GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Greaves Sidings: gwrgs1854

The Birmingham Blue Pullman passes Harbury Cement Works on the Down Main Line in January 1961. As part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan of 1955, the Blue Pullman Trains were introduced on the Great Western Main Line route on 12th September 1960. Forerunner of the 125 HST these trains had a power cars at each end of six passenger cars in a fixed pattern. The passenger stock included a parlour car at each end marshalled adjacent to each power car. They offered passengers a touch of luxury for a supplementary charge. The daily Birmingham Blue Pullman service left Paddington at 12:10pm and arrived at Snow Hill at 2:05pm stopping only at Leamington. Having returned to London the train undertook a second journey leaving Paddington at 5:00pm and arriving at Wolverhampton Low Level at 7:20, after stopping at Leamington and Snow Hill. Each power car had two NBL/MAN diesel engines capable of 1000hp and giving them a maximum speed of 90mph. By March 1967 the West Coast Main Line had been electrified, allowing almost half an hour to be shaved from journey times between London and Birmingham and resulting in the Blue Pullman Trains being re-allocated to the London - South Wales route.

On the exchange siding head shunt on the left are a number of loaded 20 ton steel hopper wagons. The ground disc signal in the foreground indicates that the position of the down sidings to up main switch. This ground disc signal was operated by lever 15 in the Greaves Siding Signal Box, being interlocked with the two switches (Lever 12 - Up Main Line to cross and Lever 14 - Down Sidings to Up Main). The semaphore signal showing ‘all clear’ in the background is the Down Main Home (lever 2).

Robert Ferris

back