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GWR Service Time Table - Instructions

Moor Street Passenger Station (65) Moor Street Goods Station (39)
GWR Article - Operating Moor Street Station GWR Article - Electrical Labour-Saving Equipment
GWR Article - New Wagons for Banana Traffic GWR Article - New Coaches for Suburban Services
GWR Article - Traversing Tables GWR Article - District Inspector
GWR Service Time Table - Instructions Engine Whistle Codes

Robert Ferris has transcribed the following information on the operation of Moor Street station from regulations and instructions issued by the Great Western Railway or other railway companies.

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

Appendix to No. 13 Section of the Service Time Tables

(Aynho Junction, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and North Warwickshire Line)

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MARCH 1929, and until further notice

BIRMINGHAM (MOOR STREET)

TRAINS RUNNING INTO MOOR STREET STATION

Passenger Trains running into Moor Street Station must not exceed 90 wheels, including engine.

SAND DRAG IN DOWN MAIN LINE

A trailing Sand Drag is provided at the rear of the Catch Points in the Down Main Line, 59 yards from the South end of Snow Hill Tunnel. It is 180 yards in length, and consists of narrow troughs in the centre of which is an ordinary rail with a depth of about four inches of sand above the rail level.

The Permanent Way Department is responsible for seeing that the sand is kept loose in the trough.

Trainmen are specially requested to be on the alert when running between Bordesley Station and Birmingham, so that in case any vehicle or vehicles should break away, every precaution may be taken to stop them at the earliest possible moment.

In order to ensure this, Guards must be ready to instantly apply their hand brake at any point after passing Bordesley Station until their train has arrived at Snow Hill Station.

GONG COMMUNICATION, GOODS YARD

An Electric Gong, operated from the Signal Box, is fixed on the South end of the Goods Shed.

When the services of a Goods Shunter are required to attend to Goods Trains, the Signalman will give one ring on the Gong, and this signal must be immediately attended to.

GOODS TRAINS CONVEYING TRAFFIC FOR MOOR STREET

The following regulations must be strictly carried out in respect to trains taking traffic to or from Moor Street Goods Depot. Down Trains must run over the Down Relief from Bordesley North. Up Trains must run over the Up Relief or Up Goods Lines from Moor Street. No Up Train having work to do at Moor Street must exceed 43 wagons and van.

When the load of the 11.45 p.m. ex Worcester consists of more than 43 wagons for Moor Street, those over and above that number must be detacted at Hockley and worked forward by first available train.

The load of Down Trains must be regulated according to class of Engine that they can start from Moor Street without difficulty.

The Goods Agent at Moor Street must keep the Yard Master at Bordesley Junction advised of the number of wagons which Down Trains are required to pick up.

Trains must not be ordered to call specially at Moor Street, until arrangements have been made through the Birmingham Control.

MOOR STREET GOODS DEPOT

General Traffic. – Traffic arising at Bordesley Junction and South thereof to be held back at Bordesley Junction and worked thence to Moor Street.

Traffic arising at places north of Birmingham to be held at Hockley and worked to Moor Street by the Engine and Van, returning to Bordesley Junction after working the 10.25 p.m. ex Margam or by any other suitable Train as arranged by the Control.

Fish Traffic for Birmingham. – The Fish Traffic arriving by 11.5 p.m. ex Gloucester, to be worked to Moor Street by the engine of that train.

The Fish from Grimsby, etc., arriving by the 2.0 a.m. ex Banbury, to be detached at Moor Street by that Train, which will pass over the Relief Line from Bordesley to Moor Street, and be placed in position for unloading by the Worcester Engine.

On Sunday mornings, the Fish ex Grimsby, etc., which is conveyed by the 11.0 p.m. ex Taunton, must be detached at Snow Hill Station to be iced, and afterwards worked thence to Bordesley Junction, to go forward to Moor Street by the 5.0 a.m. ex Bordesley Junction, Mondays.

Vegetable and other Market Traffic for Birmingham. – The Market Traffic for Birmingham, arriving by the 11.45 p.m. ex Worcester, to be dealt with at Moor Street by the Engine of that Train.

The Engine to be utilised to place traffic in position for unloading in the Shed, and to do any other shutting necessary.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKING TRAVERSING TABLES ON Nos. 1, 2, 3 AND 4 LINES

1. The Traversers are worked by an Electric Controller fixed near the Stop Blocks, and the Traffic Goods Department is responsible for manipulating them. The Handle is locked electrically from the Signal Box, and cannot be worked when the Signals are lowered for a train to run to the Platform Line affected.

2. Trains must be stopped short of the Traverser. The Porter or Goods Shunter must uncouple the Engine, and it must then be run on to the Table on receipt of a hand signal from the Porter or Goods Shunter.

3. The Traffic or Goods Department man working the Traverser must give the prescribed rings on the Telephone to the Signalman, who must then release the Lock, and after the code has been acknowledged, and the Indicator shows that the Lock is off, the man manipulating the Traverser must place his right foot on the Button on the floor to form an Electric contact, and then push the vertical lever from him to his fullest extent. The Controller handle must then be carefully moved by the Porter for the purpose of traversing the Engine from one Line to the other.

4. After the Engine has been removed from the Table, the Traverser must be returned to its normal position, the vertical lever being drawn back. The man manipulating the Traverser must then give the prescribed rings on the Telephone, indicating that the Traverser is not further required, and the Signalman must acknowledge the code by repeating it, and relock the Table.

5. A Disc works with each Traverser to show when the Table has returned to its normal position. This Disc shows a Red and Green Signal.

6. When a Train or Engine arrives which has to be traversed and the Table is then not in the correct poition for the operation, the Shunter about to work the Traverser must inform the Engineman what he is going to do.

Special Limitations of Speed at Birmingham Moor Street

Locality Lines Speed per hour not to exceed
 Moor Street  Up main to up relief  25 miles
 Moor Street  Down relief to down main  25 miles
 Moor Street  Moor Street to up main and relief lines  10 miles
 Moor Street  Down main to Moor Street  10 miles
 Moor Street  Down relief to Moor Street  10 miles

Photographs of Moor Street Station (65) Photographs of Moor Street Goods Depot (39)
GWR Article - Operating Moor Street Station GWR Article - Electrical Labour-Saving Equipment
GWR Article - New Wagons for Banana Traffic GWR Article - New Coaches for Suburban Services
GWR Article - Traversing Tables GWR Article - District Inspector
GWR Service Time Table - Instructions Engine Whistle Codes