TheSignalEngineer

Going back to the original photo, my comment about the DC brake lever and given the Dads Army era I've just looked at the GWR Wagons book by Atkins et al. My guess from the height of the sides would be that it started life as a P7 ballast hopper, originally built in the 1890s. I understand they were upgraded later with oil boxes and DC brakes and some had the sides extended upwards. As a life expired steel bodied wagon it would be a marvellous candidate for a Heath Robinson conversion to a Stealth Gunship. Some protection for the gun crew added on top and a nice ammo box under a false floor over the hopper. Train shoots down aircraft during dogfight. Any thoughts @The Stationmaster

There's good picture of the fence near Milverton on Warwickshire Railways. https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwr_oldmil1462.htm The verticals are on the track side, unless they are on both sides.

Starting away from Snow Hill wasn't difficult as it was on a summit and down hill at both ends. When the station was being reopened we had long discussions about the layout with the Inspectorate that led to us having to add self normalising catch points to stop a SPAD or a train rolling off into the tunnel.

I saw a 9F get stuck at Garrison Lane with a train of loaded Warflats and Warwells for Long Marston. He had a clear road so took a run at it but the banker was slow getting behind him. Needed a second 25 to get it moving again. I also saw a similar happening with a 45 on a that shut down by the football ground. The reverse curve through the junction is the killer spot

1966 I was on a job at Camp Hill and needed to get to Curzon Street. I got a lift on an 8F running tender first with 40 wagons of spoil from a clay dig. A murky autumn morning with wet rails we gained speed down the bank so the driver gave it a touch on the brakes but we just went a bit faster. Fortunately the signal at St Andrews was off. The fireman gave continuous short blasts on the whistle. The signalnan had spotted we were in trouble and had belled train running away. We finally stopped at Landor Street without crashing or derailing. The loco was taken off and I don't think it ever ran again.

From 1966 to 1969 I spent various times training along there with the signal gang, pole gang, cable jointer, electrical installers, locking fitters, signal lineman and S&T Inspector. I managed to work at every box from Tamworth to Kings Norton via Camp Hill. In 1969 I spent 4 months testing new equipment mainly between Washwood Hesth and Barnt Green. I worked with men who had not only worked for the Big Four, but pre-Grouping with the LNWR, Midland, GWR and even one who started as a lad on the Cambrian at Oswestry. Great times on the Old School railway.

I was lucky enough to experience the Lickey under steam in both LMR and WR operation. The first time I remember was on the way back from a holiday in Swanage with my grandparents just after my sister was born. In those days railwaymen's free tickets were still based on the old company boundaries so a ticket to Bournemouth via the S&D counted as 'home ground'. My Grandad pointed out the bankers at Bromsgrove, Bertha and the Jintys were there at that time. Next trips were on a return excursion from Weston (Black 5) and a Bank Holiday special from Great Malvern (Ivatt 4) both with Panniers banking. My final steam trip was a fitting finale on an Ian Allan special to Swindon Works behind Royal Scot 46112 with 92079 banking. Since then everything was diesel. One side of my mother's family came from Bromsgrove, two members having been platelayers on Lickey in Victorian times. Another worked in the Wagon Shops. One member lived there until the 1960s. When we went there she suggested an afternoon walk which went via the church at the bottom of Lickey. By that time it was the 9F and Panniers.

Much of my early career we spent working at the old boxes between Camp Hill and Water Orton. The first jobs were to do with diverting Paddington trains to New Street then layout alterations for Saltley PSB. My last work around there was in the 1980s. I haven't ridden the line since 2004.

Northbound ran as two trains, or sometimes 3 on Saturday. The one carrying the name missed New Street. There was a train 15 minutes in front which called at New Street and had Liverpool and Manchester portions. There were also two Bournemouth to Liverpool 'Q' paths on Saturday before they were taken off the S&D. One of Pat Whitehouse's 1958 Lickey films shows a northbound train of Southern stock that could well be one of those.

The Pines used to do that on Summer Saturdays, with the engine change at Walsall instead of New Street.

You're lucky you got a driver who signed that route. From 1967 until Birmingham International opened we had a Poole -Newcastle service that came in through Bordesley Junction and went left at St Andrews to Grand Junction. To save reversal and engine change it left via Selly Oak and Lifford Curve back to Bordesley Junction then right at St Andrews to Landor Street.

I've never ordered off the web from them as I find their site user unfriendly. In the past I have bought a lot at shows buy don't go so often now. Recently I thought I would it give the site a try but only needed 2 items of Flushglaze from them so went elsewhere for it.

Jack started at Monument Lane in 1903, transferring from Wages grades to clerical a few years later. He went to Curzon St as an invoice clerk just before WW1 then some time after moved to Windsor St. Have you looked up Sid in the Employment Records or 1939 Register? If not I can access them if you want. Just PM me his full name and I will see if I can find him. Eric.

Just checked the family records. In the 1939 Register he was listed as a railway clerk and in the notes he was shown as an ARP Warden for Aston Goods Station. I expect he got an extra 🫖 ration for that

Same here I understand, and a great aunt worked for one of the coal merchants there.