoors! To the right of the doorway, the seat from one of the old benches is leaning against the wall.

 

At the opposite end of the building (we're talking SE) was another outhouse-type of structure, but much more intact than the one at the NW. You can clearly see from the brickwork that this was a later addition (I was going to say "recent", but since the station closed in 1924, that would be the wrong word) - perhaps a toilet block or something, I couldn't say.

Interestingly, the nearer door would appear to be the only access to the building on this side. I'm not sure whether the platform on this side of the tracks would have been accessed by footbridge or a rail-level crossing, but it would not have been from behind. Actually, I'm pretty sure there was another way, further along, so I took a stroll a bit further down the tracks than last time...

[Steve K]

Continuing along the path (well, it's a path now, but once the foliage starts to grow again, it may not be!) for only a hundred yards, or possibly even less, from the station building, the vista chages considerably. We're still very much in an urban environment, but you'd never know it from the way the ground drops away. The track crosses Rectory Road and curves around to the South. A comment earlier in this thread about an old MR gatepost down at road level suggests that there was once access to the station from Rectory Road near where this picture was taken.

In theory, therefore, it would have been possible to descend the embankment in the middle of the above picture, turn right under the bridge, and after 100yds, turn right again, into Midland Drive, and arrive at the main station entrance. Why you'd want to do that, I couldn't possibly say, but I just wanted to establish the geography...

 

Anyway, from where the last photo was taken, I turned 180 degrees to look back at the remains of the station building. The fencing which I keep banging on about can clearly be seen on the right of this next picture. I remain convinced that this fencing (and there's still a lot of it) was part of the original station structure.

I think it's quite possible, if you can mentally erase the trees and the metal fence, to take yourself back 100 years, and imagine that this is your first view of the station, having just climbed the steps from Rectory Road.

 

What I have been rather generously referring to as a path is the strip of greenery next to the metal railings.

 

As with all my most recent photos on this thread, I've kept them at nearly full size, so you can click to enlarge if you wish. Do bear in mind, though, that they were taken on my mobile phone, and therefore, any comments about my lack of photographic skill may not be taken kindly!

[Rugd1022]

Top stuff Steve!

 

Regarding the pic above, taken next to the Rectory Road bridge looking south - this is the point where if you're working a loaded train towards Park Lane Junction, it really starts pushing you down the gradient, even though the line speed is only 45mph you feel as though the wagons are going to put you down the bank on top of the houses below, it's deceptively steep round these parts!

 

It's a nice bit of railway when the sun is out, especially the long straight up to Streetly with the tall trees on either side.... you wouldn't know the centre of Brum is only a few miles away.

 

Cheers, Nidge

['CHARD]

You get a great view of the embankment at the point where it curves out of sight, from the new, lofty heights of the council tip, sorry Recycling Centre. In the throes of Spring-cleaning I've been there daily for the past fortnight, and incredibly all but one visit has been marked by a passing train. A 66 in every case, mind you.

 

Rectory Road abutment walls have been showing massive evidence of slurry pumping through the formation lately, at least that's how it looks to me. The pedestrian gate's still there in its state of suspended animation. I would lay good money that the MR fenceline is original, and on the Pages Close side of the building there are no doorways whatsoever, leading me to the conclusion that access was by footbridge, Rectory Road steps, or the track leading down from Lichfield Road.

 

There's also a fetching pink gorilla painted on the uphill parapet wall of Rectory Road bridge. Damned students

 

EDIT:

 

It's a nice bit of railway when the sun is out, especially the long straight up to Streetly with the tall trees on either side.... you wouldn't know the centre of Brum is only a few miles away.

 

Cheers, Nidge

 

For the non-locals, the long straight to which my learned friend refers is entirely within Sutton Park itself, the natural wonder from which the line takes its name; it has the sites of Sutton Park and Streetly stations at either end.

[billy_anorak59]

Sorry to butt in again, but I've found another picture on the web of Sutton Park (1950 it says), and thought I'd share...

 

http://www.time-caps.../number1010.asp

 

Love this thread (been following the directions on Google Maps as I'm not a local), please keep it coming!!

 

Cheers.

[buckdancer]

The Sutton Park line reopening article is interesting as it mentions Birmingham Moor St.

If it's a fast service I guess this might encourage Walsall people to use it rather than the current electric service into New St.

I wonder if the latter service could then be dropped in frequency to free up some capacity at New St?

I guess not as there are plenty who use Tame Bridge Parkway which is a few miles towards Birmingham on the electrified line.

And the Sutton Park line does tend to overshoot Birmingham and then come back in.

 

On the topic of the Walsall to Wolverhampton service, I always used it in preference to the bus but it was never anywhere near full the times I was on it.

Brilliant way to get from town centre to town centre (although Wolverhampton Station is a bit out of the town centre)

[Etched Pixels]

I was surprised to find there seems to once have been another railway in the park but at a slightly narrower gauge:

 

http://www.suttonminiaturerailway.co.uk/

['CHARD]

Indeed there was Mr Pixels, and somewhere on the RMWebbe of yore there was brief discussion about what is left to be seen. Which I think I'm right in saying, is pretty much limited to a couple of H-beams (well I-beams, but that won't look right written down) across the Ebrook/ Plants' Brook in the no-man's land between the park boundary fence and the rear of the Leisure Centre.

