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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Structure: gwrbsh2598

An extract from Great Western Railway Diagram No 104639 showing the water arrangements at Snow Hill Station

Extract from GWR Diagram No 104639 which shows their private water mains at Hockley, with inserted an annotated Ordnance Survey Map from 1913

An extract from Great Western Railway Diagram No 104639 showing the water arrangements at Snow Hill Station. Water for the site was obtained from a large twelve inch diameter main water pipe laid alongside the main line trackbed between Hockley and Tyseley. To this were made a number of direct connections supplying fresh cold water to the Signal Boxes, Stations and Staff facilities, including the stables in Snow Hill Tunnel. It also had a six inch diameter pipe connection to the 37,500 gallon water tank adjacent to the 65 foot diameter turntable at the northern end of the station (see 'gwrbsh3068'). This water tank supplied a separate gravity water system in twelve inch diameter pipework which connected to the various water cranes located around the station. This gravity water system enabled large quantities of water to be delivered quickly without effecting the water pressure in the main water pipe. This was particularly useful when locomotive tenders or tanks were being filled at the various water cranes located around the station. The main horse stables beneath the railway viaduct between Great Charles Street and Lionel Street were also connected to the gravity water system, but because these stables were at such a low level it is likely that this supply was unaffected by the pressure variations on this system.

Robert Ferris

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