Coventry Station: Part One

LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Coventry station was opened to passenger services 9th April 1838 when the Birmingham to Rugby section of the London to Birmingham Railway opened. The facilities were so inadequate that within two years the short platforms immediately below the Warwick Road station building were replaced with new platforms some 300 feet nearer Rugby. Messrs. Preston Hendry and Powell Hendry in their book 'An Historical Survey of Selected LMS Stations' record that the 'buildings were long timber structures 92 ft. 6in by 22ft 8in'.

Increased main line traffic together with the opening of the Warwick and later the Nuneaton branches resulted in further extensive alterations being carried out in 1848-50, 1860s, 1880s, 1890s and 1901-04. The basic plan however remained the same of four lines through the station, the centre lines being for through traffic, the outer ones for platform roads. The Railways (agreement) Act 1935 allowed for further improvements. Whilst some work was effected on the up side of the station, the main work to be carried out of an additional line and platform on the down side was prevented by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Coventry finally got the station it deserved when the station was totally rebuilt commencing in 1959. This expansion with four platforms and overhead 25kV electric power coincided with the closure of passenger services to both Leamington and Nuneaton although some services have subsequently been reinstated. The station was a working museum with some parts of the station dating back to 1838. The original station building on Warwick Road remained until 1959 being used as accommodation for the Inspector and Station Master whilst the Edward Bury water column on the down platformed also remained until it was moved to the National Railway Museum in York.

A long perpetuated myth was that the Midland Railway built an engine shed on the down side adjacent to Warwick Road. In fact whilst the MR might have used the facilities initially in the 1850s when they started to run into Coventry on a goods service, the shed was in fact built by the London and Birmingham Railway and opened in 1838. The station also had a parcel depot which was located between the Birmingham end of the up platform and Warwick Road bridge, part of its sidings being located on the site of the 1838 platform. A ramshackled structure provided cover to the platform whilst the office and store were not much better although built to a much higher specification including a brick built structure.

Additional pages divided on different thematic subjects are available by clicking on the links below:

Ref: lnwrcov553 Illustrated London News A view of the original 1838 station building sited on Warwick Road whilst a Bury locomotive heads a train to Birmingham

Ref: broom2 G Broom GRA Painting showing Coventry Station looking towards Birmingham with the 1838 engine shed on the left and the original station on the right

Ref: lnwrcov559 Illustrated London News A Birmingham to London train hauled by a Bury 2-2-0 locomotive arrives at Coventry's orginal L&B station

Ref: lnwrcov578 Illustrated London News An early view of a L&B Birmingham to London train hauled by a Bury 2-2-0 approaching the outskirts of Coventry

Ref: lnwrcov609 HW Robinson ©Steam Archive View of the 1838 original L&B station building which remained in use as accommodation for station staff until 1959

Ref: lnwrcov1563 HW Robinson ©Steam Archive Another view of the original 1838 station building with the private driveway to the platforms and parcels buildings on the left

Ref: lnwrcov620 Coventry Library Local Studies Looking towards Birmingham this view of the second station built at Coventry in 1840 shows the use of platforms with shelters

Ref: lnwrcov620a Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing the London end of the up platform, the water column, ash pit and the original and new signals

Ref: lnwrcov620b Coventry Library Local Studies Close up of the down platform, train shed and passenger footbridge whilst a locomotive is seen underneath taking on water

Ref: lnwrcov620c Coventry Library Local Studies Close up of the Birmingham end of the up platform and the base of the passenger foot bridge for the down platform

Ref: lnwrcov620d Coventry Library Local Studies Close up of the main part of Coventry Station's second up platform showing the multitude of advertsing posters

Ref: lnwrcov645 Coventry Library Local Studies View of a LNWR 2-2-2 Bloomer at the up platform and a LNWR 0-6-0 DX goods passing through the station

Ref: lnwrcov645a Coventry Library Local Studies Close up view showing LNWR Class 7'-0 2-2-2 'Bloomer' No 251 'Apollo' standing at Coventry station taking on water

