Lawley Street Goods Station - An illustrated History

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street
LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth

Lawley Street opened for traffic on 10th February 1842, providing the terminus for the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway (B&DJR). The original line from Derby via Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth and Whitacre had terminated at Hampton station, being opened on 5th August 1839. Traffic for London and Birmingham was then routed onwards via the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR). Inevitably the L&BR used their monopoly to exact a high toll on traffic to both locations compelling the B&DJR to look at other options. In the instance of Birmingham traffic, they resolved to built their own line which ran from Whitacre to Lawley Street. Despite their arrival in Birmingham being later than the Grand Junction Railway (GJR), who had joined together with the London and Birmingham Railway to build Curzon Street station, the B&DJR were able to purchase ground between the junction of both railways in order to build their passenger station.

Bob Essery notes in Midland Record No 8 (1997) that CR Clinker had described Lawley Street station as 'having a long frontage of elegant design with a fine central block of offices which accommodated the headquarters of the railway'. Bob also records that in addition to both passenger and freight facilities, a locomotive maintenance and repair shop was brought into use in June 1842. The B&DJR was connected to the GJR by an incline beyond Vauxhall Viaduct. This was opened on 11th April 1842 and subsequently closed on 1st November 1850. Lawley Street was also connected with the L&BR by means of a wagon lift which, situated on the south side of the L&BR's Lawley Street viaduct, was reached via a track on the north-south alignment. The lift also enabled an exchange of traffic with the Birmingham & Gloucester Railway (B&GR) which connected with the L&BR approximately a ¼ mile to the East of Gloucester Junction. The B&GR's line from Camp Hill being opened on 17th August 1841. According to John Gough's Chronology, the lift remained in operation from July 1843 until mid-1853.

At this point in time Lawley Street was rather removed from the centre of Birmingham, which was reached via Lawley Street and Curzon Street. However Richard Foster notes in Birmingham New Street Part One that a footpath constructed by the B&DJR shortened the distance between the Curzon Street and Lawley Street stations. However the amalgamation of the L&BR with the GJR to form the London North Western Railway (L&NWR) and the amalgamation of the B&DJR with the B&GR to form the Midland Railway (MR) led to significant development in the area following the opening of New Street station. Following the opening of New Street station, both Curzon Street and Lawley Street were developed to provide freight facilities for the fast growing town of Birmingham. Lawley Street passenger station became a goods station. The MR opened an engine shed in 1854 later to be replaced in 1868 by a new shed adjacent to the Birmingham & Warwick Canal, just south of Duddeston Mill Road.

In Midland Record No 8, Bob Essery plots the development of Lawley Street through inspection of Ordnance Survey Maps and Rating Plans. He identifies that sidings were built to north of Duddeston Mill Road some time between 1873 when the 1873 street map shows the area is a millpool and 1888, when the OS map of 1887-8 shows the sidings in place. Bob notes that whilst the LMS line side strip for the area show the sidings described as being Duddeston Sidings, the MR Working Time Table (WTT) dated April 1908 shows four terminating points within Birmingham - New Street, Exchange Sidings, Saltley Sidings and Lawley Street. Bob's theory is that Duddeston Sidings were once known as Saltley Sidings, but the question he poses if he is correct is; why the name change? The ever expanding economy of the City of Birmingham (it became a city in 1889, led to increased pressure on all of the city's goods stations resulting in them being redeveloped. Lawley Street goods yard was remodelled during 1892-3 which saw the building of the three storey warehouse and the realignment of the line from Derby to New Street where it burrows under the former L&BR line from Coventry to New Street.

After this phase of remodelling, the yard did not under go any major alteration or rebuilding work until the late 1930s. First, the destruction of the 1893 shed by fire on the evening of 26th May 1937, followed by the destruction of the general offices and other buildings during the 1940 blitz on Birmingham by the Luftwaffe, led to the redesign of the main goods shed and warehouse. In the first instance a single storey goods shed was erected and opened on 29th October 1945. The warehouse facilities and offices were built else where in the depot. The next phase of Lawley Street reflected the changing pattern of freight services on British Railways which were now more focused upon container traffic or bulk loads such as moving coal or oil. Lawley Street has therefore become the home to Freightliner, then Railfreight Distribution then English Welsh Scottish Railways (EWS) until 2005 when the UK's Customs and Excise Department moved to Kent and Birmingham Airport.

