Class 20s restored

Having been refurbished at Eastleigh, DRS Type One's 20304 + 20305 are caught being returned to Crewe by 37609 on the afternoon of 24th September. Hopefully the Class 20s will be seen working flask trains once more.

Streetly Station

A rare shot of Streetly Station from around 100 years ago. The photographer was standing on the upside platform looking towards Walsall.

On the downside platform can be seen part of Streetly Signalbox (extreme left), which was the first box to close along this route, prior to the 1950s. The box stood on an island platform, a loop running off the down main passing behind the signalbox.

A fine set of Midland Railway gas lamps and semaphore signals can also be seen. The main station buildings, a typical design for this line, are on the upside at right, and existed until the mid-1990s.

Copyright unknown.

R.A.F.

This chappie passed over Daw End on the afternoon of 1st September so I thought i'd get a shot in, lest it be some sort of experimental loco on a proving test...

SVR Here We Come!

Making their way to this weekend's Severn Valley Railway diesel gala are 47580 and 37264 working 0Z37 10:04 Tyseley to Kidderminster. Photo taken on 6th October 2009.

Leighswood Aerial

The main item of interest in this aerial view of Shelfield circa 1930 is that the dark shape of the single track Leighswood branch can be made out (just about !) on the extreme right of the picture.

In the bottom right hand corner the railway passes under Four Crosses Road (no trace of this bridge exists today), and continues upwards under the Lichfield Road (where one bridge wall currently remains). The line then heads dead straight towards Stubbers Green Road (near top right) which it passed by means of an overbridge. No trace remains of this bridge today, a mini-roundabout occupying the site. The railway line then curves to the right and just off-photo it split into two, the left hand track running to various Aldridge brickworks and the other line continuing across to Stubbers Green Colliery (which closed very early in the 20th century) and eventually to it's terminus at Aldridge No.2 Colliery at Leighswood (known as the "bare bones pit").

Lichfield Road crosses the photo diagonally from top left to bottom right, and viewers familiar with the area will recognise the Four Crosses pub. The Spring Cottage pub at the crossroads isn't really visible in this view.

Photo by Aerofilms (1930).

Nick Broome took this fine shot of 97304+97301 working 5Z97, a Network Rail test train running from Derby to Shrewsbury, seen here approaching Ryecroft Jcn on 29th September.

Crompton Charter

John Edkins took this cool shot of WCRC Crompton Class 33 33207 working the "Merry-le-Bone" railtour past Wylde Green on 5th September.

This class of loco was built at BRCW Smethwick, Birmingham but are now fairly rare visitors to the Midlands.

Nene Valley 706

66706 "Nene Valley" is seen thundering across the Park on 7th August with Petrochem tanks for Stoke Marcroft.

Rarely-seen Fastline Type 5 66305 is snapped at Streetly on 7th August with a returning train of empty coal hoppers from Rugeley Power Station.

Electric convoy about town

56311 is seen passing Ryecroft Junction on Wednesday 16th September with a convoy of electric locomotives en route Long Marston - Crewe, the first time such a convoy has passed this way, the usual route being via Bescot.

Of special interest is the last loco in the line-up, 86401 "Northampton Town" (originally AEI 1966-built loco E3199), which has been restored in Network South East colours...

60011 at Sutton Park

A great shot of Mainline-liveried blue 60011 working the Walsall - Tunstead cement empties through the old Sutton park station, 27th August, by the Flying Ferret.

Lighting the way

66612 is seen heading for Bescot with 6G16 from Stud Farm with a rake of 70-tonne loaded stone hoppers on 7th August.

Class 37 Infrastructure return..

The ever popular 37670 was surprise traction for one of last weekends Bescot DS - Hamstead and return ballast trips in partnership with 37401. Here the pair pass Walsall PSB on their way back to Bescot on Sunday 30 August.

Leighswood Bank...

A cutting from the Walsall Chronicle of Thursday June 11th. I think the embankment referred to runs parallel to Stubbers Green Road but is concealed from this road, being situated behind the duck pool and trees. Apart from this embankment the only other relics of the Leighswood Branch seem to be the bridge wall at Lichfield Road and abutments of Barnfield Bridge over the canal.

Also enclosed is a view of Leighswood Colliery (Aldridge No.2) at the end of the branch, from a 105-year old postcard...

4L68

A fairly hazy shot of 66571 with a freightliner service, interesting only because some of the outsize containers dwarf the large Class 66 engine at the front.

The train is 4L68 from Birch Coppice to Felixstowe Port, which runs in the path of the discontinued Fastline Freight Class 56-hauled 4O90...

Department 97

Departmental loco's 97301 + 97303 enjoy a trip across the Park in early August.

73901

This Colas Rail tamping device number 73901 (not to be confused with the Electro-Diesel Class 73 loco's) was seen crossing the Sutton Park line on Thursday 13th June 2009. The machine was apparently running from Preston to Walsall (via Nuneaton).

Inside Aldridge

A rare glimpse of the interior of Aldridge Junction Signalbox showing the block instruments and part of the 40-lever frame. This was the original Midland Railway box built in 1879 for the opening of the line between Water Orton and Walsall. Fancy a cuppa ?