Ref: lnwrcov645b Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing details of the LNWR Brake Coach with its guards ducket and lamp on top and an early form of communication cord visible

Ref: lnwrcov645c Coventry Library Local Studies Close up of of an early L&B four-wheels coach still fitted with luggage retaining supports fitted to the roof

Ref: lnwrcov645d Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing a LNWR 0-6-0 DX goods engine on a short train passing the Coventry station on an up goods working

Ref: lnwrcov1282 English Heritage Looking towards Birmingham from Stoney Road bridge with the down platform on the left and the rebuilt up platform on the right

Ref: lnwrcov1282a English Heritage Close up showing the gas lamppost and the ducting used to protect the rodding to the signal and points

Ref: lnwrcov1282b English Heritage Close up showing the new waiting room and just how short the down platform was for much of the 19th century

Ref: lnwrcov1282c English Heritage Close up showing hows the track arrangements at the Birmingham end of the station including the turnouts to the L & B shed and the up platform

Ref: lnwrcov1282d English Heritage Close up showing the parcels siding including the wagon turntable installed on the right hand siding

Ref: lnwrcov1282e English Heritage Close up showing LNWR Sharp 2-2-2ST No 1929 at the head of a local train standing at the up platform

Ref: lnwrcov1282f English Heritage Close up showing the original L & B water column required modifications with the construction of the new platform

Ref: lnwrcov289 Coventry Library Local Studies View looking towards Birmingham as a LNWR 0-6-0 Cauliflower heads a passenger train into the up platform

Ref: lnwrcov289a Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing the Cauliflower goods engine at the head of a train of three four-wheel flat wagons and a mixture of four and six-wheel coaching stock

Ref: lnwrcov554 Coventry Library Local Studies A panoramic aerial view of Coventry station and goods yard with Spence Park footbridge at the bottom and Quinton Road over bridge at the top

Ref: lnwrcov554a Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing Coventry's original 1838 station building, the 1901 rebuilt passenger station, the parcels depot and L&B shed

Ref: lnwrcov554b Coventry Library Local Studies Close up view of No 1 Goods shed, cattle pens and the sidings running parallel to the main line

Ref: lnwrcov554c Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing the LNWR and MR Goods shed, No 2 Goods shed and the main offices

Ref: lnwrcov554d Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing the 25 ton electrically operated gantry, 5 ton hand-operated crane and stores area

Ref: lnwrcov554e Coventry Library Local Studies View of Coventry No 3 Signal box, Spencer Park foot bridge and the approach lines to No 1 Goods shed

Ref: lnwrcov554f Coventry Library Local Studies Close up showing the LNWR locomotive shed which lay between the junction to Leamington and Quinton Road

Ref: lnwrcov1284 Coventry Library Local Studies View of the original joint LNWR and MR Goods shed prior to the construction of the offices and other LNWR goods buildings

Ref: lnwrcov646 Coventry Library Local Studies View of Coventry Station's main entrance looking from Eaton Road with a tram standing at the terminus

Ref: lnwrcov603 Coventry Library Local Studies Another view looking from Eaton Road towards Coventry station showing an open top tram at the terminus

Ref: lnwrcov594 Coventry Library Local Studies Looking along the private road towards Warwick Road and the original 1838 station with the parcel office on the left

Ref: lnwrcov618 Coventry Library Local Studies View of the 'Royal Warwickshire' Regimental Band ready to march forward in to the city centre

Ref: lnwrcov676 AW Flowers View of the main entrance of Coventry station and the canopy devoid of glazing and showing the traffic signs

Ref: lnwrcov614 BR OPC Looking past the taxi rank and the main entrance of Coventry station towards the 1838 original station

Ref: lnwrcov593 BR OPC View of Coventry station's main entrance to the up platform in its new British Railway livery

Ref: lnwrcov619 BR OPC View of the cul-del-sac adjacent to Coventry station's main entrance

Ref: lnwrcov570 BR OPC View of Coventry stations' Refreshment Room and the Parcels Office

Ref: lnwrcov566 BR OPC View of Coventry station's parcels office and depot viewed from the main entrance

