LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth

Saltley Shed: mrsalt84

Ex-London & Tilbury Tank 4-6-2T 'Charing Cross' No 2106 stands on the approach road along side the coal stack. Number 2106 was built to the LTSR's class 51 design by North British Locomotive Co in June 1903 and on introduction of Stanier's 3 cylinder 2-6-4T tanks in the 1930s were displaced to the Midlands. Number 2106 had just over ten years left in service at the time of the photograph being withdrawn from service from Plaistow (London) shed in November 1947, being the first of the class to be scrapped. 11th September 1937

Prior to mechanical handling, where the coal was delivered by wagon and tipped at the top of one of the big coaling towers, the process of managing the coaling operation coal was labour intensive. On delivery it was unloaded and stacked by hand in areas such as above, only to be reloaded when required into wagons which were then taken to the coaling station to be again unloaded into small trucks to be then tipped into the tender or bunker.

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