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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Olton Station: gwro4014

Two GWR 2-6-2T 3150 class Prairie Tanks Nos 3155 and 3163 each head a GWR 4-6-0 King class locomotive with another Prairie Tank at the rear

On Sunday 25th March 1934 bridge tests were carried out on the recently quadrupled Great Western Railway’s main line. At location 124m 11c on the approaches to Olton station from Acocks Green are two Great Western Railway 2-6-2T 3150 class Prairie Tanks Nos. 3155 and 3163. Each head a Great Western Railway 4-6-0 6000 (King) class locomotive with another Prairie Tank at the rear. The locomotives are crossing over Richmond Road bridge whilst performing speed tests over the nearby Warwick Road bridge at about 59-62 mph. The new running lines at this location were built on the north-east side of the original tracks, and the tests are being carried out on the new lines.

This photograph is Solihull Central Library record reference No 1795, courtesy R Waring.

Robert Ferris

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