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London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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Forge Mills Station
(Coleshill from 9th July 1923)
Forge Mills station (for Water Orton, Coleshill and Castle
Bromwich) these places being carried on the name board before those stations
were opened, was opened by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
(B&DJR) on 10th February 1842 when the new line, the Birmingham extension
from Whitacre Junction to Lawley Street, was opened. It was one of five
stations opened between Tamworth and Birmingham including Lawley Street, the
terminus, with the other stations being: Castle Bromwich, Water Orton and
Wilnecote. The station was renamed 'Forge Mills for Coleshill' on 1st November
1849 a name it retained until 1st April 1904 when it reverted back to Forge
Mills. It retained this name until 9th July 1923 when the London Midland
Scottish Railway (LMS), the successor to the B&DJR, renamed the station
'Coleshill', whilst the station that originally carried this name on the
Whitacre to Hampton line took the name Maxstoke. It
has been stated that the stations were built in part to boost passenger numbers
to counter flagging passenger numbers caused by a number of issues firstly with
the London and Birmingham Railway and later the Midland Counties Railway over
running rights and competition, respectively.
Forge Mills retained a simple one siding goods yard
suitable for a rural station together with a refuge siding, both accessed via
the down line. The station was closed on 4th March 1968. Behind the station and
connecting to the running lines in the 1960s was a large industrial
gasification plant with a complex of sidings provided. Today the sidings have
been lifted and the old buildings, with their mass of piping, are now
demolished. Two sidings had been provided by 1938 for local power stations. The
first one was built in the late 1920s. According to both volumes of the Railway
Clearing House's 1894 and 1929 Handbook of Railway Stations, Kingsbury station
provided the general public and businesses with limited services. These were
recorded as: Goods traffic and Passenger & Parcels traffic (G,P). There
were no goods shed nor initially cranage facilities provided in the goods yard
so merchants would either have to man handle the loading/unloading of goods
themselves or, if necessary, bring in a mobile crane. This situation seems to
have been remedied later as by March 1956 a small fixed hand-operated crane was
in place as can be seen in image 'mrforg1870a'.
The goods yard remained open until 6th July 1964 when it was closed.
Memories
Graham Martin writes 'a Mr Perkins was the last station
master at the station before closure'. Jim Stacy adds, I took over his
job as signal lampman when he moved up to shunter at Hams Hall. Mrs Shooter,
there's a person you could not forget.. and dear Ruby.. May as well mention the
Perkins children.. Chris, Kathleen and the youngest Mary. Looking at image 'mrforg1846', the Tanks at the Lugi were LPG gas, The
building behind the 3 car stop sign with the door open was where we would
tipple the 16 and 21 ton mineral wagons and the longer building along side it
was where we dropped the bottoms of the 21 ton hoppers. The coal then made it's
way via those conveyor belts to the top building, (centre of picture). The
small coal would be diverted half way up to the gasifiers into the boiler house
hopper'.
Mike Downes adds, 'Mr Perkins the Station Master lived in
the new station house with his wife, daughter Mary and katherine. The house was
on the Hams Hall side of the crossing. We all lived in fear of him but still
played on the platform riding the baggage carts. The porters were Ruby and Jim
Stacy whose daughter still lives in Coleshill he used to arrive to work on a
BSA Bantam. We spent many a night in the hut lighting the Tilley lamps to hang
round the station in winter. The ticket office was manned by Mrs Shooter lovely
old lady. The parcels store had a large scales inside which we used to weigh
ourselves on ,the parcels were delivered on flat single axle trailers pulled by
3 wheeled Scarabs we used to ride on the back and help the driver (fun days not
allowed now ) The first class waiting room had a roaring fire in winter and
soft seats, we used to sneak in there in the winter, when I think about it now
we as an Irish Family must have been Mr Perkins worst nightmare, but his wife
always fed us cakes, Dad always told us she came form Somerset that's why she
spoke funny. By the Norton Arms pub ran by Mr Gregory was the flour Mill ran by
Mr Hollyfield, his daughter works in Coleshill as a dentist.'
