Bearley East, West and North Junctions

GWR Route: Hatton to Bearley and Alcester Branch

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Bearley North and West Junctions are on the southern most part of the North Warwickshire line. From these new junctions on the Stratford Upon Avon to Hatton branch line the North Warwickshire Railway commenced its 18 mile long route to Tyseley where it joined the Oxford to Birmingham line. The junction consisted of two connections, one from the branch line to the north being primarily used for passenger trains to Alcester, the other being now a southerly continuation of the original route from Hatton to Stratford Upon Avon. Opened in 1908, as part of the GWR's new main line route to the West of England, Bearley Junction was laid out to maximise the speed of express trains travelling along the line. The junction partly exists today, the northerly junction now removed, however since the closure of the line beyond Stratford upon Avon, it now handles only commuter traffic plus an ever increasing amount of steam hauled specials, most from the newly restored Moor Street station operated by trains based at Tyseley Museum.

Robert Ferris

Much of the information on this and other pages of Warwickshire Railways is derived from articles or books listed in our 'bibliography'.

The junction of the Alcester Branch with the North Warwickshire Railway

Ref: gwrbj767 GM Perkins View of the line to Great Alne from Bearley and the Edstone Aqueduct and the Bearley distant signal on the right

Ref: gwrbj791 CL Mowatt The Edstone aqueduct passing over the two GWR lines as seen from the Bearley-Aston Cantlow road

Ref: gwrbj3900 C Gilbert View along the Alcester Branch line towards the Edstone Aqueduct on Sunday 9th September 1928.

Ref: gwrbj764 GM Perkins An unidentified GWR 517 class 0-4-2T is seen drawing water from the canal carried by Edstone aqueduct

Ref: gwrbj764a GM Perkins Close up of the fireman letting the water flow into the engine's bunker by controlling the wheel on the down pipe

Ref: gwrbj790 PJ Garland A 1953 view showing the boxed pipe from the aqueduct now being protected by a 'fire devil' against freezing weather

Ref: gwrbj790a PJ Garland Close up of the stop signal mounted on a concrete post installed prior to the Alcester branch reopening

Ref: gwrbj444 LGRP Bearley North Junction looking towards Stratford upon Avon with the branch line to Alcester on the extreme right

Ref: gwrbj444a LGRP Close up showing Bearley North Junction signal box circa 1934 with the Bearley North Curve seen in the distance

Ref: gwrbj444b LGRP Close up of the bi-directional single line to Alcester passing behind the Permanent Way line side hut

Ref: gwrbj765a GM Perkins Close up showing the Alcester line branching away to the left and both sets of tracks passing under the viaduct

Ref: gwrbj763 GM Perkins Looking across Edstone viaduct towards Stratford upon Avon at Bearley North Junction circa 1908

Ref: gwrbj546 WoW Edstone canal viaduct passing over the North Warwickshire line as a southbound goods train passes underneath

Bearley North Junction and Signal Box

Ref: gwrbj788 PJ Garland Bearley North Junction Signal Box looking towards Birmingham with the Alcester branch curving away to the left

Ref: gwrbj766 GM Perkins Bearley North Junction Signal Box just after the North Warwickshire line began operating goods traffic

Ref: gwrbj766a GM Perkins Close up showing Bearley North Junction box, built to the GWR's Type27c design, and contained 35 levers

Ref: gwrbj2344 PJ Garland North Junction outer home signal, some ten chains West of Edstone aqueduct seen on 6th June 1953

Ref: gwrbj787 PJ Garland The North Curve single line seen from Bearley North Junction Signal Box looking towards Stratford upon Avon

Ref: gwrbj787a PJ Garland Close up of the Bearley North Junction & the North Curve arcing to the left and on the right, the line to Wilmecote

Ref: gwrbj809 Betty Castle Bearley North Curve looking towards the North Junction from a position close to the East Junction

Re: misc_equip236 GWR/S Turner An extract from the ‘Great Western Railway Regulations for Train Signalling on Double and Single Lines’

Ref: gwrbj3017 Great Western Railway GWR Appendix to the March 1921 STT detailing the local instructions for the occupation of the Alcester Branch

Bearley East Junction and Signal Box

Ref: gwrbj775 B Bromwich/KRM The 5.45am Leamington to Honeybourne local freight stands adjacent to Bearley East Junction Signal Box

Ref: gwrbj785 Anon Bearley East Junction Signal Box, a McKenzie & Holland Type 3 design built in 1876, for the GWR

Ref: gwrbj807 AT Locke/KRM Bearley East Junction Signal Box in 1938 showing the two single-line Tyers Electric Key-Token instruments

