Guest Book: Page 13

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Dear Sir; Thank you for an amazing set of photographs of Coventry - Nuneaton - Rugby. Brought a lot of memories when I lived in Coventry.

Stuart Wheeler

Very enjoyable. The Coleshill - Hampton branch brings back early memories.

John Mills

I'm really enjoying a browse on your excellent site and I have noticed a few thumbnails which don't connect to the right photographs on the Moseley Station page.

Thanks - James Baker

James - I was very pleased you told me of the problem with the links as with some 4000 pages to manage on the website its impossible to personally check all the links etc. May I encourage everyone to let me know if they too see broken links, spelling or factual errors.

In response to Andy Lawton's communique below Gordon Snelgrove wrote - Hi Mike - I can see from the information given in the posting that I made an error in my attempt to put a date to the photos, and would accept the dating given in Andy Lawton's posting. My thanks to Andy for pointing this out.

Gordon

My thanks to Andy too for correctly identifying the date of the photos. I would like too point out that the original error in the captions was mine in that I confused the original station with it's replacement and that Gordon's correction was required to put right my captions.

Its very healthy that the majority of people interested in our hobby are able to be corrected on mistakes and react in an adult manner when so corrected. Its only by testing our thoughts and statements in public that we can ensure that as much as possible is true. We see too many erroneous statements being accepted as fact and thereby confusing to the future historian etc. The best such example for me is the case of the 'Midland' shed at Coventry. For years as a youth (in the 1950s & 1960s) the shed was so described by my 'elders and betters' even to the point that it is so described in Hawkins & Harrison's book on the Midland Railway's LMS Engine Sheds. This shed is actually a historic London & Birmingham Railway engine shed built in 1838 long before the Midland was created.

Whilst I don't want to start an argument I feel that in the interest of accuracy I should point out that the dating of some of the Sutton Coldfield photos by Gordon Snelgrove in his post below as prior to 23 Jan 1955 may not be correct. I believe the ones he refers to are "lnwrsc92", "lnwrsc92a" and "lnwrsc92b". The down platform canopy was not completely destroyed in the 23 Jan 1955 accident, the official report refers to "almost 60 feet" being torn down. Also the cover photograph, which is dated July 1955, of John Boynton's book "Rails Across the City" shows the same down platform awning as in "lnwrsc92" & "lnwrsc92a".

In addition the caption to that photograph refers to platform repairs following the accident being clearly visible. These repairs, the rough platform surface in the foreground, are also seen in "lnwrsc92". The same book also has a photograph of the accident scene showing part of the down platform awning still standing. In addition I remember the canopy in question and down platform buildings being in situ in the late 60's. The canopy may well have survived until the demolition of the down platform buildings.

I therefore submit that the photograph in question dates from after the Jan 1955 accident. As the service was dieselised from 5 Mar 1956 and the trees are in leaf it was probably taken in the summer of 1955. The original platform, off to the left in "lnwrsc92" did see passenger use after the Lichfiled extension was opened. In the late 60's I remember there being a service off New Street at about 16.20 which terminated there. It was also used by the Car-Sleeper (Motorail) service to Stirling from 1958 until 1972.

Andy Lawton

In response to my reply Mike Bryant wrote - Mike - Thanks for your message. You have nearly convinced me that it is Hampton Station. I agree that it is identical to Hampton Station except that the chimney stacks are different but that could easily change. My photo, which only says "Hampton", is in Roger Waring's book "The Stonebridge Railway" on page 58. I am not capable of sending it to you on the Internet but will find it at the next meeting of our local history group in January and send you a copy if you let me have your address.

Regards Mike Bryant

I found this website very interesting as I am a member of the Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group. My first comment is that the GP to whom you refer is Dr Alan Smyth of 72 Fentham Road, Hampton-in-Arden who is a railway buff.

My second comment refers to photo in 'lnwrhiaj707'. I do not believe this to be a photo of Hampton as I have a photo which shows that the Hampton Station was labelled Hampton Junction and your photo clearly shows the Station as Derby Junction. Did Derby have a station of the same design as Hampton. Secondly from ordnance survey maps of Hampton, admittedly of a slightly later date, I have seen no evidence that the tracks were so far apart. Have you discussed this with Roger Waring who wrote a book on this railway?

Mike Bryant

Hi Mike - Many thanks for providing the name of Dr Alan Smyth - its always nice to give credit where its due (as I have now done in the caption). With regard to your observations regarding Derby Junction/Hampton Junction. I would love to see a copy of the photograph not just to answer your question but also to add to the site.

The photo seen in 'lnwrhiaj707' is I maintain the original Hampton station, something that I can confirm personally because it was still there in the 1960s when I use to commute from Tile Hill to Birmingham each day. The name Derby Junction refers not to its location but as to its purpose, being the 'junction for Derby'. In the very early years of railways (prior to 1845) the only way north from London to Scotland was to travel from Euston via Hampton to Derby and beyond. The opening of the East Coast main line and the cut-off from Whitacre Junction to Birmingham meant that within just a few years the station had gone from being strategically very important to an absolute non-entity in railway terms. The image seen in 'lnwrhia705', taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s, provides the most conclusive proof as it shows the spacing between the LNWR and MR tracks and the original station, all as seen in 'lnwrhia707'.

The photograph was given to me by Dr Alan Smyth and he copied it from a photo that hung on the wall of a local lady patient. Whether Dr Alan Smyth gave a copy of this photo to the late 'Cam' Camwell (a very highly respected railway historian) I do not know, but Cam did have a copy and in his very writings he also attributed the photo to being the original Hampton station. It has certainly caught out a few people over the years who have also jumped to the natural conclusion that 'Derby Junction' is the station's name.

Does your photo show the name 'Hampton Junction' on the structure or is it the title of the photograph written by the photographer? If the former then I can only assume that your photograph must have been taken at a later date when the authorities had finally changed its name to one more becoming of reality. I personally believe that the station name was 'Derby Junction' until shortly after the opening of the new station (about the time when the photograph was taken) and was then renamed 'Hampton Junction' reflecting its new, albeit less grand, purpose in life. Hope this helps to clarify the situation.

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