Birmingham Snow Hill Station - Redevelopment

GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Robert Ferris has transcribed the following information on the rebuilding and plans for future development of Snow Hill station from articles which appeared in several editions of the Great Western Magazine.

Extract from Great Western Magazine Vol. XXIII. No.8, August 1911

Birmingham (Snow Hill) Station by R.P. Mears B.A., A.M.I.C.E.

The new station at Birmingham is the third that the Great Western Railway have erected on the site. The first was a wooden structure, which was removed to Didcot to give place to the second station, which was finished in 1871. The design of an important railway station, both as regards its conception in plan and in level, has always of necessity to be modified and adapted to suit local conditions and the exigencies of the site, and the problem confronting the designer is, with due regard to economy, to make the most possible out of the site at his disposal. Now the works at Snow Hill are bound in plan between the two thoroughfares of Snow Hill and Livery Street on the two sides and on the south by the tunnel through the central part of Birmingham; this necessitated expansion in a northerly direction, hence the long platforms and the large provision of sidings at the north end. As regards level, the proximity of Snow Hill to Livery Street precluded the possibility of sidewards expansion, therefore in order to increase the capacity of the site it was essential to construct on different levels; and to this end the gradients of the two thoroughfares (Snow Hill and Livery Street) have been used to great advantage.

Through Lines, Sidings and Platforms

The station consists at rail level of a couple of island platforms and a couple of bays at the north end. Local traffic to the south is to a certain extent provided for at Moor Street terminal station, thereby relieving the pressure of traffic through the tunnel, where there are only two roads. The platforms are both long and wide, the up and down platforms being upwards of 1,200 feet in length and measuring about 80 feet across at their greatest width. The bay platforms measure about 500 feet in length and vary from 20 to 30 feet in width. The minimum width between plinth of platform building and edge of platform coping is 14 feet. They are paved throughout with patent Victoria stone. The architectural treatment of the platform buildings is very pleasing and the refreshment rooms are handsomely decorated internally with panelled oak. Docks for dealing with horse boxes and perishable goods, such as fish, fruit and milk, are situated on each side at the south end of the station apart from the passenger platforms; outside access to these docks is made by very easy gradients from Snow Hill and Livery Street.

The permanent way consists of four through roads between the island platforms and a relief line on either side, those at the south end converge into two lines through the tunnel. At this end there is a small amount of siding accommodation, allocated chiefly to fish, fruit and milk traffic, as before mentioned. At the north end there are five approach roads and four running lines in the direction of Wolverhampton, also the turntable and carriage sidings. A few remarks as regards traffic working may not be out of place. At the Wolverhampton end the up and down roads are side by side, but between the island platforms the two ups are together and the two downs are together; reasons for this are obvious, for, consider two trains alongside of the down platform, one behind and the other in front of the scissors crossing, the rear train can start first, and passing through the scissors come up with the front train, then the one going straight on and the other to the left, they can both proceed simultaneously towards Wolverhampton. Similarly on the up side a train behind the scissors crossing can pass a stationary train in front, the platform length being sufficient to accommodate a long distance and a short distance train. Again, two trains may approach simultaneously from Wolverhampton and both go into bay platforms Nos. 3 and 4 and conversely that two trains in bays Nos. 3 and 4 may leave simultaneously. The bulk of the carriage sidings as situated to the east side of the station yard are, by means of the diagonal road with its five pairs of slips, in easy communication with following lines up (side), down (side) and bays 3 and 4. The two sidings at the extreme east of the bay platforms deserve notice, for their existence involved extra width to Great Charles Street Bridge and materially added to the heavy girder work for carrying them over the parcels yard. At the end of the bay platforms on the down side a 70 foot electric sector turntable has been provided.

The signalling is on Messrs. Siemen’s all electric system, and has been in operation at the north end for about two years. The whole station is to be controlled from two boxes, the north box containing 224 levers, and the south box 80. The signal most distant from the north box is 620 yards away and the points most distant are 243 yards away. With distances such as these, there is much saving of space in being able to dispense with point rods and signal wires; another advantage being the size of the north signal box, which measures only 50 feet by 10 feet, and contains 224 levers at 2 inch spacing centre to centre. There is also a great reduction in the number of signals, due to the use of the Annett type of signal fitted with route indicators. The necessary power for working signal and point motors is derived from a battery of 71 cells, giving a voltage of 140 Volts in the signal box. The ammeter in the signal box generally stands at about 10 Amps, that is to say, that as a rule during the daytime not more than 2 h.p. is being utilised for signalling purposes.