Accident at Forge Mills on 8th of June 1844
An accident occurred at Forge Mills on the 8th of June 1844.
The following information was provided to the Board of Trade, 'On the
arrival of the up mail at Forge Mills Station, notice was given to the engine
driver that several cows had gone up the line; he travelled slowly, and shortly
came up with them, but whilst attempting to remove them the down mail
approached, and before it could be stopped the cattle were run over. An engine
was sent back from Birmingham, with assistance, to clear the line. During this
period the cattle had travelled 2½ miles from the place of accident;
being tender first, and the driver not expecting them so soon, six more were
killed. It appears they had strayed from a field near to Forge Mills, and got
on the railway at a level crossing. The directors have now put on a night
watchman, and have directed a house to be built at the gates for his
residence'.
Ordnance Survey Maps and Miscellaneous
Extracts from Parliamentary Reports
21st May 1869
Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons and
Command, Volume 59
A Superintendent in the Midland Railways works department
was ran over and killed near Forge Mill from his own want of caution.
Appendix No 56 to Report of the Commissioners of
Railways
The issue of level crossings at Forge Mills and Coleshill
(on the Whitacre to Hampton Line) generated a considerable amount of
correspondence between CB Adderley, the MP for North Staffordshire; HD Harness,
Captain of the Royal Engineers on behalf of the Commissioners of Railways and
JF Bell, Company Secretary of the Midland Railway. The correspondenmce is seen
below starting with Mr Adderley's first letter of complaint.
March 9, 1848
From: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
To: the Railway Commissioners
Gentlemen, Hearing that it is the intention of the Midland
Railway Company to apply for your sanction to continue certain level crossings
where bridges are demanded over their line, both at Forge Mills station and at
Coleshill station, the one between Birmingham and Whitacre, the other between
Hampton and Whitacre on the Derby line, I beg to enter my protest, on the part
of the public, against the application, and I hope you will have the goodness
to give us, who oppose it, a hearing before you give any sanction to the
continuation of the level crossings.
March 10, 1848
From: HD Harness, Captain RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, relative to
certain level crossings upon the Midland Railway, and to inform you that, if
any application respecting them be made by the Company of the nature
anticipated by you, the Commissioners will communicate with you on the subject.
I am, however, to inform you, that the Commissioners have no power to sanction
any level crossing not authorized by the Company’s Act, nor to require the
substitution of a bridge for a level crossing unless on the application of the
Company.
April 4, 1848
From: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office of
Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
Sir, I have called, unfortunately a quarter of an hour too
late, to consult you about a certain level crossing on the Midland Counties
Railway at Forge Mills station, between Birmingham and Derby. By that
Company’s Act they have no right to keep that level crossing without the
sanction of magistrates, which they have never obtained. The public have a
right to demand a bridge. At the same time, if they would carry a good road up
to their station on each side, and make the crossing at the station, there
would be less danger. I have myself offered to stand half the expense of such
accesses, besides giving the land required. They stand out, hoping to drive me
to a still larger offer, which I cannot and will not make. I therefore must, on
the part of the public, demand a bridge over their present level crossing. I
have repeatedly spoken and written, in vain, to Mr. Hudson. Constant accidents
happen at their crossings, which are only pretended to be guarded. I wished to
consult you how to proceed, and whether your Commission enables you to look
into the question.
April 6, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: The Secretary, of the Midland
Railway Company, Derby,
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to inform you that they have received a letter from Mr. C. B. Adderlev,
complaining of a level crossing near the Forge Mills station on the Birmingham
and Derby Railway, which he states has not been duly authorized by two
magistrates, as required by the Act; and I am to request you to inform them
whether this be the case.
April 6, 1948
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, complaining of an
unauthorized level crossing, near the Forge Mills station on the Birmingham
anti Derby Railway, anil to inform you that they have caused a communication to
be made to the Midland Railway Company upon the subject, I have, &c., H. D.
Harness, Capt. Royal Engineers.
April 17, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: The Secretary, of the Midland
Railway Company, Derby,
I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways to
remind you of a letter from this office, dated the 6th inst., in reference to a
level crossing near Forge Mills, upon the Birmingham and Derby branch of the
Midland Railway, and to request that you will call the immediate attention of
the Directors thereto.
