Thanks to Twitter cycling whizz and all round top guy @WolvesOnWheels who tipped me off last week, there’s a Facebook group that’s been featuring a lot of Brownhills, Walsall Wood and Pelsall railway photographs lately, posted by Si Swain.
Disused Railways features great stuff from all over the UK, and unlike a lot of these sorts of groups, the drive to credit photographers and original material seems genuine and positive.
With that in mind, I’ve grabbed a few of the images here; do go have a look and also check out the ‘Photography by DJ Norton‘ site, a real treasury that’s been featured here before.
I especially like the DMU at Brownhills, and the flat-fronted Class 20 coming over Ryders Hayes. A fascinating group and thanks to Si Swain for posting the images.
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘On a gloomy 2nd December 1963 a green liveried BRCW class 104 dmu makes it’s call at Brownhills Station, the train is a working from Burton upon Trent to Wolverhampton. The station closed to passengers on 18th January 1965. Copyright Peter Shoesmith’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘On 2nd December 1963 a Gloucester RCW Unit departs Pelsall station with a service for Lichfield. Pelsall was situated on the South Staffordshire line from Walsall to Wychnor Junction. This line lost its passenger service in 1965. I now live less than a mile from the trackbed of this route and will be the subject of my first exploration of 2015 on Saturday. Before that I need to do my homework smile emoticon Copyright Geoff Dowling/John Whitehouse.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Walsall Wood station in 1947 some 17 years after the withdrawal of passenger services and by which time the line had been singled.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Further to my recent post on Brownhills Midland. Here is a further selection of images of the station. The station was located immediately after the line had crossed Chester Road North (the present day A452) and along with Walsall Wood was the only other station on the branch from Aldridge.’ Suspect this is a DJ Norton image – Bob
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Last day of passenger services at Brownhills Midland on March 29th 1930. A Johnson 3F, No.3277, with two coaches of compartment stock including a clerestory probably dating from the period 1897 to 1916 has arrived with a service from Aldridge.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘This view dates from April 1957 and shows the station buildings and bridge well. The large building in the top right was Brownhills town hall. Through the bridge can be seen the goods yard which closed on 10th April 1964 and the signal box which closed on 23rd January 1967. Copyright H.C Casserley’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘The scene of dereliction at Brownhills (LNWR) station in 1967. Passenger services had ended 2 years earlier but freight traffic was still running at this time. The station yard has lost it’s track and the signal box is devoid of nameboards and windows. Through the High Street overbridge the canopy of the Up station buildings and weed strewn platform can be seen. View looking towards Hammerwich and Lichfield. Copyright unknown.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Walsall Wood station in 1957 after closure to passenger services. Taken from Lichfield Road looking towards Brownhills.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Walsall Wood station in 1912 looking towards Aldridge. A splendid little station that never saw more than 3 passenger trains per weekday each direction. Copyright John Alsop Collection.’
Posted by Si Swain on Facebook who says ‘Ryder Hayes Crossing on the South Staffordshire line between Brownhills and Pelsall. A station had been opened here with the opening of the line in 1849 but had been closed as early as 1858. It is highly likely that the station was situated to the south of the crossing. Copyright unknown.’
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Hi Bob
Interesting set of photographs. Couple of additional comments which may be helpful.
Brownhills Goods Yard – category 3 – was submitted for closure 25/3/64. Its closure was approved on 1/4/64 and closure actually took place on 10th August 1964, not April.
The Official BR Notice for the signal box closure gives 23rd January 1967, with all points and sidings, clipped for removal. The photograph of the derelict box is c.1967 and is as yet unattributed.
The Brownhills Station photograph of 2/12/63 was taken by the late Peter Shoesmith, the copyright to his work I believe now resides with GD/JW as indicated in one of the photographs.
The “station” which would have consisted of two wooden platforms, one on the up line, and one on the down, at Ryder’s Hayes was opened in April 1856, and not at the opening of the line. Its location has yet to be confirmed, though it is reasonable to believe it to be on the Walsall side of the level crossing. The halt closed in May 1858; a very short-lived existence.
The photograph of the 2 class 20’s is as yet unattributed. I believe the photograph was taken on the afternoon of 4/8/1974 and shows 20176 and 20166 northbound on an empty coke train. The headcode of 8E60 is possibly incorrect and should have read 8E06 which was an afternoon empty coke train from Spring Vale Steelwork (Bilston) to Treeton (Sheffield). Treeton was a staging point for traffic from the local coking works at Orgreaves – near to the site of the infamous clash between Miners and Police.
The line closed to passenger traffic as of Monday 18th January 1965, the last passenger trains running on Saturday 16th. It had been scheduled to close to passengers in the previous December and then on the 5th January, but the Notice was incorrectly served in the first instance, and the replacement bus service was not ready in time for the later.
The Walsall Wood photographs are attributed to Peter Shoesmith for the Sept 1957 picture and the 1947 has a cryptic attribution of “Derby 090314” on the original print.
Hope the above is of interest.
Kindest regards
Ian
No passenger waits on Chittening platform or CHESLYN HAY
Pye Hill and Somercotes … on the Slow Train
WINDMILL END
(Windmill End near Dudley)