Vauxhall & Duddeston

LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway
LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Lichfield
LMS Route: Birmingham - Soho Road - Perry Barr - Birmingham

Vauxhall & Duddeston was originally opened as 'Vauxhall' Station in 1837 and served as the temporary terminus of the Grand Junction Railway from Liverpool via Stafford: the first railway to reach Birmingham! When the permanent terminus opened at Curzon Street in 1839, 'Vauxhall' became a goods-only station until it was rebuilt a little further to the north and re-opened in 1869 under the auspices of the LNWR, the new company formed by merging the Grand Junction Railway and London & Birmingham Railway in 1846. The entrance and ticket hall were accommodated in a structure built over the railway lines, on the Duddeston Mill Road bridge. It was renamed Vauxhall and Duddeston Station in 1889 before finally becoming 'Duddeston' on 6 May 1974. In 1941 it was hit by a bomb during a night raid and was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt in a temporary fashion, and in the mid-1950s it caught fire and was subsequently rebuilt although the 'new' station looked barely better than the one it replaced.

Having arrived from Liverpool the previous day, the first public train pulled by the locomotive Wildfire left Vauxhall for Liverpool on 4 July 1837 at 7 am reaching its destination four hours later. A report in the The Birmingham Journal of that same day read: At 7 o'clock precisely in the morning, the bell rang, when the opening train, drawn by the 'Wildfire' engine, commenced moving. The train consisted of eight carriages, all of them First Class, and bearing the following names: 'Greyhound', 'Swallow', 'Liverpool & Birmingham Mail', 'Celerity', 'Umpire', 'Statesman', and 'Birmingham & Manchester Mail!' The train started slowly; but emerging from the yard speedily burst off at a rapid rate. To those, who for the first time witnessed such a scene, it was peculiarly exciting, and the immense multitude, as far as the eye could reach, gave expression to their admiration by loud and long-continued huzzas, and the waving of hats and handkerchiefs.

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

Ref: lnwrvd1505 Drakle's Road Book View of Vauxhall station serving as the Grand Junction Railway's temporary Birmingham terminus in 1837

Ref: lnwrvd1485 JD Norton Looking from the New Street end of the up slow platform towards the station building on Duddeston Mill Road

Ref: lnwrvd1485a JD Norton Close up showing railway sleepers stacked on the island platform which served both slow lines

Ref: lnwrvd1485b JD Norton Close up of the passenger waiting room located on the island platform serving the up and down fast lines

Ref: lnwrvd1487 JD Norton View of part of the burnt out booking office sited on the bridge and the island platform serving both fast lines

Ref: lnwrvd1487a JD Norton Close up showing the unusual bench seat and the water tank located adjacent to Duddeston Mill Road bridge

Ref: lnwrvd98 HC Casserley Looking towards Aston from the Curzon Street end of the platforms serving both fast lines on 14th September 1956

Ref: lnwrvd98a HC Casserley Close up showing in greater detail the goods facilities at Vauxhall and Duddeston on 14th September 2011

Ref: lnwrvd98b HC Casserley Close up showing the timber framed workmen's hut on the island platforms serving both of the fast lines

Ref: lnwrvd1486 JD Norton View of the station after the main station building on the bridge had been rebuilt as seen on 15th April 1961

Ref: lnwrvd1486a JD Norton Close up showing the brick built passenger waiting room located on the island platform serving the slow lines

Ref: lnwrvd1486b JD Norton Close up showing the station's re-built booking office located above the up slow and down fast lines

Ref: lnwrvd1486c JD Norton Close up showing the passenger accommodation located on the island platform serving the fast lines

Ref: lnwrvd2313 R Shenton Ex-LNWR 7F 0-8-0 No 48930 is seen waiting to depart Vauxhall & Duddeston with an SLS special on 2nd June 1962

duddeston_map Andy Doherty Map showing Vauxhall and Duddeston station in relation to Great Francis Street and Duddeston Mill Road

Ref: lnwrvd2312 Anon Schematic showing the lines between Aston and Curzon street and Vauxhall & Duddeston station