April 22, 1848
From: JF Bull, Secretary, Midland Railway
Company, Derby,
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office of Commissioners of
Railways, Whitehall
Sir, In reply to your letter of the 5th inst., I beg to
inform you that it does not appear that the level crossing to which you refer,
near Forge Mills, has hitherto been authorized by the magistrates; but as the
highway which crosses the railway at that point has been used on the level for
the last seven or eight years up to the present time with the full approval of
the public, whose convenience, it is believed, is best served by that
arrangement, it is the intention of the Company to apply to the Commissioners
of Railways for the necessary permission to continue the level crossing.
April 24, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: The Secretary, of the Midland
Railway Company, Derby,
Sir I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd inst., relative to a level
crossing near Forge Mills, and to inform you that the Commissioners are not
aware of any power contained in the General Acts or in the Special Acts of the
Railway Company that will enable the Commissioners, should they deem it
expedient, to authorize a level crossing in place of a bridge, and to request
that you will refer them to the authority if any such exists.
April 24, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a letter received this day from the
Midland Railway Company relative to a level crossing near Forge Mills, referred
to in a letter addressed by you to this Department on the 4th inst., as well as
a copy of the Commissioners’ communication in reply thereto.
April 25, 1848
From: JF Bull, Secretary, Midland Railway
Company, Derby,
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office of Commissioners of
Railways, Whitehall
Sir, In reply to your letter of the 21th inst, the power
which was supposed the Commissioners of Railways possessed was under the 8
Vict., c. 20, s. 66. (Sic)
April 27, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: The Secretary, of the Midland
Railway Company, Derby,
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to inform you that they have no power under the Act 8 Viet., c. 20, s. 60, to
authorize the substitution of a level crossing for a bridge as supposed in your
letter of the 25th instant.
May 2, 1848
From: Captain RM Laffan, RE, The Office of
Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
Sir. I have the honour to report to you, for the information
of the Commissioners, that I yesterday inspected the level crossing near the
Forge Mills station of the Birmingham and Derby branch of the Midland
Railway.
The road which is here crossed by the railway appeared to
me to be one but little frequented. In many places it was impossible to
recognize in it any appearance of a road; it appeared to be simply a wet ditch
about six feet wide, overgrown with rank grass. In other places the width
varied, and there were traces of cart-wheels in the mud. With the exception of
the raised approaches to level crossing, and of a point where a footpath
crossed it, the whole was under water. It was evident that the road was not
thought to be of sufficient importance to justify the least expense in keeping
it up. On the eastern side, about 50 yards from the level crossing, the road
crosses a branch of the River Tame, by a ford which was yesterday about two
feet deep. In this 50 yards the road descends about eight feet; and if a bridge
be now substituted for the level crossing, it will be necessary, in order to
obtain an approach to it, to construct another bridge over this branch of the
river, an expense which, it appears, the road was never thought to be of
sufficient importance to demand.
On the western side the road descends from the level
crossing at a slope of 1 in 20, and thence continues nearly level, and
generally under water, till it again crosses another branch of the Tame by a
ford which yesterday presented a considerable volume of water flowing with a
rapid current. Close beside this ford is a bridge composed of stone piers and
brick arches, but the road is excluded from all benefit in it; it is meant for
the accommodation of foot-passengers only, and will not allow a cart to pass.
It appears to me that the road now under consideration has been specially
neglected, in order that passengers might not, by using it, be enabled to avoid
the toll on the neighbouring turnpike-road.
I am of opinion that the present level crossing which is
provided with good gates, and at which a gatekeeper is stationed, provides
sufficiently for the traffic, and that the construction of a bridge with proper
approaches would, from the nature of the localities, be attended with a degree
of difficulty and expense which does not appear to be called for by the
importance of the road.
August 2, 1848
From: CB Adderley, MP for North
Staffordshire, Carlton Club
To: The Office of Commissioners of Railways,
Whitehall
Sir, I have transmitted to you, through Mr Newdegate as our
county member, a largely and respectably signed petition, for some assistance
from the Railway Commissioners, in asserting their right to the bridge over the
level crossing near Coleshill, to which I have before called your attention.
