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I've looked at the above mentions pictures, and thought that you might like to mention that they show Sutton Coldfield station prior to 23 Jan 1955. This can be assumed from the presence of the canopy on the down platform, (to Lichfield) that was destroyed in the crash of the diverted York to Bristol express that happened on that day, following the derailment of the train on the bend through the station.

Also, in the write up under 'lnwrsc92a', mention is made of the goods siding to the left of the photographer. You should be aware that all the photos, with the exception of lnwrsc90/90a/95 show Sutton Coldfield station as rebuilt on a new alignment, when the line was extended from its original terminal station in Sutton Coldfield to Lichfield. Pictures 'lnwr90' & 'lnwr90a' show the original terminal station at Sutton Coldfield, that was later to be used as goods sidings, as mentioned in the write up.

It may be that the back wall and the platform shown in those pictures are, in part, still in existence, the back wall with the windows filled in, and the platform, some what higher, and used as part of the walkway from the carpark, that was made from the goods sidings.

Regards - Gordon Snelgrove

Many thanks Gordon for the corrections and extra information on Sutton Coldfield. As Gordon knows the station whereas I do not, I have asked Gordon if he would kindly help rewriting some of the captions.

I have just found your site and thought that I should contact you as I have lots of old B&W photos taken by an old friend of mine who sadly died a few years ago. He lent me the collection in the 80,s when we worked together and I copied as many as I could onto agfa dia-direct, and still have some photos and negs. They are not all brilliant pictures but a good record. I have shown quite a few at Rugby Railway Circle meetings when I was a member.

His name was Albert Davies and he worked on the railway at Rugby from the late 40’s to the early 60’s and always had his camera with him. I was also friends with the late Tony Norton whose dad, Norman, was foreman on the test plant. I have a few photos that Norman gave to me, taken by his colleague John Click. I have enclosed a couple of shots, and if you are interested in the rest please let me know. I live in Norfolk now but come back to Rugby occasionally as my daughter and son still live there.

Kind regards - Ian Williams

Ian - Many thanks for your kind offer. Yes I would be delighted to receive copies of the photos especially as the two you sent are on subject areas where I am a little light e.g. the GC and the Test Plant. I will try to add these to the site over Christmas. I try to upload photos that I am given in strict rotation in order to be fair to all contributors. These will be added after I complete Rugby Shed's upgrade (I uploaded the improved images etc to the station last night).

Remember to refresh your page if you have visited the pages recently otherwise you will not see the new photos. If you note any broken links please let me know (except for Rugby shed which I am working on right now).

Excellent site. I discovered it while looking for Bournville Loco. I started there as a cleaner in 1957, became a past cleaner and then a registered fireman. I transferred to Saltley after Bournville closed on February 14 1960. Wonderful pictures and happy memories.

Thank you - Tony Burton

'I came across this photograph whilst sorting out my things from my parents house sale which I thought might interest you. If you look closely at the sign on the left of the photo you can see that the location is Nuneaton railway station. My father, Frederick Brooks, spent a number of his childhood years at nearby Attleborough, where his father was minister at the Baptist Church, and was fascinated by trains from an early age.

In his memoirs he mentions two stations at Nuneaton and from the sign in the photo, which possibly says London North Western Railway, I take this one to be the Trent Valley station.

I have no idea who the people in the photo are and they are unlikely to be relatives of my father's as from the dress the lady is wearing I would say it was taken sometime between 1890 and 1900 - long before my family's association with the area began in 1925. There is a name and address written on the back of the photo, 'Mrs Edge, 9 Quarry Lane, Off Lutterworth Road, Nuneaton' and I can only guess that it was she who had some association with the people in the photo. It may have been Mrs Edge who gave my father the photo knowing of his love for railways (he subsequently spent most of his working life as a signalman).

Please feel free to reproduce this photo on your website (see image 'lnwrns1536') - I ask only that you credit it as follows: 'C & S Gordon' and if you think it appropriate, link the credit to my father's memoirs which, as well as childhood memories of Nuneaton and Attleborough, includes memories of working as a signalman on the London Midland Region.

Sue Gordon

Thanks Sue for the photograph which intrigues me. It must be of the old LNWR station on which I have very little information. I have repeated your email as part of the caption as your comments in the guest book will not always be read by those who will visit the station on the website.

Hi - a minor typo in the description for image 'mra133': 3rd line reads "accept for" should be "except for" Really first class website.

Regards - John Rigby

I've just been browsing your fascinating site and can add a little more information on Butlers Lane. I believe its official name was Butlers Lane Halt, rather than station.

The caption to photo 'lnwr_blane1529' states that it is not known whether the station was manned or not. I used it daily from 1966 -1973 to travel to school and for that period it certainly was manned. In 1966 the booking office was at the south (Birmingham) end of the Birmingham platform. Like the rest of the station it was wooden and I think it was relocated nearer the waiting room during improvement works, which involved platform lengthening, some years prior to the rebuild in 1991-2. From talking to relatives I understand that Butlers Lane was manned from the outset, neither I nor they don't remember having to buy a ticket on the train.

I've got a few colour slides of Butlers Lane dating from 1965/6, and also some of Birmingham New Street in the same period showing the rebuilding. They're not top quality being from a bottom of the range Kodak Instamatic wielded by a 10 year old! but I'll gladly scan them and send them to you - just let me know the best size, dpi etc for your purposes.

Regards, Andy Lawton

Being interested in the general history of Warwickshire, Leamington Spa in particular, I wanted to be reminded what Milverton Station looked like. On finding your site I have discovered so much about all the long gone railways and have even walked a few of them. I did not realize just how many stations there used to be and I hope Dr Beeching is turning in his grave!

Regards John Paveley

With reference to your images 'smjsa59c' and 'smjsa65b' of the SMJ shed at Stratford upon Avon. Looking at these images of the shed area you mention the coaling facility. Between 1953 and 1956 I was a regular visitor to the shed, and have travelled on the footplate the complete length of the line from Broom Junction to Olney many times. As far as I can remember, this coaling facility was only used to unload coal for the coal stockpile.

The coaling facility for locomotives was a purpose built split level building of corrugated iron construction situated behind the photographer in view 'smjsa65'. The track from the turntable leads to it: see the S-on-A station track plans in Arthur Jordans book: pages 52 & 56 (key 18). In this coaling facility the locomotive tender was at a lower level than the coal trucks so that coal could easily be loaded from the truck into the tender. I would like to complement you on your site, I find it extremely good, well organized and very informative.

Kind regards - David Wellstood

Many thanks David for your observations. The coaling facility you note was adjacent to the line to Broom and can be seen in a photograph by RC Riley reproduced in 'Railway Bylines Volume 13, Issue 1, December 2007, page 14, in the first part of a two-part article by IC Coleford. RC Riley's photographs are available from the 'Transport Treasury' together with many others by such renown names as Dr Ian Allen, JC Flemons, RHN Hardy et al.

I had always assumed, although I had not made this clear in the captions, that the coaling facility adjacent to the shed was the original facility built prior to the 1909 change in layout to the shed and yard. When the shed was enlarged, requiring the original turntable outside roads 1 and 2 (see image 'smjasa55') to be moved forward, the coaling facility alongside the Broom extension was built. I need to look at pre-1909 EWJR records to prove my theory which I am afraid with my current workload that will be a long way in the future.

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