LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

Berkswell and Balsall Common: lnwrberk2355

Looking south towards Coventry from the Birmingham end of Berkswell station's down platform. Sleepers on the up platform would indicate that the Permanent Way gang have been busy repairing the track. The station name or running-in board seen in this photograph is of a different design to that seen in earlier photographs taken during the period when the LNWR operated the station. See image 'lnwrberk2356' as one such example. The station's name has also been changed to include reference to Balsall Common indicating that the photograph would have been taken after the 1st February 1928. Michael Byng writes, 'The station running-in board in the picture, entitled “Berkswell and Balsall Common” is a standard LMSR 'Hawkseye' sign. Full details of which may be seen at page 102 of 'LMS Lineside Volume One' by my LMS Society colleagues the late Roy Anderson and Nelson Twells. The drawing by another LMS Society member, Graham Warburton, states that the background to the sign was 'off-white inclined towards grey' and the area behind the station name would have been 'Golden Yellow' to BS 48 356. These signs lasted a long time until replaced by the BR enamelled totem designs.

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