GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Soho and Winson Green: gwrswg1562a

Looking towards Wolverhampton here is a close up of the relief lines and island platform buildings. Closest to the photographer were the gentlemen’s toilets, beyond this was a ladies waiting room and the general waiting room. On the down relief platform, the 1912 building had by this time been demolished and replaced with a small utility concrete shelter. Under the covered station footbridge and just beyond the Benson road bridge, on the left are four loop sidings parallel with the running lines and the entrance to the goods depot and warehouse. Several wagons can be seen in these loop sidings.

The platform on the left was also an island platform behind which ran the down goods line, which acted as a refuge loop. According to the Great Western Railway Service Time Table (STT) issued in 1939, there was a down loop refuge between Hockley South and Soho which could accommodate 143 wagons plus engine and brake van. Special engine signals were specified for the following movements at Soho & Winson Green:

• Down goods loop to main or relief lines ... 3 whistles
• Up main line to goods line ... ... 1 whistle and 1 crow whistle
• Up relief line to goods line ... ... 2 whistles and 1 crow whistle
• Goods yard to up relief line ... ... 2 crow whistles

Robert Ferris

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