GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Small Heath and Sparkbrook Station: gwrsh3995

Great Western Railway Land Survey Plan from 1878 showing the land purchased by the Birmingham & Oxford Junction Railway to build Small Heath Station. The plan shows the original station layout with subsequent land purchases and disposals plus any new buildings that required planning permission and modifications in the track layout. The plan shows land ownership changes that occurred after the main line was quadrupled in 1912, but not the new track arrangement. The plan shows that when the station was built, there was no footbridge across the track, but a path lead to each platform from Golden Hillock Road. The original Booking Office fronted on to the road on the east side of the railway bridge. This changed in August 1900 when the station was rebuilt:

· Replacement Booking Office built above the tracks with the paths to the platforms diverted to this
· Both platforms were extended. New passenger facilities had previously been provided on both platforms and are recorded on the 1888 ordinance survey map (see 'gwrsh3163'), so date between 1878 and 1888
· To the south of the station, the original trailing crossover was repositioned to outside the extended station and a down refuge siding constructed
· To the north of the station, another trailing crossover was provided. (Note neither the first Small Heath North Signal Box which opened in October 1907, nor its successor which opened in July 1910 are shown)
· The Goods Yard on the opposite side of Golden Hillocks Road was greatly extended, with new mileage sidings and weighbridge added. The Goods Shed shown as a new addition in the yard is also recorded on the 1888 ordinance survey map.

In 1912 the quadrupling of the main line resulted in a complete rebuild of the station with two island platforms being provided (see 'gwrsh3161'). The land survey plan shows two occupational bridges being taken down to facilitate widening and a parcel of land being sold to the Secretary of State for War Department on 12th July 1917. This would be the location of the private siding to the BSA Sparkbrook Works, which was eventually connected in March 1919 (see 'Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) and Singer Motors.).

Robert Ferris

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