Hamstead and Great Barr Station

LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Great Barr was opened on the original route of the Grand Junction Railway in 1862. For the website's convenience we have included the station as being on the Birmingham-Soho- Birmingham route as Perry Barr, Witton, Aston and Vauxhall & Duddeston were all sited along the route. The first station was opened by the Grand Junction Railway on 4th July 1837, and was named Hamstead and Great Barr; it was renamed Great Barr on 1st May 1875. The station was rebuilt to be fully on the opposite side of the Old Walsall Road bridge on 25th March 1899; this station, again known as Great Barr, was renamed Hamstead on 6th May 1974. The station also had sidings which served the adjacent Hamstead Colliery.

The goods yard was a simple affair and located adjacent to the up line with a turnout located next to the Signal Cabin. There were two sidings in the yard, one leading to a cattle dock and a weighbridge to cater for mineral goods traffic. The weighbridge is noted to exist as early as 1913 on the Ordnance Survey map. According to the seventh edition (1894) Railway Clearing House (RCH) 'Handbook of Stations, Junctions, Sidings and Collieries' Great Barr station only provided facilities for the transport of passengers and goods. The 1938 edition of the Handbook recorded the range of facilities on offer had been extended to that of: Passenger, Goods, Livestock, Horse Boxes and Prize Cattle Vans. No craneage facilities were available at Great Barr, if these were required then a portable rail mounted crane would need to be brought in by train.

Ref: lnwrgb62 Real Photos Looking towards Perry Barr under the arch of the bridge with the original station's down platform on the right

Ref: lnwrgb62a Real Photos Close up showing on the right the new down platform being built and on the left the original up platform

Ref: lnwrgb62b Real Photos Close up showing the original Great Barr station's brick built building erected on the old down platform

Ref: lnwrgb2289 F Nightingale Postcard Looking across the line towards Great Barr's main new station building erected on the down platform

Ref: lnwrgb2288 M Morant Looking along the up platform towards Bescot with the overbridge carrying the Old Walsall Road at the end

Ref: lnwrgb4464 Anon An undated photograph of Great Barr's ex-LNWR signal cabin located on the up line at the station

Ref: lnwrgb4463 DJ Norton Great Barr Up Starting signals and Perry Barr Distant signals, Aston on the left and Soho Road on the right

Ref: lnwrgb4462 J Alsop Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 G2 No 1012 is seen passing through Great Barr on an up goods service circa 1923

Ref: lnwrgb4461 J Alsop Ex-LNWR 4-4-0 No 1915 Renown Class 'Implacable' passes through Great Barr on an up passenger service

Ref: lnwrgb4465 LNWR Society Ex-LNWR 0-6-2T 'Coal Tank' No 1062 passes through Great Barr on a Walsall to New Street service circa 1923

Ref: lnwrgb4460 LNWR Society An unidentified ex-LNWR 0-8-0 'G1' is seen working hard as it passes through the station with a coal train circa 1923

Ref: lnwrgb2292 DJ Norton View of Great Barr station's up starting signal and the Perry Barr North Junction distance signal on 5th August 1951

Ref: lnwrgb61 Real Photos Looking towards Bescot as LNWR 0-6-0 No 710 passes through the station on an up goods circa 1921

Ref: lnwrgb61a Real Photos Close up showing Hamstead and Great Barr's new station building located on the up platform

Ref: lnwrgb61b Real Photos Close up of LNWR 0-6-0 18 inch Goods' No 710 as its young fireman pauses from firing to pose for the camera

Ref: lnwrgb60 Real Photos LNWR 0-6-0 No 473 a 'Cauliflower' class locomotive is seen standing at the station on a Winters day

Ref: lnwrgb60a Real Photos Close up showing the different types of carriages making up the train and through the arch the signal box and sidings

Ref: lnwrgb60b Real Photos Close up showing LNWR 0-6-0 18 inch Goods No 473 standing at the station with a local passenger service

Ref: lnwrgb2290 RS Carpenter Ex-LNWR 0-6-2T 'Coal Tank' No 3715 at the head of an up mixed freight passes through Great Barr station

Ref: lnwrgb2290a RS Carpenter Close up showing the Coal Tank's fireman snatching a brief respite from firing to pose to the camera

Ref: lnwrgb2285 M Morant Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 G2a No 49081 is standing at the up platform at Great Barr station with a freight from Bescot yard

Ref: lnwrgb2286 M Morant Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 G2a No 49373 approached Old Walsall Road overbridge on a down freight to Bescot shed circa 1960

Ref: lnwrgb2287 M Morant Ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black Five' No 45146 is seen passing through the station on a down passenger service to Stafford

Ref: lnwrgb2284 M Morant An unidentified ex-LMS 4-6-0 5MT locomotive is seen passing through the station on a down service to Stafford

Ref: lnwrgb2291 E Russell/Colour Rail Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48762 hauls a failed Gloucester DMU set through the station on its way to Ryecroft Walsall

Ref: lnwrgb4466 National Library of Scotland A 1913 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Great Barr station and its two siding goods yard

Ref: lnwrgb4467 National Library of Scotland A 1913 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Great Barr station and Hamstead Colliery

Ref: great_barr map Andy Doherty Map showing the location of Hamstead and Great Barr station and its location next to Old Walsall Road