GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

GWR Route: Hatton to Stratford on Avon

Wilmcote Station: gwrwil515b

Close up of image 'gwrwil515' looking along Wilmcote station's up platform showing the refuge siding located at the Stratford upon Avon end of the platform. Their are two signals evident on separate posts with one controlling the through running line whilst the other controls access from the refuge siding to the up line. Refuge sidings were located at intervals along many routes where both passenger and goods traffic was heavy. The need to install refuge sidings was because passenger traffic was given higher priority than slower moving goods traffic which was often made up of unfitted freight wagons with three link couplings. In wartime it was not unusual for goods trains to be standing in a refuge siding for many days with locomotive staff being rostered to travel out to the train each shift in the hope that it might get a path to move forward.

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