Lawley Street's Original Goods Station

Ref: mrls951 Anon View of Lawley Street Goods Station circa 1875 showing the original B&DJR passenger station in the centre

Ref: mrls302 NRM Looking towards Lawley Street's main goods shed and grain store with the main yard in the foreground

Ref: mrls302a NRM Close up showing Lawley Street 'B' Signal Box and the building housing the main yard offices, mess and stores

Ref: mrls302b NRM Close up showing the corner of the shed and one of the cobbled driveways into the depot which was lit by gas

Ref: mrls302c NRM Close up of the rail entrance to the main and grain sheds with a MR Johnson 0-6-0T half-cab shunting the yard

Ref: mrls302d NRM Close up showing Lawley Street goods yard's sidings which are occupied by scores of open mineral wagons

Ref: mrls308 NRM Lawley Street's Goods and Grain Warehouse viewed from the L & BR with Landor Street in the foreground

Ref: mrls308a NRM Close up of Lawley Street Goods Shed's side entrances used by road transport and a variety of fragile goods

Ref: mrls308b NRM Close up of the entrances provided for railway traffic at the Shed and a variety of ventilated vans

Ref: mrls308c NRM Close up of part of the Goods and Grain Shed, an external checker's office and the inside of the road entrance

Ref: mrls425 NRM Looking towards Saltley showing the extensive sidings provided in front of the Goods & Grain Warehouse

Ref: mrls425a NRM Close up of some of the coal merchants' facilities including further reception sidings for handling coal traffic

Ref: mrls425b NRM Close up Lawley Street 'B' Signal Box, the MR Johnson 0-6-0T and the plethora of sidings serving the depot

Ref: mrls425c NRM Close up of Lawley Street sidings as they run parallel with the main Derby to Birmingham line

Ref: mrls307 British Railways View from the Empties Metal Shed of the rear of Lawley Street Goods Warehouse and its new awning

Ref: mrls307a British Railways Close up of the new awning provided to facilitate the movement of goods during inclement weather

Ref: mrls949 British Railways View from the offices located on the corner of Lawley Street and Viaduct Street showing the 'Empties' building

Ref: mrls949a British Railways Close up of the 'Empties' shed which was located to the left of the original B&DJR passenger station

Ref: mrls305 British Railways A posed photo taken on 11th July 1910 of the Landor Street entrance to the goods shed and a variety of road vehicles

Ref: mrls305a British Railways Close up showing the variety of goods being transported by rail into Birmingham including food and perishable products

Internal views of the original and 1944 facilities

Ref: mrls432 NRM View of the Valor Company's heaters being stored at their dedicated warehouse located at Lawley Street depot

Ref: mrls306 British Railways An internal view of Lawley Street Warehouse showing the transfer of goods between road and rail vehicles

Ref: mrls306a British Railways A close up showing the transfer of goods to horse drawn road vehicles for onward transportation

Ref: mrls309 British Railways View of one of the internal wells used to both raise and lower goods within the confines of the shed

Ref: mrls430 NRM An Internal view of Lawley Street's Warehouse showing one of the cranes used to lift the grain within the building

Ref: mrls939 British Railways An internal view of Lawley Street's 1945 single storey shed showing the relative absence of internal supports

Ref: mrls1642 mirrorpic A n internal view of the new shed showing the benefit of using a lightweight structure to maximise internal space

Lawley Street Goods 1944 Rebuilt Depot

Ref: mrls1640 British Railways View of Lawley Street Goods Depot being rebuilt during the Second World War but still operational circa 1943

Ref: mrls1641 British Railways Another view of Lawley Street Goods Depot being rebuilt with a variety of road vehicles on display

Ref: mrls940 British Railways Lawley Street's new goods shed viewed from the south-east with Landor Street in the foreground

Ref: mrls940b British Railways Close up showing the traverser moving a covered van across the front of the Lawley Street Depot's shed

Ref: mrls941 British Railways Lawley Street's new goods shed viewed from the south-west with the former L & B lines in the foreground

Ref: mrls941a British Railways Close up showing the new weighbridge and office and other offices relating to handle freight traffic

Lawley Street Goods Depot's Delivery and Collection Vehicles

Ref: mrls425d NRM Close up showing one of the MR's articulated horse-drawn vehicles designed to move long and heavy loads

Ref: mrls949b British Railways Close up showing the yard adjacent to the 'Empties' shed with a horse drawn dray standing on a weighbridge

Ref: mrls948 British Railways The new canopy installed by the LMS to provide protection to staff involved in the transfer of goods

Ref: mrls669 NRM Another MR's horse drawn heavy goods delivery vehicle at Lawley Street Goods Depot on 30 June 1909

Ref: mrls668 NRM A Midland Railway's horse drawn heavy goods delivery vehicle at Lawley Street Goods Depot on 30 June 1909