The box stood just off the end of the downside platform at the junction for Walsall Wood (today's up-to-down line crossover), and was closed in May 1969 being demolished in August of that year. The box was last worked by a late-turn lady signaller who went on to work the signalbox known as "Bodley's" at Walsall. Mr A Hine was the signal inspector who signed off the train register. Thanks to Pete for the photo, copyright unknown.

A brief summary of the other boxes along the Sutton Park route -

Lichfield Road Junction (located at the upside near Lichfield Road bridge, Walsall, and closed circa 1965. Alan Downes writes that during it's later years the box was switched out after 1800 in the evening, with the route being set towards Ryecroft Jcn and Aldridge... the box controlled the MR line that went off to North Walsall and Wolverhampton, coaching stock being turned in the triangle here as and when required).

Streetly (located on the down island platform, this box had certainly closed prior to 1957 as a temporary block post had to be installed to cope with the huge amount of extra trains generated by the Scouts Jamboree at Sutton Park in July of that year). (For a photo of Streetly station and signalbox see my post of 6th July 2008, under the "stations" label).

Sutton Park (as at Aldridge the box was located at the end of the down platform, in this case near the junction for the parcels depot. A crossover junction between up and down lines still exists here, being groundframe-operated. Box closed at the end of 1969).

Park Lane Junction (located on the upside near Park Lane bridge, the box was an LNWR design, the original Midland Railway signalbox being replaced around 1920, reason unknown. The boc controlled the junction for Water Orton and Castle Bromwich. Closed in September 1969).
.

DBS 37....

Looking very smart following it's surprise repaint into DB Schenker livery at Toton, 37670 St Blazey T&RS Depot was unusual traction on 6O12 out of Bescot this morning, seen here at Pleck.

Big Blue DRS Machine

"Are there any trains due?" said the young lady on the crossing. "Nothing for a while as far as I know" I replied.

No sooner had she continued on her way than 57012 appeared light engine from around the corner, wearing her smart blue "compass" livery. I expect she was returning to Crewe from who-knows-where, and for all I know so was the engine...

Hardwick Wood, Friday 24th July.

Sutton Town (downside)

The main station buildings along the Sutton Park line were all pretty much of the same 1879 Midland Railway design, resembling two gable-end cottages joined by a central structure.

Those at Aldridge were demolished in 1972, with Penns following shortly afterwards.

Streetly and Sutton Park survived in private use until the 1990s, when they too were reduced to rubble.

The real surprise is at Sutton Town, which was the first station along the route to close as long ago as 1925, where both up and down-side buildings remain !

Here we see

1 The gate at High Street across the pathway leading to the Town station (actually on the upside of the railway).

2 The railway below High Street bridge (no.32) looking towards the Sutton Town site.

3 Looking back towards bridge 32 from rail level.

4 37603 + 37601 passing the downside building with 6M56 Berkeley - Crewe flask.

5 Another view of the buildings, looking towards the Sutton Park and Walsall direction, which are now used as solicitors offices and are fenced off from the railway.

No trace of any platforms remain on either side...

Sutton Town (upside)

Inspired by an article (see Sutton Town - A Recent Visit, on the right hand side) I went to have a look at the derelict upside station building at Sutton Town. The pathway has recently been cleared of brambles etc and so was quite easy to negotiate. Passing over the electrified Cross City north route below we passed the remains of an old railway gate and came out at the building, which seemed quite substantial for such a small station. Although windows and doors have been bricked up the local kids have knocked out large holes in them so entry was easy.

1. The overgrown and derelict upside platform building, which almost mirrors the downside one in style and size. The platforms have long been removed, and the railway corridor blocked off with nasty pallisade fencing.

2. Exposed girders and surviving chimney at the east end.

3. Close up of ornate brickwork detail.

4. Inside the tall room at the eastern end of the building block, presumably the waiting room area. It's quite eerie in here as the outside world is instantly shut out, the darlness adding to the effect. A great place for a kids den, though I wonder how sturdy the structure is...

5. Amazingly these seem to be original Midland Railway benches, and there are more along the walls in the west end waiting room ! Also note the brick tile patterned floor...

I can't see this old building lasting much longer, I assume it's been virtually derelict since disuse as storage rooms for railway items in the 1970s, and would cost a fortune to renovate, and what purpose could it serve nowadays ?

Sutton Town (more photo's)

1. End-wall of the deteriorating upside building.

2. Bricked-up waiting room fireplace.

3. Locally made bricks.

4. The desolate upside building before the trees took over. Photo taken by R.Paddison around the 1970s. According to John Bassett ("Cross City Connections") the building was bought by two conservation-minded couples in the 1970s. A number of railway relics stored in the building were sold off in 1977. Plans to use the rooms as a sort of railway museum came to nothing, and the buildings were abandoned after local youths set fire to them. Who owns the site now I have no idea.

5. Detail of the downside building, now in use as an office. Note the windows added to the roof since becoming offices.

It's odd to think that although this station was the first to close back in January 1925 - exactly 40 years before the other 4 stations along the Sutton Park line finally came to end - Sutton Town is the only one with practically all buildings intact !