You will see by this petition that the request is no private object of my own.
The road is only bad by the railway people having first cut it up in drawing
their own materials, and then rendered it impassable without danger by their
level crossing, unguarded by any police. If this road were opened again to the
public, it is so good a line that no road in the neighbourhood would have so
much traffic on it. Constant accidents happen to cattle; and I myself put it in
the Company’s power to avoid the expense of a bridge, and secure the
safety of the public, by moving their crossing to the neighbouring station,
where police would attend to it. I do hope, when the public ask for protection,
the Commissioners will not persist in the plan laid down only to assist those
who are powerful and rich enough to help themselves.
August 3, 1843
House of Commons,
Mr Newdigate presents his compliments to Mr. Labouchere, and
begs to submit Tor his consideration a petition signed by Colonel Arbuthnot,
who is in command of the Midland district, and about 70 other persons (see
next section below - Webmaster), including several of the largest landed
proprietors, professional men, and farmers, of the vicinity of Coleshill,
praying that adequate means of transit across the Midland Railway, near the
Forge Mills station, may be afforded, the refusal of which by the Railway
Company has caused great incouvenience to the neighbourhood. Mr. Newdegate will
only add that, having some local knowledge of the circumstances, and having
full confidence in the representation of the petition, he begs to express his
hope that Mr Labouchere may favourably consider the request of the
petitioners.
To the Right Honourable The President of the Board of
Trade
Signed by 71 persons.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Market Town of
Coleshill, and of the adjoining Villages of Shustoke, Lea Marston, Kingsbury,
Whitacre, and Merevale,—Showeth, That the Inspectors sent by the Railway
Commissioners to report on a certain public road crossed on the level by the
Midland Railway, near Forge Mills Station, did not fairly state the amount of
Traffic on that road.
That the bad appearance of the road is mainly attributable
to the injury done to it by the Railway. That the danger to the public is
manifest by several accidents to cattle, and narrow escapes of men with carts,
which have occurrred there and at neighbouring level crossings which this
Company neglect to guard by any polico stationed at them. That if the level
crossing were moved to the neighbouring station, the bridge which is claimed
might be dispensed with, according to the legal process, by the consent of two
magistrates; for then a sufficient guard would be at hand to guarantee the
public safety; and the adjoining landowner, Mr Adderley, has offered the land
and half the cost, to carry out such a plan. The line of road is the nearest
and best from the market town of Coleshiil (now the county town for the
northern division of Warwickshire) to a great number of parishes between it and
Tamworth. Your petitioners pray for your protection to enforce the stipulations
of the Railway Act on which they first conceded their assent, that they may be
saved the hopeless task of fighting the Company by expensive lawsuits to comply
with their own law. And they will ever remain, Your obliged and obedient
servants.
August 5, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: C Newdegate, Esq., M. P-, House
of Commons
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to inform you, that they have directed one of their Inspecting officers to
inquire into the statements contained in the petition forwarded by you to this
Department, relative to a level crossing near Coleshill, upon the Birmingham
and Derby section of the Midland Railway, and that when they receive his report
the Commissioners will again communicate with you on the subject.
May 2, 1848
From: Captain RM Laffan, RE, The Office of
Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, The Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall
I have the honour to report to you, for the information of
the Commissioners, that on Saturday, the 19th ultimo, I proceeded to the Forge
Mills station on the Birmingham and Derby branch of the Midland Railway, with a
view to examine into the subject of a petition forwarded by Mr. Newdegate, with
reference to a level crossing at Forge Mills.