Passenger Arrangements

Reference to the plan will show that the main entrance to the station is through the high level booking-hall, situated at the south end immediately behind the hotel and Colmore Row and that the cab entrance is from the Livery Street side. Road level in this booking-hall is on average 22 feet above rail level and is reached on the one side by a slight incline from Livery Street, and on the other by a staircase from Snow Hill and from the front direct from Colmore Row by an archway cut through the Company’s hotel. Here the booking, inquiry and shop-parcels offices are situated. The incoming passenger proceeds with luggage down the inclined footways to the level of the footbridge, footpath level being now 18 feet above rail level; here there are spacious lifts for dealing with luggage, while the passenger descends by an easy staircase 20 feet in width to platform level. The outgoing passenger with luggage will get into their cabs on the inclined cabroads, at either end of the footbridge, which communicate by easy gradients with Snow Hill and Livery Street respectively. Situated at about the centre of the station is the main subway, 20 feet in width, divided off into 12 feet width for passenger and 8 feet width for luggage and parcels, communication with the main platforms being by means of staircases and luggage lifts; passengers may also enter the subway direct from Livery Street. There is also another booking-hall at a low level (18 feet below rail level) under the main lines, entered from Great Charles Street and communicating with both up and down platforms by means of staircases. The platform buildings provide spacious telegraph offices, waiting rooms, refreshment rooms – with kitchens below, cloak rooms, ladies lavatories and station master’s office, as well as a booking office and bookstall on each platform.

Parcels

The arrangements for dealing with parcels are also very complete. A large parcels yard at a depth of 24 feet below rail level has been excavated and constructed, the falling gradient of Snow Hill having permitted of direct cart access to the roadway at this level; the entrance is 20 feet in width. Here in the sub-basement are large offices and ample appliances in the shape of parcel racks, weighing machines, lifts, etc., for dealing separately with inwards and outwards parcels; communication with the platforms is made easy by two lifts direct to the up platform and by another lift first to subway level, then through the subway to the lifts communicating with the down platform. There is also a spacious luggage stores and lost property accommodation. Immediately over the parcels offices are situated various rooms for staff accommodation.

Gradients of Snow Hill and Livery Street

As has been stated, mush has been made of the natural gradients of these two thoroughfares to increase the earning capacity of the site of Snow Hill station. Reference to the plan will show on the Livery Street side, first the cab entrance to the high level booking-hall immediately behind the hotel, and the inclined cabroad entrance; from these two entrances levels of 22 feet and 18 feet respectively above rail level are reached by easy inclines; a little way further down the street is a cart entrance, communicating by an easy decline with the fish, fruit and milk traffic docks at rail level; further down is the rolling way into the cellarage below the down refreshment rooms, then the entrance into the subway, again lower down a cart entrance into a large storage area that has been excavated under the down platform, and at the corner of Great Charles Street have been built three shops with their fronts on Livery Street.

The gradient of Snow Hill has been similarly utilised, providing access by means of a staircase to the high level booking-hall and a cab entrance to the inclined cabroad, also a cart entrance for dealing with fish, fruit and milk traffic corresponding to that provided on the down side. Lower down, a cart entrance to another large storage area below rail level; continuing down, a valuable frontage has been utilised for shops, and an entrance constructed to the up refreshment room cellars. Still lower is the parcels yard and at the corner of Great Charles Street is the ‘office block’ building. Beyond Great Charles Street under the bay platforms, there is again ample cellarage and much interesting construction in the form of brick arches. The cellarage between Great Charles Street and Lionel Street provides accommodation for the parcels carts, horses and motor lorries and space is also largely let. The arch nearest Lionel Street is used as a transforming station where electric current at 5,000 Volts is received from the corporation and is transformed down to 110 Volts for lighting purposes and to 440 Volts for power purposes; it is in this arch also that two motor-generators are situated, for charging the two batteries of 71 cells each which supply the current in the north signal box at 140 Volts for working the signal and point motors.

