GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Handsworth & Smethwick: gwrhs2644

Official photograph taken in February 1933, showing the view along the loading wharf which separated the mileage sidings on the left from the original Goods yard on the higher ground. The building behind the lorry was the main Goods Yard Office, while in the background are several stable-blocks built alongside the Charles Street perimeter. The two storey stable-block building has a covered ramp-way to provide more capacity on the upper floor. There were also stable-blocks alongside the Downing Street perimeter of the mileage sidings giving an indication of the number of horses that must have been engaged in cartage traffic here. One of the entrances to Charles Street with a single storey weighbridge office can be seen on the left.

The Handsworth and Smethwick area had a large number of metalworking and manufacturing industries and the open wagons along the loading wharf contain scrap metal from these processes, including; compressed bales of stamping blanks in the LNER open wagon in the foreground and loose swarf from milling, turning and drilling in the adjacent GWR open wagon. The lorry belonging to Mason Bros, Coal Merchant and General Hauliers has the address 4 Charles Street, Handsworth B21, which indicates that they had their office within the Goods Yard.

Robert Ferris

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