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Sutton Park

LMS Route: Water Orton to Walsall

Opened in 1879, the station stood on the Midland Railway's Walsall to Water Orton branch. The building of Sutton Park station and its line was highly contentious as it bisected Sutton Park which was a very prosperous and wealthy area and was met with significant resistance from local landowners and local residents. The station itself is approximately five minutes from the LNWR's Sutton Coldfield station and 10 minutes from the MR's Sutton Town station (which is the next station towards Water Orton). Because Sutton Park was seen by the MR as a natural place of beauty and was therefore a popular destination for Victorians to picnic it was built to accommodate trains that would terminate at the station from Birmingham instead of progressing onwards to Walsall. This resulted in the station having three platforms, the up being a stand-alone structure whilst the down platform was situated on an island with the third platform being both an arrival as well as departure platform. The number of stations within such a confined area (in what was not a densely populated area) contributed to the closure of the MR's Sutton Town in 1924 shortly after the formation of the LMS. Passenger traffic remained relatively light on the line because most passenger were commuters and the ex-LNWR route provided a more direct route to Birmingham. Passenger traffic finally ceased on this section of the line in 1964 together with its local goods yard although goods traffic continues to use the line as a through route to this day.

Close up of the station's booking office and hall on the left and the waiting and ladies room on the right
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HMRS
Close up of the station's booking office and hall on the left and the waiting and ladies room on the right
View from the island platform of the main station building located on the up platform during British Rail days
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HMRS
View from the island platform of the main station building located on the up platform during British Rail days
Looking towards Walsall from the Water Orton end of the up platform with the main station building located on the left
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Lens of Sutton
Looking towards Walsall from the Water Orton end of the up platform with the main station building located on the left
Close up Sutton Park's main station building which housed the booking office, waiting rooms and toilets
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Lens of Sutton
Close up Sutton Park's main station building which housed the booking office, waiting rooms and toilets
Looking towards Walsall from the Water Orton end of Sutton Park station's island platform
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Real Photographs
Looking towards Walsall and the goods yard from the Water Orton end of Sutton Park station's island platform

Close up showing Sutton Park signal box and goods yard and shed with a passenger train standing in siding
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Real Photographs
Close up showing Sutton Park signal box and goods yard and shed with a passenger train standing in siding
Close up showing the entrance to the Gentlemen's toilet on the left and the footbridge steps on the up platform
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Real Photographs
Close up of the entrance to the Gentlemen's toilet on the left and the footbridge steps on the up platform
Close up of the Water Orton end of the island platform showing the water crane used by down trains
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Lens of Sutton
Close up of the Water Orton end of the island platform showing the water crane used by down trains
Close up showing the passenger building which served both platforms on Sutton Park's island structure
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ES Russell
Close up showing the passenger building which served both platforms on Sutton Park's island structure
Close up showing LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 2482 arriving on the 1:45pm Saturday Only service from Walsall
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ES Russell
Close up of LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 2482 arriving on the 1:45pm Saturday Only service from Walsall

Looking towards Walsall from the up platform as LMS 4MT No 2482 arrives with a Walsall to New Street local service
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ES Russell
Looking towards Walsall from the up platform as LMS 4MT No 2482 arrives with a Walsall to New Street local service
Looking towards Water Orton from the Walsall end of Sutton Park station's island platform
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Real Photographs
Looking towards Water Orton from the Walsall end of Sutton Park station's island platform
An internal view of Sutton Park signal box showing the twenty-four lever frame sited at the front of the box
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J Blundell
An internal view of Sutton Park signal box showing the twenty-four lever frame sited at the front of the box
Ex-LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 42604, of '3C' Saltley shed
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J Blundell
Another internal view of Sutton Park signal box and its frame and the shelf above fitted with electrical equipment
Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 No 49381 runs through the up platform after passing under Anchorage Road bridge on 7th March 1964
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P Riley
Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 No 49381 runs through the up platform after passing under Anchorage Road on 7th March 1964

A Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company's DMU is seen being tested at Sutton Park in April 1956
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J Raines
A Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company's DMU is seen being tested at Sutton Park in April 1956
Close up showing ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-4T No 42448 running bunker first on a train to New Street station
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Real Photographs
Close up showing ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-4T No 42448 running bunker first on a train to New Street station
Close up showing ex-LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 42604 of '3C' Saltley shed with the air shimmering from its chimne
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Real Photographs
Close up showing ex-LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 42604 of '3C' Saltley shed with the air shimmering from its chimne
Ex-Midland Railway 0-6-4T No 2038 is seen running bunker first on a New Street to Walsall service circa 1924
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RS Carpenter
Ex-Midland Railway 0-6-4T No 2038 is seen running bunker first on a New Street to Walsall service circa 1924
An Ordnance Survey map showing the layout of Sutton Park station and its associated goods yard and shed
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A Neath
An OS map showing the layout of Sutton Park station and its associated goods yard and shed