Roofing

Snow Hill Station presents many interesting features as regards the arrangement of its roofs. The roof to the high level booking-hall is carried by a single span arch, consisting of a three-hinged lattice steel rib of 93 feet 9.5 inches span and 31 feet 6 inches rise, the centre of the uppermost pin being 54 feet above roadway. These ribs are at 19 foot centres and carry lanterns measuring 17 feet 6 inches across. The entire weight of the intermediate roofing is borne by trussed purlin girders at 6 foot centres. There are wind screens at the two ends. The covering is 0.25 inch rough cast glass and 6lb. lead. Louvre blades are provided at the sides of the lanterns. The arched ribs are provided with screw-coupled tie rods of 2.125 inch diameter. The inclined footways and footbridges are roofed with light principals at about 13 foot centres. The intervening space between the booking office , footbridge and inclined footways is left open for the escape of engine smoke.

The roofing to the main portion of the station spans transversely to the direction of the main lines and consists of principals at 13 foot 6 inch centres with elliptical soffits carried on transverse girders at 35 foot 10 inch centres. These principals carry lanterns of 8 feet 6 inch width. The covering consists of 0.25 inch rough cast glass and galvanised iron; the sides of the lanterns are covered with galvanised iron louvre blades and the ends of the lanterns are left open. The central portion for a width of 22 feet is left uncovered. This has a tendency to let in at times a little ‘weather’, but has great compensating advantages in the free exit for engine smoke and free entrance for fresh air and sunlight, and entirely removes that depressing sensation which is so frequently felt in large all-over roofed stations; and again it saves much glass cleaning. The main roof girders are supported on four columns and stretch from street to street. They are 8 feet in depth, their soffits are 28 feet above rail level and they are continuous throughout, being cover plated over the intermediate columns. The spring in the end columns takes up any expansion. The central bay measures 103 feet exactly and the side spans from 40 to 100 feet, the longest girder of this type measures 270 feet over all. The bay platforms are covered with umbrella roofing for nearly their entire length.

Extract from Great Western Magazine Vol. 25. No.11, November 1913

Birmingham (Snow Hill) New Station

The reconstruction of Birmingham (Snow Hill) station is now almost complete, and the photographs which we reproduce will give some idea of the station as it now exists. It is interesting to compare the former accommodation with that now provided. In the old station there were only two through platforms – up and down – with one arrival bay line on the up side and two departure bay lines on the down side; there were two approaches, one from Livery Street on the down side and the other from Snow Hill on the up side, the whole of the accommodation being on the level. In the new station, owing to the proximity of the public streets, it was impossible to develop laterally, and consequently the station has been carried much farther towards Wolverhampton. There are now four through platform roads, with two arrival bays on the up side and two departure bays on the down side, and the platform accommodation is some three times as much as in the old station, each of the through platforms being capable of accommodating two trains at a time. The main entrance for foot passengers is now from Colmore Row, one of the chief thoroughfares in the city. The main booking hall - one of the most commodious outside London – is on the high level, access to it for vehicular and foot traffic is given from Livery Street and for foot passengers from Snow Hill. There is also an entrance to the station about half-way down Livery Street, and one from Great Charles Street. A very considerable portion of the station is covered in. At platform level there are the usual offices, waiting rooms, etc. Below there are a clock room, accommodation for porters and guards, a lost property office, etc, and below that again is the parcels office, with a spacious parcels yard opening on to Snow Hill.

Fish platforms have been provided for on both up and down sides at the south end, with vehicular access from Snow Hill and Livery Street respectively, also separate cab roads on the high level, for the convenience of passengers arriving by train, quite independent of the cab approach to the main booking hall. The station has been well supplied with conveniences in the way of electric lifts, of which there are four for dealing with passengers’ luggage between the booking hall level and the platform level, and five for dealing with parcels and luggage between the parcels office, subway and platforms. These were installed under the supervision of Mr Roger T Smith, the Great Western Railway Company’s electrical engineer. In the matter of signalling, too, the station is quite up-to-date, with an all electric installation, provided by Messrs Siemens Bros & Co Ltd of Westminster, under the supervision of Mr A T Blackall, the Company’s signal engineer. Another feature of interest is an electrically operated sector table to the bay platform lines on the down side.

The following photographs accompanied this article:
Parcels Yard – gwrbsh1874
Up Main and Relief Platform looking north - gwrbsh1181
View of the North End of the station - gwrbsh1182
Up and Down Main Platform looking south - gwrbsh1183
Up Main Platform looking north - gwrbsh1184
North end of covered in portion - gwrbsh1745