LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton
LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Coventry Station: lnwrcov554d

This close up of image 'lnwrcov554' showing the 25 ton electrically operated gantry, 5 ton hand-operated crane and stores area. The introduction of the gantry (complete with timber cab) was a major step forward in the yard's ability to handle large loads and to increase the tonnage of goods handled. Although the year the photograph was taken is 1919, the First World War had seen major developments in road transport. Whereas before the war heavy goods would have been pulled by steam powered road tractors after the war surplus army vehicles and new more powerful lorries appeared. This did not mean that the LMS stopped using horse-drawn traffic but there was a steady decline in the number of horses used for delivery until just after the Second World War when there were only some 20 to 30 horses left, the last being transferred to Birmingham. In the Coventry Citizen on 28th June 1984 a story appeared about former delivery driver Jack Thomas and his horse 'Dolly'. Four times winner of the best turn out at the animal parade in the Goods Yard at Warwick Road, they also competed in other events such as the Walsgrave Agricultural Show. Jack also recounted the fact that the horses new the delivery round as well as the driver. To view the layout drawing of the yard relevant to this photograph click here.

back