GWR Route: Alcester to Hatton Junction

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Bearley Junction: gwrbj3017

Great Western Railway Appendix to the Service Time Tables (dated March 1921) detailing the local instructions as to the occupation of the Alcester Branch by Permanent Way Department. At the same time as the introduction of the Tyer's No 6 Single Line Electric Train Tablet ('misc_equip236'), the Great Western Railway used the new telegraph wiring along the branch to provide an Economic System of Maintenance. For more information about the Great Western Railway’s Economic (and Motor Economic) System of Maintenance see 'misc_equip237'.

The Economic System of Maintenance commenced operation on the Alcester Branch Line on 1st January 1906 and involved nine telephones and occupation key instruments located at intervals along the six mile, 40 chain route. This allowed the branch line to be maintained by a single gang of six men compared with two gangs of four previously. The authorised cost was £200, 16 shillings which was estimated to provide an annual saving of £105, 6 shillings. The costs included a Velocipede inspection car and mechanical trolley. The number of telephones and occupational key instruments was reduced to eight when the construction of the North Warwickshire Line shortened the line and these are listed in the appendix.

At least two of the Permanent Way huts, which contained the telephone and occupation key instruments can be seen in photographs at; Alcester Junction (Hut No 6) 'mra476' and 2½ mile post (Hut No 3) gwrac2297. While other Permanent Way huts can be seen at Great Alne 'gwrga796a', and Bearley North (Alcester branch Junction by Edstone Aqueduct) 'gwrbj790a' and Bearley North (North curve Junction) 'gwrbj787a'. The Hut No 6 at Alcester Junction has a boarded decking over the branch line, with track at right angles leading to the PW hut, so was probably used for storing either the Velocipede car or mechanical trolley, which would have been man-handled on and off the track at this point. This PW hut seems to have been erected during the work to reopen the line in 1922, as it does not appear in 'mra137'. In 1923 the Great Western Railway Magazine records; Mr T Jeffs, E Knight and Mr T Woodfield moving from Bearley to Great Alne as Ganger, Sub-ganger and Underman respectively.

Robert Ferris

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