Barnt Green Station

LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Use the links below to access the following sections on this page:

• Overview of Barnt Green Station
• Views of Barnt Green station - The Birmingham to Gloucester line
• Views of Barnt Green station - The Branch Line to Evesham
• Signal Boxes at Barnt Green
• Locomotives and trains seen at or near Barnt Green station on Gloucester Line
• Locomotives and trains seen at or near Barnt Green station on Evesham Line
• Ordnance Survey Maps and Barnt Green Signal Box's Signalling Diagrams

Overview of Barnt Green Station

Barnt Green Station was first opened on 1 May 1844 some four years after the Birmingham to Gloucester Railway opened. According to Long and Awdy's book on the line, 'it was the gift of land by Robert Clive MP that led to the erection of a second class station comprising a station house, platforms, signal posts, stables and a large entrance gate. Bob Essery speculates in his book on the Ashchurch to Barnt Green route that rural aspect of the station and the consequential sparse population led to the Directors of the company seeing little value in the station. This he believes was the reason the original station had staggered platforms and why the footbridge was not erected until 1895. The Redditch branch was opened 19th September 1859 and required only a single line platform at Barnt Green.

The name of the station on opening was originally 'Barnt Green' but then changed on 1st June 1857 to 'Barnt Green for Redditch'. It was then changed to 'Barnt Green for Bromsgrove' at some date prior to 1st January 1863 but then reverted to 'Barnt Green on 1st July 1868. Although the Redditch branch opened for passenger services in 1859, it was another ten years before the signalbox on the main line controlling the junction opened in 1869. The junction was for the first ten years protected by signals worked by 'watchmen, switchmen and others appointed by the Midland Railway with the cost borne by the Redditch Railway'. The single line signalbox controlling access to and from Redditch opened in 1883 and was replaced on 9th December 1894 when the first 350 yards of track was doubled.

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Views of Barnt Green station - The Birmingham to Gloucester line

Ref: mrbg146 RS Carpenter Looking towards Birmingham showing the staggered up and down main platforms of Barnt Green station

Ref: mrbg146a RS Carpenter Close up showing the junction with the Redditch branch prior to the quadrupling of the lines to Birmingham

Ref: mrbg622 J Braithwaite An early 20th century view of the station looking across the down main platform across to the Redditch platforms

Ref: mrbg712 Stations UK MR 2-2-2 No 680 pilots an unidentified MR 2-2-0 locomotive whilst at the head of a down passenger service

Ref: mrbg704 DJ Norton Looking towards Birmingham along the main up platform with the main station building on the right

Ref: mrbg614 Anon View of the station taken from the Bristol to Birmingham's up platform looking south as a southbound train departs

Ref: mrbg614a Anon Close up showing the junction between the up Redditch branch platform and the Gloucester down platform

Ref: mrbg618 RJ Essery This Edwardian view of the original up platform shows the track layout to the north of the junction

Ref: mrbg619 J Moss Looking towards Birmingham with the fast lines in the middle and the two slow or goods lines on either side

Ref: mrbg619a J Moss Close up view showing the remodelled junction layout and the new extended sidings in the goods yard

Ref: mrbg705 DJ Norton Another view of the four tracks which ran through to Kings Norton on the Birmingham to Gloucester route

Ref: mrbg718 DJ Norton View of Barnt Green station's up main line bracket signal showing the co-acting or repeater signal arms

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Views of Barnt Green station - The Branch Line to Evesham

Ref: mrbg617 J Moss The remodelled junction between the Redditch branch and the former Gloucester & Birmingham Railway mainline

Ref: mrbg617a J Moss Close up of Barnt Green's new goods yards facilities installed after quadrupling of the main line to Birmingham

Ref: mrbg615 RJ Essery Looking along the Redditch branch's up platform towards the Birmingham to Gloucester mainline

Ref: mrbg615a RJ Essery Close up showing the lower quadrant home starter mounted on the up Redditch platform

Ref: mrbg615b RJ Essery Close up of the Redditch down platform waiting room which was built after 1894 when the Redditch branch was doubled

Ref: mrbg710 DJ Norton Looking towards the main Gloucester to Birmingham route along the up platform of the Redditch branch line

Ref: mrbg621 J Moss Looking towards Redditch from the passenger footbridge which shows the sharp curvature of the line

Ref: mrbg703 DJ Norton View of the Redditch branch down passenger waiting room devoid of the surrounding shrubbery on 9th July 1955

Ref: mrbg617b J Moss Close up showing the cattle dock and small timber goods shed on the down side goods yard

Ref: mrbg623 RS Carpenter View looking towards Redditch showing the line curving and on a falling gradient from Barnt Green

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Signal Boxes at Barnt Green

Ref: mrbg708 W Wright View of Barnt Green Signal Box towards the end ofits working life on 3rd August 1969

