LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Lichfield

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Soho and Perry Barr

Curzon Street Good Station: lnwrcs2162

An 1888 diagrammatic plan of Curzon Street showing Lawley Street Junction and Curzon Street Wharf sidings. At this time there were only two tracks into the east end of New Street station. The sidings leading into the main goods yard were divided into four groups, each with distinctive names. The name 'Cattle Sidings' was a reminder of the days when the cattle sidings were alongside Banbury Street. When the Excursion station was built, the cattle wharf was transferred into Banbury Street Wharf (occasionally referred to as Fazeley Street). Possibly it was the transfer of the cattle sidings that caused the new yard to be called Banbury Street even though the canal and the Proof House separated it from Banbury Street proper. The lines into Curzon Street from the L & B line crossed the main lines from Vauxhall (the old GJR lines) on the level, and must have been an endless source of delay and inconvenience. A large part of the Top Yard on the north side of Curzon Street was roofed over at an early date. In the absence of any proper covered wholesale markets in Birmingham, the Top Yard became effectively Birmingham's main potato market and a number of potato merchants had offices in the yard. The arrangement had distinct advantages, there was no cartage to be paid for and the potatoes could, if necessary, be sold almost as soon as they had been unloaded from the railway wagons.

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