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Birmingham Snow Hill - Station
As a very young child, my mother asked me what I wanted to
do on my birthday. I am talking pre-school now. I said that I wanted to watch
trains at Snow Hill. My early years memory is good and I recall seeing a loco
with a Saint nameplate. It may have been the Hall prototype ‘Saint
Martin’ as, by that time, the class had almost disappeared. I watched the
tunnel mouth, awaiting the arrival of two great aunts from South Africa. At
that time, boat trains from Southampton were served by all the regions via the
Southern’s interchange network. The train arrived behind a green engine
with a bell on the front buffer beam - my first contact with 6000 ‘King
George V’.
When a little older, I was led to believe that a Lord Nelson
had run in with a similar boat train service but I did not see it. Some of the
oddest turns on the middle through line to the south, were the regular
deliveries of new diesel locos from the Birmingham Railway and Carriage and
Wagon Works in Handsworth. They were usually hauled dead by 2-8-0 or 2-8-2
tanks but very soon, they were being towed by classmates. The centre roads were
also the domain of long goods trains and some of the remaining local goods
traffic, pannier hauled in the main. Most of this traffic emanated from Hockley
Yard. The bay platforms on the up side of the station were the arrival point
for several football specials on home Saturdays at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich
Albion’s ground with its own halt. They were usually hauled by large
prairies having a rest from their weekday suburban traffic.
These tank engines were responsible for my early years trips
to Leamington. In those days, Leamington boasted an ‘Illumination’.
Perhaps it still does? Evening special trains were run to the illuminations and
I went on several occasions as I also did to Stratford Mop Fair on October
12th, another reason for catching a train from this majestic station. The
pioneer GWR diesel railcars were often in use and I travelled to Worcester in
them to visit relatives on several occasions. Another regular on the rather
convoluted route to Worcester was the 4-6-0 ‘Queens Hall’. I stress
convoluted as the route went to the north from Snow Hill and Worcester is south
west of Birmingham. The trip did allow the enthusiast to look at Stourbridge
Junction and Kidderminster sheds on the way however!
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