GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Spring Road Platform: gwrsr292a

Close up of the replacement prefabricated main passenger facilities on the up platform of Spring Road Platform. This prefabricated building was moved to this location from Wooten Wawen soon after the station was constructed and replaced a typical Great Western Railway pagoda style waiting room. The transfer of the buildings probably reflected the passenger usage of the two stations and the need to provide additional facilities at Spring Road.

The replacement building is similar to those at Wood End and Danzey for Tanworth (see 'gwrdt662'). In addition to a waiting room this building had a store room/parcels office and a gentlemen’s toilet. The building was a modular design with standard components incorporated within the wooden frame. In addition to buildings on the North Warwickshire line, similar buildings were also erected on the Great Western Railway's Camerton and Limpley Stoke Railway in Somerset, which was being constructed at a similar time.

The building is cladded with 5" pitch corrugated sheeting, which is believed to be 'Eternit' sheeting as manufactured under licence by G R Speakers & Co Ltd of Stephenage Road, Fulham, London SW6. Eternit was invented in the late 19th century by the Austrian, Ludvig Hatschek and consisted of compacting a mix of 90% cement and 10% asbestos with water. The compaction was achieved using a cardboard manufacturing machine.

Robert Ferris

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