Tile Hill Station

LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

The station at Tile Hill did not open until 1850 some twelve years after the London to Birmingham Railway was opened. Initially it was named Allesley Lane station and then in 1857 renamed as Allesley Gate reflecting perhaps that it was a station with a level crossing and the need to differentiate its location from Allesley Lane which was not local. It finally received its Tile Hill name in 1864. The level crossing had been in existence since 1838 and the crossing keeper's house, later the station master's, was erected by the L&BR. The station was a simple affair with a staggered platform configuration either side of the level crossing with the booking office located next to the gatekeepers house on the up platform. The goods yard was a single line siding with a cattle dock at one end and a weighbridge to cater for mineral goods traffic. 'Cam' Camwell noted in his book on the West Midlands 'that trains in the early years of the line stopped at a number of locations including Tile Hill for passengers to alight prior to a station being built. This is not as impossible as it sounds as early railway carriages were modelled on stage coaches and had steps down to near road level. It was only the advent of longer coaching stock which required strong underframes and later bogies which led to the increase in floor height of coaches we know today. Records show that amongst early railway staff were a William Moss and William Sawkins. Initially services were more limited with five up and seven down services each day. The fare from Coventry to Tile Hill was initially 3½d (written as -/3½d which was less than 1½ new pence) not to different too different to the 10d charge (written as -/10d - a fraction under 4 new pence) seen in image 'lnwrcov575' in the mid 1950s.

People wanting to reminisce more about Tile Hill and its industries, places and people may find the Tile Hill Kid's website interesting.

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: lnwrth709 Coventry Local Studies Tile Hill Station signal cabin viewed from the top of the cattle dock later the site of the 1960s built signal box

Ref: lnwrth1286 Coventry Local Studies Tile Hill Level Crossing with the gates now closed with Duggins Lane in the distance marked by the line of trees

Ref: lnwrth1287 Coventry Local Studies Looking down Cromwell Lane towards the station with the original L&BR gate keeper's house on the right

Ref: lnwrth1285 Coventry Local Studies View of Tile Hill level crossing looking towards Tile Hill Village from the down side of the gates

Ref: lnwrth712 J Hyde Looking towards the station from the goods yard with the British Railways built waiting room on the up platform

Ref: lnwrth711 J Hyde Looking towards Birmingham from the sidings which lay at the Coventry end of the down side of the station

Ref: lnwrth711a J Hyde Close up showing the buffer stop sited near to Cromwell Lane and opposite the main building on the up platform

Ref: lnwrth711b J Hyde Close up showing the station's main building on the up platform complete with single-storey booking office

Ref: lnwrth1302 LGRP A signalman's view of both the station and the yard land showing the reason for the cantilevered signal cabin

Ref: lnwrth1302a L&GRP Close up showing the cattle dock and the grounded former LNWR carriage body sited on the timber staging

Ref: lnwrth1302b L&GRP Close up showing the stand alone building built by the LNWR and which formed Tile Hill station's booking office

Ref: lnwrth716 J Hyde Looking towards Coventry from the station's down platform with the signal box on the right

Ref: lnwrth710 J Hyde Looking towards Coventry from the down platform with the cantilevered signal cabin on the left

Ref: lnwrth710a J Hyde Close up showing the juxtaposition of the level crossing gates, the booking office and the up platform

Ref: lnwrth2099 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Coventry from the cattle dock and along the down line with the up platform on the left

Ref: lnwrth2098 Lens of Sutton Looking to Coventry from the Birmingham end of the down platform with the passenger waiting room on the right

Ref: lnwrth714 RS Carpenter The down line being renewed through the station with the old ballast being loaded on to wagons on the up line

Ref: lnwrth714a RS Carpenter Close up showing the permanent way gang taking a few minutes of rest to enjoy their 'snap'

Ref: lnwrth714b RS Carpenter Close up showing the 'Drott' in action taking over the labour intensive process of loading ballast in to the wagons

Ref: lnwrth713 J Hyde The replacement signal box at Tile Hill which came into operation when the line was upgraded for electrification

Ref: Ref: lnwrth1301 Coventry Local Studies An unidentified ex-LNWR 4P 4-6-0 Prince of Wales class passes the goods yard on an express to Birmingham

Ref: lnwrth2339 P Horsfall An unidentified ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 gets a special working under way after being stopped at a signal at Tile Hill

Ref: lnwrth715 J Hyde LMS 5XP 4-6-0 Patriot class No 5523 passes north of Tile Hill station with an down express

Ref: lnwrth2341 P Horsfall An unidentified ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black Five' brings the 4:30pm local from Birmingham to Coventry to a stop at Tile Hill

Ref: lnwrth2343 P Horsfall Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Royal Scot class No 46168 'The Girl Guide' hurtles through Tile Hill with an express for London

Ref: lnwrth2340 P Horsfall An unidentified ex-LMS Stanier 4P 2-6-4T on a Coventry-bound empty stock train past Tile Hill signal cabin

Ref: lnwrth2342 P Horsfall An unidentified ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black 5' approaches Tile Hill with a London-bound express during 1958

Ref: pa02 Pete Annable GRA Tile Hill station with gates closed to road traffic as the train spotters waiting for a Birmingham to Coventry train