LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Lichfield

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Soho and Perry Barr

Curzon Street Goods Station: lnwrcs2108

An aerial view showing part of Top Yard, Curzon Street level crossing, the former L & B departure train shed and the station's former hotel. The photographer is standing on the top floor of what was once Holders or Midlands Brewery sited in Novia Scotia Street but which had by 1932 been converted into a diary owned by Wathes, Cattell and Gurden Ltd (known for short as Wacaden). At the very top of the photograph part of the original trainshed covering the L & B departure platform and to its front the 1860 covered loading deck. A horse-drawn dray has just left the weighbridge whilst another is drawing forward. On the right within Top Yard is part of the buildings erected by the LMS in 1930 to 1932 as warehouses for fruit, vegetables, cement and steel. Opposite the road entrance to Top Yard on the other side of Curzon Street is the entrance to the original L & B station's departure carriage yard. To its right is part of the 1840 extension to Hardwick's building which was used as a hotel. The sidings emanating from Curzon Street level crossing can be seen to the left of the weighbridge office. The level crossing had three sets of rails crossing the road which soon expanded to four to the end of the yard. The first cross line and row of turntables can just be seen with the line continuing through a break in the building on the right. From its earliest years maps of the goods station's Top Yard show a set of turntables adjacent to Curzon Street leading off at 90° to a triple set of sidings which ran at 90° to Curzon Street (see image 'lnwrcs2165c'). To the right of the sidings a roadway can be seen with the weighbridge office at the top adjacent to Curzon Street. The paper warehouse and the stables were to the left of the photographer.

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