LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb61a

Close up of image 'lnwrgb61' showing Hamstead and Great Barr's new station building located on the up platform. The size of the two chimneys indicate that there were four rooms being heated by their open fires. The station master's office, a booking office, a general waiting room and a ladies waiting room are the most obvious. Another 'telltale' is the section of raised roof complete with louvres at this end of the building. This was a common feature fitted above gentlemen's urinals. Inspection of the canopies on both platforms reveal a raised inverted 'V' section of roofing. This was a glazed unit to allow light to pass through to the platform beneath and usually ran for most of the width of the canopy. The lamps are oil lit and would require the junior porter to light them each evening and to extinguish them each morning and to trim the wicks and top up the oil.

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