Kings Heath Station

LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Kings Heath Station on the Camp Hill Line was originally opened in 1840, along with the line itself under the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, as Moseley Station. With the MR building of Moseley Station proper in 1867, this station changed its name to Kings Heath - more appropriate given its location. The station was, along with the others on this line, closed in 1941 as a 'wartime economy measure', never to reopen although the line remains functioning for goods traffic until May 1965. Malcolm Peakman writes, 'While the station closed in 1941 it remained open for parcels traffic and as an advance booking office - my late brother was the clerk there in the early 1960's, I made several visits to the booking office looking for unusual tickets.'.

Ref: mrkh724 NRM Looking north towards Moseley of the original Queen's bridge with the Ballast Pit sidings on the left

Ref: mrkh725 NRM Looking south towards Gloucester showing the replacement bridge and the station through the arch

Ref: mrkh725a NRM Close up of Kings Heath station, the short siding on the left, and the 1882 signal box with its shallower windows

Ref: mrkh514 RS Carpenter Looking towards Camp Hill showing the trailing crossover between the down line on the right to the up line

Ref: mrkh727 B Geens Looking towards Moseley with passengers waiting on the up platform as a goods train approaches the signal box

Ref: mrkh727a B Geens Close up showing the 1873 up platform building containing the Ladies waiting room and gentlemen's waiting room

Ref: mrkh727b B Geens Close up showing the MR 0-6-0 goods locomotive working hard with a train from Washwood Sidings

Ref: mrkh729 B Geens View of the station as a local passenger service is seen departing from the up platform for New Street

Ref: mrkh729a B Geens Close up showing the MR local passenger train whilst coal wagons are being unloaded in the short siding opposite

Ref: mrkh515 RS Carpenter View looking towards Brighton Road showing the absence of the crossover between the up and down lines

Ref: mrkh515a RS Carpenter Close up showing the plethora of posters covering the facade of the up platform building and the weighing machine

Ref: mrkh515b RS Carpenter Close up showing the Brighton Road end of Kings Heath station with the signal box located on the down platform

Ref: mrkh515c RS Carpenter Close up showing the ornate barge boards to the side of the gable end and the buildings intricate brickwork

Ref: mrkh731 B Geens View of King Heath station's passenger waiting rooms and timber shelter located on the up platform

Ref: mrkh731a B Geens Close up showing the up platform building containing both the ladies and general waiting room plus toilets

Ref: mrkh731b B Geens Close up showing Kings Heath station's basic timber waiting shelter which was erected in 1869

Ref: mrkh520 DJ Norton Looking from the up platform across to the main station building situated on the down platform

Ref: mrkh187 RS Carpenter View looking to Kings Norton of Kings Heath Station one month after the station had closed to goods traffic

Ref: mrkh187a RS Carpenter Close up showing the trailing crossover from the down to the up lines adjacent to the goods yard throat

Ref: mrkh519 DJ Norton Looking towards Camp Hill from the Kings Norton end of the down platform some nine years after closure

Ref: mrkh736 RS Carpenter View looking towards Camp Hill showing the connection from the down line to the goods yard in June 1966

Ref: mrkh518 DJ Norton Looking towards Kings Norton on 13th June 1957 some sixteen years after closure to passenger traffic

Ref: mrkh186 RS Carpenter View from the Kings Norton end of the station showing the siding to be elevated higher than the main line

Ref: mrkh517 DJ Norton View showing Kings Heath Signal Box and the short siding located at the Camp Hill end of the down platform

Ref: mrkh728 W Wright View of Kings Heath Signal Box taken on 3rd August 1969 a few weeks before its closure in September

Ref: mrkh751 RS Carpenter A mid-1960s three-quarters view of Kings Heath station's third signal box which was erected in 1906

Ref: mrkh743 RJ Essery Another view of Kings Heath Signal Box and the short siding beyond seen on 25th October 1964

Ref: mrkh737 M williams Kings Heath station staff pose for the camera outside the Station Master's office on the down platform circa 1912

Ref: mrkh748 M Williams Members of staff from Kings Heath station pose on and in front of the steps to the signal box circa 1920

Ref: mrkh726 RJ Essery View of Ballast Pit Sidings circa 1890 with Engineering Department wagons standing alongside the huts

Ref: mrkh735 L Arthur Family A publicity photograph of W Baker & Sons coal delivery cart and staff in front of their offices in station drive

Ref: mrkh738 M Williams View of Mr Baker standing in the doorway of Dixon & Baker Coal & Coke Merchant's offices in station drive

Ref: mrkh732 M Williams Now under new ownership, Leslie Williams poses in the doorway of Fred D Sharp, Coal Merchant & General Haulier

Ref: mrkh733 P Coutanche A new Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Ltd 8 ton 5 plank coal wagon destined for Kings Heath

Ref: mrkh734 Gloucester Record Office A Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Ltd 10 ton, 7 plank, mineral wagon owned by CP Perry & Son

Ref: mrkh742 Birmingham Reference Library A view of the entrance to the station from the drive leading down from the High Street taken on 7th November 1961

Ref: mrkh742a Birmingham Reference Library Close up showing Andrew Harrison & Sons offices and the former Station Master's house at the rear

Ref: mrkh742b Birmingham Reference Library Close up showing the offices of Ten Acres & Stirchley CWS, (Tascos), and the footpath to the High Street behind

Ref: mrkh739 D Taylor Looking down Station Drive from the High Street towards the station yard with offices of coal merchants all on the right

Ref: mrkh740 RS Carpenter Kings Heath Station's weigh bridge and office located outside of the goods yard and at the bottom of Station Drive

Ref: mrkh516 RS Carpenter Looking towards Kings Norton along one of the sidings in the goods yard one month after closure

Ref: mrkh516a RS Carpenter Close up showing the front of Kings Heath Station's original passenger building and the weigh bridge office

Ref: mrkh741 RS Carpenter View of the PW hut situated alongside the three lever ground frame at the entrance to the goods yard

Ref: mrkh730 B Geens View of one of the last steam trams passing Kings Heath station shortly before they were retired in 1906

Ref: mrkh745 R Tedstone Ex-Midland Railway outside curved frame Kirtley 2-4-0 No 20002 is seen leaving Kings Heath for Camp Hill

Ref: mrkh746 ccc Ex-LT&SR 2P 4-4-2T No 2107 is seen at Kings Heath at the head of a down local passenger service in 1935

Ref: mrkh747 RJ Buckley Ex-Midland Railway outside curved frame 0-6-0 No 22630 is seen running light engine through Kings Heath

Ref: mrkh750 C Gilbert An unidentified MR 0-6-0 Class 700 is seen passing through Kings Heath station on a down goods train in 1928

Ref: mrkh721 N Glover British Railways Standard Class 9F No 92154 passes through Kings Heath with a single guards van in tow

Ref: mrkh722 N Glover British Railways built Ivatt 4MT No 46454 runs tender first with a guards van past the box on its way to Camp Hill

Ref: mrkh723 N Glover Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48529 is passing through the derelict station on an up goods service on 11th October 1966

Ref: mrkh744 RS Carpenter Ex-GWR 4-6-0 Hall class No 5912 'Queen's Hall' passes by Kings Heath signal box on 10th November 1957

Ref: mrkh749 B Geens Ex-Midland Railway 3F 0-6-0 No 43210 passes by at the head of a down mineral train in the late 1950s

Maps and Diagrams

Ref: mr_generic1430b Midland Railway Part of MR Distance Diagram dated 1913 showing the two routes south from New Street to Kings Norton

Ref: kings_heath_map Andy Doherty Diagram showing the location of Kings Heath Station