Ref: mrls310 British Railways The outside of Lawley Street's Banana Depot with Edward Drouet & Company Limited's lorry in evidence

Ref: mrls433 NRM View of a MR Austin petrol delivery vehicle at Lawley Street Goods depot delivering machined castings in 1916

Ref: mrls940a British Railways Close up of some of the LMS' 2,400 cartage vehicles employed within the City of Birmingham

Ref: mrls667 British Railways View of the Depot's overhead crane and the containers to facilitate more a flexible method of transporting goods

Ref: mrls303 British Railways View looking towards Saltley showing the new freightliner terminal in the foreground on 6th November 1969

Signal Boxes & Signals

Ref: mrls1639 MA King Ex-MR Lawley Street 'A' Signal Box which controlled the approaches to the site of the original goods station

Ref: mrls1637 P Churchman A 1974 view of Lawley Street A Signal Box with the departure lines to its front and the arrival lines behind

Ref: mrls938 RJ Essery Another view of Lawley Street Signal Box 'A' which was located 250 yards from Duddeston Road Signal Box

Ref: mrls935 RJ Essery Looking north towards Duddeston Mill Road adjacent to the offices with Lawley Street A Signal Box at the end

Ref: mrls936 RJ Essery View of one of Lawley Street Goods station's many Midland Railway signals updated by the LMS

Ref: mrls945 RJ Essery View of the front of one of Lawley Street's bracket signals fitted with LMS disc signals fitted to the post

Ref: mrls946 RJ Essery A rear view of the same Lawley Street bracket signal which had LMS disc signals fitted to the post

Ref: mrls943 RJ Essery View of the front of the bracket signal carrying signals No 21 and No 20 controlled by Lawley Street Signal Box B

Ref: mrls937 RJ Essery Looking north showing the rear of the bracket signal carrying signals No 21 and No 20 and Saltley shed

Miscellaneous

Ref: mrls942 RJ Essery Looking north towards Duddeston Road Signal Box with Lawley Street A signal box on the right

Ref: mrls1638 Birmingham Library Looking along Curzon Street towards Lawley Street Viaduct with Curzon Street Viaduct behind on 5th October 1972

Ref: mrls933 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 0-6-0 Diesel Shunter M7130 is seen at the end of a shunting neck opposite Saltley shed in early 1948

Ref: mrls934 TJ Edgington Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48538 is coupled to goods brake van D1659 allocated for departmental use

Ordnance Survey Maps & Schematic Drawings

Ref: mrls950 Institute of Civil Engineers Plan of of Lawley Street Depot's new shed opened in 1945 and showing the various new features employed

Ref: mrls953 Institute of Civil Engineers Cross section of Lawley Street Depot's Traverser Pit which was located at the rail entrance to the shed

Ref: mrls952 Institute of Civil Engineers General plan showing the relationship of the new shed compared to the 1850 diverted course of the river

Ref: mrls947 A Overton Schematic diagram of the various signals and turnouts controlled by Lawley Street 'B' signal box

Ref: mrls944 LMS A 1938 schematic drawing of Lawley Street goods yard showing the various capacities of the sidings

Ref: mrls304 RJ Essery Part of an 1873 street map of Birmingham showing the main routes of the railways around Lander and Lawley Street

Ref: mrls1644 National Library of Scotland An 1887 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station's and its juxtaposition with Curzon Street Goods Station

Ref: mrls1646 National Library of Scotland An 1887 OS Map showing Lawley Street's storage sidings, the disused shed and the travelling crane

Ref: mrls1647 National Library of Scotland A 1902 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station and its 1895 Goods & Grain Warehouse on the right

Ref: mrls1648 National Library of Scotland A 1902 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station extensive sidings and reception roads

Ref: mrls1649 National Library of Scotland A 1913 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station with the 1895 Goods and Grain warehouse in the centre

Ref: mrls1650 National Library of Scotland A 1913 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station extensive sidings and reception roads

Ref: mrls1651 National Library of Scotland A 1913 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station and the 1895 Goods & Grain Warehouse on the right

Ref: mrls674 National Library of Scotland A 1913 OS Map showing all of Lawley Street Goods Station, Saltley Shed and Saltley Gas Works

Ref: mrls675 National Library of Scotland A 1913 OS Map showing Lawley Street Goods Station, Saltley Shed, Saltley Gas Works and Saltley Works

Lawley Street Engine Shed

Ref: mrls1643 National Library of Scotland An 1887 OS Map showing Lawley Street's now disused Midland Railway Engine Shed, coaling stage and turntable