LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb62b

Close up of image 'lnwrgb62' showing the original Great Barr station's brick built building erected on the old down platform. The closeness of the over bridge to the station would appear to support the theory that originally a level crossing was installed at this point as early Victorian aesthetics would have objected to its domination of the station. Being an original station opening with the Grand Junction Railway on 4th July 1837 it is most likely that the volume of traffic was underestimated and consequently the local landowners and authorities allowed the railway to install a level crossing for road vehicles to use. The installation of a bridge would have been resisted by the LNWR because of the expense but as elsewhere legal action would have forced their hand. The building accommodated a booking office, waiting rooms and as seen above, a gentlemen's urinal. The sign at the end of the platform by the bridge warned passengers against crossing the railway by the porter's or barrow crossing under the bridge. They would have been expected to cross to the other platform by using the road bridge carrying the 'Old Walsall Road'.

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