 

From time to time a book on the subject of the SMR appears in our local Smiths. Sadly its time ran out when the Crystal Palace was up for redevelopment. It would be a great attraction if it was still open today - but doubtless tempting for our local herberts

[Steve K]

After an intriguing rummage through the newspaper cuttings section of Sutton Coldfield library, I found an article which included a photograph of Sutton Town station in use. I know of very few other such pictures, although they must exist. Some others that I know of may be found on this page (although I'm pretty sure that the photo of the MR "flatiron" has a misleading caption).

 

Unfortunately, although I photocopied the relevant article, I'm pretty certain that copyright law prevents me from sharing it with you all! The article dates from Jan '57, as far as I can tell, and the photograph must be from 1924 or earlier, so I doubt anyone would be too upset, but copyright on newspapers lasts an awful long time. Unless someone can clarify the rules regarding an 80-year-old photo (which almost certainly was not taken by the Birmingham Post), then this photo may have to remain my secret!

 

The accompanying article describes the working life of a railwayman who variously worked at Dudley Port and Church Road (amongst others), before retiring in 1947 to live next door to the former Sutton Town station.

['CHARD]

This map I think demonstrates the likely access arrangements for Sutton Town:

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/sutton_town_map.html

 

This supports the logic for having no doorways on the 'country' side of the southbound station building.

[Steve K]

Thanks for that link, 'Chard - it's surprising to see just how long the platforms were. Well, maybe not too surprising, but it's interesting to see it laid out so clearly on the map nonetheless. No sign of a footbridge (not that I was expecting one, necessarily), so one presumes some sort of track-level foot crossing.

[Steve K]

For anyone wanting to research the railway history of Sutton Coldfield (or, for that matter, anywhere else in the UK), I would like to give a firm recommendation to the "Past and Present" maps published by Cassini. I bought my copy of the map covering Walsall & Sutton Coldfield from the extensive and well-advertised* local history section of Tesco in New Oscott, Sutton Coldfield.

 

These maps are fantastic, as they give a comparative view of an area across over 150 years. The map I bought covers an area approx 10x10 miles, centred on Streetly, and includes 4 maps, from 1834 (no railways, hardly any towns!), 1902, 1921 (full colour, lots of railways, still not too many towns) and 2007 (not quite as much railway, and 2/3rds of the area swamped by housing).

 

Using the 1902 map, and perhaps more so, that from 1921, it is possible to work out exactly where some of the "lost" railways once ran, and to accurately pinpoint the sites of abandoned or demolished stations. In particular, the 1921 map suggests that I dismissed the Brownhills area rather too quickly earlier in this thread. The station I was looking for was 200-300m NE of where I was looking, and there was much more railway in the area than I'd realised. I'd never fully understood that the Chasewater railway (of Members' Day fame) ran on the former MR line. Much to learn in the ways of the rail, have I, mmm...

 

Anyhow, in summary: get one of these maps! You'll not regret spending the £8.99, I promise.

 

 

*If your PC's sarcasm filter isn't working, then the preceeding 4 words will need to be manually deleted.

[Dave47549]

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[Steve Williams]

Here are four photographs of Wednesbury locations taken in 1994 to compare with later photographs shown earlier in this thread.

Not so overgrown as now.

Again, not so overgrown as now.

Before all the new roads, bridge and islands were completed.

[DonB]

Steve, apologies, i hadn't realised the thread had migrated from RMWeb3. I found my cd with pics from the Harborne branch last week, some are here:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=6754&do=view_album&album=1037

 

 

Pics are from the section south of Hagley Road. I might get round to adding captions soon!

Don't know if, when first posted, mention was made of CJF's item in the Modeller (pre-1980 !, ) proposing Harborne as a BLT with track diagram and IIRC a couple of photos.

Anyone know which issue of RM?

['CHARD]

Great Wednesbury memories there Steve W, fantastic! Not so long after the last train ran and it's already looking derelict. I remember that period clearly, when we were expecting No.1 daughter, the other half liked to go for drives in the evening and I would routinely take in Potters Lane crossing, the silent box being especially poignant. So taken was I with the location that a couple of layouts ago I based the station on Wednesbury South Staffs in the eighties.

 

Noteworthy too is the Metrobus crossing the Holyhead Road bridge, in the livery that the final survivors at Acocks Green are about to be withdrawn still wearing!

[Steve Williams]

Thanks 'CHARD'. I hadn't even noticed there was a 'bus in the photograph!

[Steve Williams]

A couple more that may be of some interest. The line that curved off from Langley Junction towards Oldbury is still largely intact as far as the chemical works - 'Albright & Wilson' (or whatever it is called these days). These two photographs show the bridge over the canal near to Langley Maltings and a view from the bridge itself.

 

[Steve K]

Thanks for all the additions, everyone. It's interesting to see the difference at Wednesbury over 15 years. The station trackwork and some of the platform is just about recognisable, but the signal box has, of course, long since gone.

 

I confess I know nothing at all about the railways at Harborne (it's possible I've never even been to Harborne in 40+ years, which seems extraordinary), so it's great to have some contributions from that neck of the woods.

[buckdancer]

Yes, many thanks for the Wednesbury photos Steve.

The South Staffs was a poor relation to the nearby ex-GWR line in many ways but it had it's moments:

Dudley Zoo specials; trains of condemned engines on the way to Cashmores; seemingly constant procession of 8Fs and Black 5s clanking up and down; Oil trains with 2-10-0s or SR allocated diesels.

The oil trains particularly must have been good little earners and would have kept large amounts of lorries off the roads.

I had a girlfriend in a house backing onto the South Staffs in my mid-late teens but never got upstairs to see if any room overlooked the line....