LMS Route: Stratford Midland Junction - The Shakespeare Route

SMJ Locomotives: smjsa161b

Close up of image 'smjsa161' - the 1938 Ordnance Survey map showing the shed, station and the lines to Broom and the GWR network. Located on the left of the image and alongside the line to Broom is what appears to be a coaling shed with a covered side road leading either to the turntable or to the shed and side roads. This structure is described as a 'Coal Drop' in the 1942 schematic seen in image 'smjsa166a' and has all of the hallmarks of being a coaling shed with one of the two sidings running into the structure whilst the other runs alongside. . By the 1960s a very flimsy facility had been provided adjacent to the shed itself as seen in image 'smjsa59c'. The map provides good reason as to why in SMJ and LMS days heavy trains from the Fenny Compton direction would prefer to approach the line to Broom (which had to rise to cross the GWR Stratford to Honeybourne line) 'wrong road' e.g. run into the platform adjacent to the station rather than the line adjacent to the platform on the shed side of the station. The radius would be greater thereby reducing the friction on the wheels of the wagon enabling the train to approach the incline at a faster speed.

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