Water Orton Station

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street
LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth
LMS Route: Water Orton to Walsall

Water Orton station was originally built by the Birmingham & Derby Junction Railway (B&DJR) and opened on 16th May 1842. The station was one of four intermediate stations built when the line from Whitacre Junction to Lawley Street was opened. The station was furnished with a small goods yard and refuge sidings for passing goods traffic. The Midland Railway (which was formed when the B&DJR amalgamated with other railway companies) built a second station some 220 yards to the west of the original station. This was because the Midland Railway needed to speed up traffic and decided to build a cut off which ran from Kingsbury station junction to the new junction at Water Orton. Although the distance saved was only 1¼ miles the speed that trains could maintain through the cut off helped to reduce overall journey times.

Original Water Orton Station

Ref: mrwo121 Postcard View of Water Orton's original station showing the staggered platforms either side of the footbridge circa 1900

Ref: mrwo121a Postcard Close up showing the lime stained cattle wagon standing on the siding with a railway worker posed for the camera

Ref: mrwo121b Postcard Close up showing the staggered platforms and on the left the up platform's small passenger waiting room

Ref: mrwo121c Postcard Close up of the main facilities including station master's office, booking office, general and ladies waiting rooms

Ref: mrwo1045 WoW Water Orton station looking towards Birmingham with the main passenger buildings seen on the left

Replacement Water Orton Station

Ref: mrwo120 Anon Exterior view of the station with the goods entrance on the left and the passenger entrance on the right

Ref: mrwo122 Anon Looking from the goods yard towards Water Orton's island platform with the MR signal box seen through the bridge

Ref: mrwo122a Anon Close up of the passenger building accommodating the waiting rooms located on the station's island platform

Ref: mrwo122b Anon Close up showing the passenger stairway and the lift used to transport goods from the platform to Marsh Lane

Ref: mrwo122c Anon Close up looking through the overbridge showing the original 1909 Midland Railway signal box

Ref: mrwo1049 Stations UK View along the island platform of the second station with the up passenger line on the left and the down line on the right

Ref: mrwo1055 B Bill Looking through the down section of the overbridge and showing the BR replacement signal box

Ref: mrwo1035 M Moran Looking towards Water Orton junction with the line to Derby on the left and the line to Leicester on the right in 1958

Ref: mrwo1051 DJ Norton View of the bridge carrying Birmingham Road over the railway near Lea Marston on 30th June 1959

Ref: mrwo118 WL Good Ex-Midland Railway 0-6-0 3F No 3147 is seen at the head of a Class H freight service coming off the Leicester line

Ref: mrwo119 WL Good MR 0-6-0 2F No 3049 is seen passing the cattle pens whilst at the head of a long mineral train in 1921

Ref: mrwo443 BJ Miller British Railways built Caprotti 5MT 4-6-0 No 44744 approaches the station on an up express from Bristol

Ref: mrwo1036 M Mensing Ex-LMS 8P 2-8-0 No 48381 on a Class H freight from Toton to Washwood Heath on 2nd October 1959

Ref: mrwo1037 M Mensing BR built 4MT 2-6-0 No 43036 exits the Leicester line with an express service for New Street on 28th February 1959

Ref: mrwo1044 M Mensing Ex-LMS 8P 4-6-2 No 46239 'City of Chester' leaves the Leicester line at the head of a down parcels service

Ref: mrwo1040 M Mensing Ex-LMS 8P 4-6-2 No 46239 'City of Chester' passes Water Orton's new signal whilst at the head of a parcels service

Ref: mrwo1042 M Mensing Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48266 leaves the Leicester line on a coal train to Washwood Heath on Saturday 26th April 1958

Ref: mrwo1043 GW Sharpe Ex-LMS Beyer-Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2 No 47996 leaves the Derby line with a Birmingham bound freight in July 1955

Ref: mrwo1047 P Glenn Ex-LMS 5XP 4-6-0 No 45699 'Galatea' uses the fast lines on a down Bristol express on 8th May 1954

Ref: mrwo1048 RS Carpenter Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 44814 crosses over from the Derby line on a New Street express service circa 1956

Ref: mrwo1052 DJ Norton An unidentified ex-LMS 'Black Five' on a fitted freight heading North on the fast line on 1st September 1952

Ref: mrwo1053 DJ Norton Ex-MR 0-6-0 2F No 58167, runs tender first whilst towing a brakevan, leaving the sidings on 6th August 1952

Ref: mrwo1054 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 0-6-0 4F No 44270 next to Water Orton sidings on a Class F express freight service on 16th August 1954

Ref: mrwo1054a DJ Norton Close up showing some of the many marshalling and storage sidings located on the up line at Water Orton station

Ref: mrwo1154 J Griffiths Looking towards Park Lane Junction with the signal box on the left and Castle Bromwich straight ahead

Ref: mrwo1156 J Griffiths Ex LMS 4F 0-6-0 No 44458 passes Water Orton station with a train of empty mineral wagons for Kingsbury

Ref: mrwo1041 Midland Railway A Midland Railway Engineer's drawing prepared at their Derby drawing office in February 1908

Ref: mrwo1041a Midland Railway Sectional drawing showing the Porter's room, Booking Office and Parcels and stairway entrance

Ref: mrwo1041b Midland Railway Sectional drawing showing the goods entrance and passenger entrance to Water Orton Station

Ref: mrwo1041c Midland Railway Sectional drawing showing the stairway from road level to the platform and the lift door at platform level

Ref: mrwo1041d Midland Railway Sectional drawing showing the Booking Office, Parcels room, Station Mater's Office and other accommodation

Ref: mrwo1041e Midland Railway Plan of the goods entrance, passenger entrance, booking hall, booking office, hoist and stairway to platform

Ref: mrwo1041f Midland Railway Sectional drawing of the down platform elevation of Water Orton station showing external features

Ref: mrwo1041g Midland Railway Sectional drawing of the up platform elevation of Water Orton station showing external features

Ref: mr-misc001 J Griffiths Illustration of the variety of the oil lamps employed along the route between Castle Bromwich and Stockingford

Ref: mrwo1046 Midland Railway A Midland Railway Distance Diagram showing the marshalling and goods sidings located at Water Orton

Ref: mrwo1038 Ordnance Survey OS map showing Water Orton station and its position between the sidings and the Derby and Leicester junction

Ref: mrwo1039 Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey map showing the marshalling sidings on the left and the goods sidings on the right