Ref: mrbg707 W Wright View of the Midland Signal Box controlling the single line to Redditch on 3rd August 1969

Ref: mrbg626 D Powell View of the 1894 Barnt Green Single Line signal box which was sited on the same side as the up platform

Ref: mrbg706 W Wright View of the off-set steps and landing to Barnt Green Single Line Junction signal box on 3rd August 1969

Ref: mrbg624 R Shenton The fireman of BR built 4MT No 43049 collects the tablet by thrusting his hand through the centre of the hoop

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Locomotives and trains seen at or near Barnt Green station - The Birmingham to Gloucester line

Ref: mrbg712a Stations UK Close up showing MR 2-2-2 No 680 piloting an unknown member of the same class as it draws into the station

Ref: mrbg618a RJ Essery Close up of a Bristol bound express train passes opposite the signal box hauled by two Johnson single locomotives

Ref: mrbg713 WL Good Midland Railway 2-4-0 No 177 pilots to Midland Railway 4-4-0 No 523 as it approaches Barnt Green station

Ref: mrbg145 PB Whitehouse An unknown ex-MR 0-6-0 4F passes through the junction on the down fast at the head of a freight to Gloucester

Ref: mrbg1286 B Brooksbank Ex-LMS 4F 0-6-0 No 44226 is seen at the head of a Class D freight passes through the station on 16th August 1963

Ref: mrbg711 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 2-8-0 No 48351, built by the War Department, heads a goods train for Gloucester on 24th April 1954

Ref: mrbg714 RS Carpenter Ex-LMS 2-6-0 No 42823 departing Barnt Green station at the head of a Gloucester to New Street service

Ref: mrbg144 Anon LMS Fowler 0-6-0 4F No 4436 leaves Barnt Green in the cutting as it heads south towards Blackwell in 1928

Ref: mrbg717 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Black 5 No 44945 is seen on a Bristol to New Street express service on 8th June 1954

Ref: mrbg719 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Black 5 No 44841 enters the station on a down express as classmate No 44815 waits at the signals

Ref: mrbg716 DJ Norton British Railways built Ivatt 2-6-0 4MT No 43013 on an up local passenger service from Bromsgrove on 8th June 1953

Ref: mrbg774 DJ Norton An unidentified ex-LMS 0-6-0 4F is seen on a down Class D goods on fast line approaching Barnt Green

Ref: mrbg775 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 2-6-2T No 40099 approaches Barnt Green on a Birmingham New Street to Redditch local service

Ref: mrbg1413 DJ Norton BR built 4MT 2-6-0 No 43036 is seen at the head of a down ordinary passenger service on 18th June 1953

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Locomotives and trains seen at or near Barnt Green station - The Branch Line to Evesham

Ref: mrbg715 RM Casserley BR built 2-6-0 No 43122 runs tender first into Barnt Green station's down branch platform on 11th May 1963

Ref: mrbg616 HC Casserley LMS Fowler Class 3P 2-6-2T No 16 is running bunker first on a Redditch to Birmingham New Street train

Ref: mrbg701 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 2-6-0 'Crab' No 42822 is seen coming off the single line as it passes the Signal Box on 10th May 1954

Ref: mrbg702 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Class 5 No 45106 on a Western Region special train is seen coming off the Redditch branch

Ref: mrbg625 P Shoesmith BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No 80063 arrives with an Ashchurch to Birmingham New Street local passenger train

Ref: mrbg1412 WL Good MR 2-4-0 No 176 on an up train with a Clayton four-wheel passenger third brake carriage behind the tender

Ref: mrbg143 WL Good LMS Deeley 0-6-4T 'Flatiron' No 2038 on a Redditch to Birmingham New St local passenger train

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Ordnance Survey Maps and Barnt Green Signal Box's Signalling Diagrams

Ref: mrbg773 DJ Norton MR Distance Diagram showing the line between Northfield and Bromsgrove and the branch to Redditch

Ref: mrbg720 J Copsey Schematic diagram of Barnt Green station showing the layout of its four platforms and goods yard

Ref: mrbg1409 AE Overton The 1957 signalling diagram of Barnt Green Single Line Junction showing the appropriate lever allocation

Ref: mrbg1414 AE Overton The 1894 signalling diagram of Barnt Green Signal Boxes showing their appropriate lever allocation

Ref: mrbg1415 AE Overton The 1883 signalling diagram of Barnt Green Signal Boxes showing their appropriate lever allocation

Ref: mrbg1417 AE Overton The 1881 signalling diagram of Barnt Green Signal Box showing its appropriate lever allocation

Ref: mrbg1416 Ordnance Survey An 1884 OS map of the station showing the turntable located behind the station building between the two lines

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