Ref: lnwrcov616 BR OPC Exterior view of Covenmtry station's parcels shed located by the up platform

Ref: lnwrcov575 BR OPC Internal view of Coventry station's booking hall showing advertising display cabinets, blackboard advertising and map of 1950s Coventry

Ref: lnwrcov622 HW Robinson ©Steam Archive Looking towards Birmingham with No 2 Coventry Signal Box with the parcel sidings and depot on the right and the ex-L&B engine shed on the left

Ref: lnwrcov610 BR OPC Looking from the down platform towards the ramshackled parcels bay with a 57 ft Brake Van on the right and Coventry No 2 Signal box on the left

Ref: lnwrcov611 HW Robinson ©Steam This view looking from the down platform directly towards the Parcels depot illustrates the evolution of the depot and the different types of construction used

Ref: lnwrcov599 BR OPC Looking towards the Birmingham end of Coventry station's up platform with the parcel depot on the left with an ex-LMS 50 ft Brake Van in the siding

Ref: lnwrcov599a BR OPC Close up of a section of the parcels platform showing the range of goods transported by express passenger services as late as the early 1950s

Ref: lnwrcov600 BR OPC Another view of the parcels platform showing the stone and timber structures and possibly the now filled recess which was once the wagon turntable

Ref: lnwrcov600a BR OPC Close up showing further examples of parcels traffic that were dispatched from Coventry station by express passenger services

Ref: lnwrcov584 LGRP Another view of Coventry station's up platform with the remains of the 1850s passenger footbridge on the left and its 1901-4 replacement on the right

Ref: lnwrcov598 BR OPC Looking towards the Birmingham end of platform one's passenger concourse with the main entrance being on the right

Ref: lnwrcov602 BR OPC View of the Birmingham end of the up platform's concourse taken after British Railways corporate signage has been erected

Ref: lnwrcov608 BR OPC View showing the two main entrances to the station's up platform and with the booking office door in between

Ref: lnwrcov607 BR OPC Another view of Coventry station's concourse on the up platform with the Refreshment Room to the right of the exit

Ref: lnwrcov606 BR OPC A later view of Coventry station's concourse on the up platform with the Refreshment Room to the right of the exit

Ref: lnwrcov562 BR OPC Looking towards Birmingham along the up platform concourse with Warwick Road bridge in the distance

Ref: lnwrcov560 HW Robinson ©Steam Looking towards the Birmingham end of Coventry station's up platform as viewed from beneath Stoney Road bridge

Ref: lnwrcov560b HW Robinson ©Steam Close up showing the up platform concourse and the luggage bridge with the passenger footbridge just visible behind

Ref: lnwrcov625 BR Looking across to the main entrance to the station on the up platform with the refreshment room on the extreme right

Ref: lnwrcov625a BR Close up showing the LMS telephone booth and next to it the 'Dymo' lettering machine

Ref: lnwrcov589 BR OPC Looking towards the Rugby end of the up platform's concourse and the steps to the footbridge to the down platform

Ref: lnwrcov576 BR OPC A later view looking towards the Rugby end of the up platform's concourse and the steps to the footbridge to the down platform

Ref: lnwrcov589a BR OPC Close up showing the clocks and figureboards that indicated the time of the departure of trains from the up platform

Ref: lnwrcov589b BR OPC Close up showing the standard LMS telephone booth on the up platform and a large 'Dymo' lettering machine

Ref: lnwrcov613 BR OPC View of the end of the concourse showing one of the methods used to by the post office in transporting mail by train

Ref: lnwrcov552 BR OPC View of the London end of the up platform's concourse partly occupied by the kiosk of Wymans the newsagents

Ref: lnwrcov581 G Coltas View of Coventry station's up platform taken from the rear of a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) on a Nuneaton to Leamington service

Ref: lnwrcov560a BR Close up showing the up platform station structure from the concourse towards Stoney Road bridge

Ref: lnwrcov242a J Hyde ©Steam Archive Close up showing the general waiting room, ladies waiting room and other passenger facilities at the Rugby end of platform one