GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh3068

The cranked water crane and large water storage tank positioned next to the 65 foot turntable at the north end of Birmingham Snow Hill was photographed on 21st March 1963. There were seven water cranes distributed around Snow Hill, all gravity fed through large diameter pipes from this water tank. The introduction of 4,000 gallon capacity tenders with the ‘King’ class locomotives required existing water cranes to be modified because these tenders were higher than those previously used. To avoid the expense of replacing the vertical columns of the existing water cranes, the eight inch diameter horizontal jib was replaced with a similar sized cranked jib, which raised the crane by 1 foot 5 inches. Photograph 'gwrbsh1191' shows the two water cranes at the southern end of platform Nos 7 and 12, where only the water crane on the main up platform No 7 has be modified with a cranked jib. More details of standard water cranes can be found at 'misc_equip193'.

The water storage tank was a typical Great Western Railway design found at engine sheds and water troughs. At an engine shed the water tank would have normally been associated with a coaling platform on the first floor, but at Snow Hill it only provided water to the seven water cranes distributed around the station, so the space below the tank was built as staff offices, storage and mess room accommodation. Adjacent to the tank access ladder is the water level indicator which was operated by a float mechanism. It is believed that this water tank could hold about 35,000 gallons.

back