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Acocks Green & South Yardley Station
Acocks Green & South Yardley station was built as part
of the GWR's route from Paddington to Snow Hill, being located to the south of
Tyseley Junction station. Open for passengers on 30th September 1852 the
station was originally named Acocks Green and not, as the London Illustrated
News named it, Haycocks Green. In 1878 the station was renamed Acocks Green and
South Yardley in an attempt to reach for the growing to commuter traffic. The
station reverted to its original name of Acocks Green on 6th May 1968. The
station never had any local goods facilities because of its proximity to
extensive goods facilities in Birmingham and Tyseley but it did have a parcels
service, the description being very generous in its application. Its original
two platforms served the station up to the turn of the century when in response
to the growing population of Birmingham it was rebuilt, at the same time as
Tyseley station, with two island platforms to service the intensive commuter
traffic now being generated. Acocks Green developed as a 'railway suburb',
initially for wealthy business people and those retiring to the country. Whilst
the line to Birmingham was initially promoted as the Birmingham and Oxford
Junction Railway the Great Western Railway became the promoter and
therefore built it as a mixed gauge route accommodating both broad and narrow'
gauge traffic. The GWR lost the 'Battle of the Gauges' and the third rail on
the route was removed by 1869. A mile-long cutting had to be excavated to reach
the site of Acocks Green station. The first station had a couple of sheds, a
man porter, a lad porter, two signalmen and a station master. The signalman was
obliged to walk along the line to work the signals until around 1880 when a
signal box was erected. In 1878 the station had been renamed Acocks Green and
South Yardley.
The wide track clearance between the original station's
platform faces was a legacy of the station's Broad Gauge days. The construction
works of 1906 involved widening the site, with the left hand platform becoming
an island with a new line passing behind it. Likewise with the right hand
platform, where a passenger line and a goods loop were installed. New buildings
were erected with a road level building accommodating the booking office being
erected on the bridge carrying Sherbourne Road over the railway. The contractor
was Mr H Lovatt of Clarence Street, Wolverhampton. Muddy Lane's (Woodberry
Walk, also known on old postcards as Woodcock Lane, which used to go as far as
the Avenue) brick built bridge was replaced by them in accordance with the
contract, although it had originally been built with accommodation for four
tracks (Bridge 125¾). 83 charges of tonite were placed in previously
drilled holes in the brickwork. Two hours occupation was allowed to protect the
main line with timbers, blow up the structure and clear the debris! The station
has since the late 1960s had one of the island platforms removed reflecting the
drop in passenger traffic due to the growth of road competition. In the 21st
century this is now being reinstated.
Use the links below to access the
following sections:
The Original Acocks Green & South Yardley
Station
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Acocks Green & South Yardley Station during and
after quadrupling
Miscellaneous
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Locomotives and trains seen at or near Acocks Green
& South Yardley Station
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Diesel Dawn
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