LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Central Goods Yard: mrcgy924b

Close up of image 'mrcgy924' showing the dray and lorry platform used for moving goods direct from the railway to the customer. The canopy offered a substantial benefit in preventing rain or other inclement weather from affecting deliveries. However the lack of a side screen was clearly an issue because by 1901 a screen suspended from the canopy and covering half of the height had been fitted. The above view shows that there are two sets of tracks on the outside of the platform but beneath the canopy. As evident by the row of MR open wagons with their doors dropped, the outer track was used to load goods directly from the wagon to road vehicles whereas the inside track would make use of the platform prior to be loaded. On the extreme right a single bolster vehicle fitted with dumb buffers being used as a 'runner' or spacer for timber wagons can be seen. The fitting of dumb buffers was an original design feature on early railways before the use of sprung buffers became an essential element of protecting passengers and goods. The design evolved from a simple timber extension of the frame to buffers filled with horse hair and covered with leather and then bow shaped springs fitted under the base of the body as part of the chassis.

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