Ref: gwrbj786 AT Locke/KRM The Bearley East Junction Signalman receives another single line staff from a 51xx 2-6-2T prairie tank

Ref: gwrbj2348 HP Street View of the one of the sides of the Bearley East Junction to Bearley North Junction single line key token

Ref: gwrbj2349 HP Street View of the other of the side of the Bearley East Junction to Bearley North Junction single line key token

Ref: misc_equip249 Great Western Railway An extract from the ‘Great Western Railway Regulations for Train Signalling on Double and Single Lines’

Ref: misc_equip250 Great Western Railway Another extract from the ‘Great Western Railway Regulations for Train Signalling on Double and Single Lines’

Ref: gwrga4028 Great Western Railway The Signalling Notice which was issued to inform staff of the new signals and operational procedures

Bearley West Junction and Signal Box

Ref: gwrbj2436 S Douglas Bearley West Junction Signal Box with the lines to Moor Street on the left and the lines to Hatton on the right

Ref: gwrbj808 KRM Inside Bearley West Junction Signal Box and its 25 lever frame dating from the North Warwickshire line opening

Ref: gwrbj446 PJ Garland An unidentified Great Western Railway 4-6-0 68xx (Grange) class locomotive at Bearley West junction

Locomotives and trains seen at or near Bearley's three Junctions

Ref: gwrbj443 P Hopkins GWR 0402T No 564 is seen on the branch line having just left the Bearley Aquaduct after taking on water

Ref: gwrbj805 Anon A 48xx class 0-4-2T and auto trailer No.76 can be seen on the Branch approaching Edstone Aqueduct

Ref: gwrbj811 CH Oldham GWR 2-6-2T No 3152 passes the Alcester Branch Junction with a Stratford - Birmingham semi-fast

Ref: gwrbj436 PJ Garland GWR 4-6-0 No 4058 'Princess Augusta' on an up express servbice passing Bearley North Junction Signal Box

Ref: gwrbj447 P Hopkins GWR 4-6-0 Saint Class No 2908 'Lady of Quality' heads a down West of England express passing the junction

Ref: gwrbj445 PJ Garland GWR 4-6-0 No 5917 'Westminster Hall' is seen on a Leamington to Stratford upon Avon local

Ref: gwrbj810 TE Williams GWR 4-6-0 Castle class No 5079 'Lysander' with the 3.20pm Wolverhampton to Paddington express

Ref: gwrbj789 PW Robinson GWR 0-4-2T No 1425 is seen at the rear of the Alcester bound auto train as enters the Alcester Branch line

Ref: gwrbj766b GM Perkins Close up of GWR 517 class 0-4-2T No 523, a regular Alcester branch locomotive, posed with its crew in 1908

Ref: gwrbj437 P Hopkins GWR 4-4-0 Bulldog class No 3449 'Nightingale' is seen held by signals at Bearley Junction East signal box

Ref: gwrbj776 AT Locke/KRM Ex-ROD 2-8-0 No 3048 is about to surrender the single line staff for the Hatton – Claverdon - Bearley section

Ref: gwrbj2343 RC Riley Ex-GWR 2-8-0 28xx Class No 2859 passes Bearley distant signal with an iron ore train for South Wales in 1956

Miscellaneous

Ref: gwrbj2340 BPC A Scammell mechanical horse and trailer being used to deliver goods from selected local goods yards

Ref: gwrbj1489 DM Lee Looking to Stratford on Avon, a rear view of a GWR 'Sighting Board' seen at Bearley North Junction starter signal

Ref: gwrb1787 PJ Garland & RS Carpenter Composite photograph of various surplus GWR wagons stored at Bearley station' goods sidings

Maps and Diagrams of the Junctions of Bearley

Ref: gwrbj2346 Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey map of the junction between the Alcester branch and the North Warwickshire Railway

Ref: gwrbj2347 Ordnance Survey OS map showing the Bearley to Aston Cantlow road on the left and the junction of the North Curve on the right

Ref: gwrbj2341 Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey map showing Bearley East Junction, its signal box and its proximity to Bearley station

Ref: sig-diag-bearley-north Signalling Record Society A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Bearley North Junction Signal Box produced courtesy of the SRS

Ref: sig-diag-bearley-west Signalling Record Society A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Bearley West Junction Signal Box produced courtesy of the SRS

Ref: sig-diag-bearley-east1907 Signalling Record Society A low resolution version of the 1907 Signalling Diagram for Bearley East Junction Signal Box

Ref: sig-diag-bearley-east1942 Signalling Record Society A low resolution version of the 1941 Signalling Diagram for Bearley East Junction Signal Box