This 1940's Ordnance Survey map clearly shows the legend SB - Signal Box, at the site of Penns Goods Yard along the Sutton Park line at Walmley, at the bottom right corner of the map. Personally i've never heard any reference to this box, but it was called Penns Goods Frame, and controlled operations within the yard, being taken out of use around fifty years ago. Other references on the map include the siting of old semaphore Signal Posts (SP) and Mile Posts (MP), as well as the former Penns (for Walmley) Station, and the Benchmark Hunter will no doubt be pleased to see various benchmarked bridges etc dotted around the map (BM), though quite a few of the old brickwork structures have now been replaced with boring modern concrete bridges.
Penns Goods Yard was taken out of use shortly after January 1965 when the stations along the route were closed under the Beeching axe, despite being a profitable depot dealing in animal foodstuffs and coal for local merchants, and formerly steel traffic. The yard was serviced by Trip 51 from Water Orton, coal wagons often being taken forward to Aldridge and Walsall Wood.
The timeless Michael Mensing photo was taken on the Saturday afternoon of 5th September 1959, and shows an eastbound up mixed parcels train passing the site of the former Penns Goods Frame signal box (at the Ashurst Road bridge), heading towards Park Lane Junction behind 4-6-0 75022. At left can be seen part of the Penns Goods depot and small yard, and in the background is Eachelhurst Road bridge, in the days before the footbridge was fitted alongside.
I recently found out that the original Midland Railway wooden boxboard from Penns Goods Frame survived, it was sold via the GWR railway auctions concern in May 2006, and went for a measly £40.....