The road which is here crossed by ihe railway appeared to me
tube one but little frequented. In many places it was impossible to recognize
in it any appearance of a road ; it appeared to be simply a wet ditch about six
feet wide, overgrown with rank grass. In other places the width varied, and
there were traces of cart-wheels in the mud. With the exception of the raised
approaches to le»cl crossing, and of a point where a footpath crossed it,
the whole was under water. It was evident that the road was not thought to be
of sufficient importance to justify the least expense in keeping it up. On the
eastern side, about 50 yards from the level crossing, the road crosses a branch
of the River Tame, bv a lord which was yesterday about two feet deep. In this
50 yards the road descends about eight feet; and if a bridge be now substituted
for the level crossing, it will be necessary, in order to obtain an approach to
it, to construct another bridge over this branch of the river, an expense
which, it appears, the road was never thought to be of sufficient importance to
demand.
I do not think that it would be any benefit to the public to
have an over-bridge in lieu of the level crossing. I think the level crossing
provides ample accommodation for the traffic upon the road. It has been stated
to me that the traffic was formerly much greater, but it appears to me that, if
such be the case, the diminution of it has been owing to the two very
inconvenient if not dangerous fords, and not to any inconvenience caused by the
level crossing.
The proposed new road to the Forge Mills station would
certainly promote the convenience of those who wish to have a convenient access
to the trains; and by avoiding the ford and passing the stream by a bridge
where it is much narrower, it would promote the convenience of the public. As
the proposal, however, is still to pass the railway on the level, I do not see
how it can in any way promote the public safety as far as regards the crossing
over the line.
It appears that the gatekeeper at this crossing has also to
attend at the neighbouring station to give out tickets, and that during his
absence his wife is supposed to attend to the gates. I would suggest that this
is not a sufficient provision for the public, and that the Company should be
instructed to appoint a gatekeeper whose sole duty it shall be to attend to the
gates. If the Company think fit to accept Mr. Adder ley's proposal and join
with him to make the new road and remove the level crossing to the station, the
same man might attend to the station and to the gates.
September 9, 1848
From: CN Newdegate, MP, Arbury,
To:
Captain HD Harness, RE, Office of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall,
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to inform you that on receiving the petition signed by Colonel Arbuthnot and
others, which was forwarded with your letter of the 3rd ultimo, they directed
Captain Laffan to revisit the level crossing at Forge Mills, and to report on
the allegations contained in that petition; that Captain Laffan has, in
consequence, made a report, of which a copy is enclosed; and that the
Commissioners are of opinion that under the circumstances stated in that
report, it would not be for "the public advantage" for this Board to commence
proceedings to compel the Railway Company to substitute a bridge for the level
crossing, and that the Board have no power to enforce the other arrangements
reported upon by Captain Laffan. The Commissioners have, however, directed a
copy of the petition, and of Captain Laffan's report, to be forwarded to the
Railway Company, with a request that they will take into their consideration
the proposed arrangements; and the Company have also been informed that, while
the level crossing remains it is the duty of the Company to make such
arrangements with respect to gate-keepers us may ensure the public safety.
September 9, 1848
From: Captain HD Harness, RE, Office
of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall,
To: The Secretary, Midland Railway
Company, Derby,
Sir, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Railways
to forward to you the enclosed copy of a petition which has been addressed to
them with respect to the level crossing near Forge Mills, on the Birmingham and
Derby Railway; and also a copy of a report by Captain Laffan on the subjects
referred to in that petition, and I am to request you to bring under the
consideration of the Directors of the Company the suggestions contained in
those documents for a new road to the Forge Mills station. I am, at the same
time, to inform you, that the Commissioners are unwilling to take steps to
compel the Company to substitute a bridge, as the Company are bound by law to
do, for the level crossing complained of, as it does not appear very distinctly
that it would be for "the public advantage" to adopt that course; but that it
is their duty to point out to the Company that while the level crossing remains
proper gatekeepers should be employed to ensure the safety of the public.
September 9, 1848
From:P CN Newdegate, MP, Arbury,
To: Captain HD Harness, RE, Office of Commissioners of Railways,
Whitehall,
Sir, I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
respecting the level crossing near the Forge Mills station. I regret that the
Commissioners have it not in their power to enforce better accommodation for
the public than the crossing in question affords; but I hope that the
Com-missioners will insist upon the safety of the public being secured by the
attendance of a guard or policeman constantly in charge of the crossing so long
as it remains in its present situation and condition.
With this last communique the saga ends in defeat for
local community.
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