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: lnwrcs2174

Map showing Birmingham's three principal stations serving London, Derby, Manchester and Liverpool in 1845 just before authorisation of the many new railways which were to profoundly alter the towns railway map. It clearly illustrates the arrangement of the L&BR and GJR passenger stations side by side but separated by the tracks to the L & B goods yard on the north side of Curzon Street. The inconvenient low level location of the B&DJ station sandwiched between the two viaducts is evident. Direct interchange of traffic between the B&DJ and B&GR was only possible via the awkward spur which commenced in a turntable and passed under the L&BR Lawley Street Viaduct. On the south side of the viaduct a stationary steam engine powered a wagon lift which raised the wagons or carriages up, one at a time, to the level of the L&BR tracks (or vice versa). This must have been a tirne consuming process. Sidings were soon established on the south side of the L&BR line between the lift and Gloucester Junction in order to facilitate the exchange of traffic between the B&GR and both the B&DJR and the L&BR. They could also be used for exchange of traffic between the B&DJR and L&BR although the need for this facility was very limited since most traffic would be exchanged at Hampton. A separate connection, on quite a steep gradient, was provided to allow exchange between the B&DJR and GJR lines. Near Gloucester Junction were the ticket platforms where tickets were collected before passenger trains from the L&BR and B&GR proceeded into the L&BR's passenger terminus. The B&GR Act specifically prevented the B&GR making its junction with the L&BR nearer to Birmingham. The Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal was authorised and built after both the L&BR and B&GR Railways. Hence the bridge by which the L&BR line crossed over the canal was built by the canal company and inevitably referred to as the 'New Canal Bridge' in early L&NWR documents. The canal company originally proposed a route taking the canal to the west of Gloucester Junction. This was objected to by the two railway companies and the canal company was forced to build the canal to the east of the junction.

Railways in the Curzon Street and Lawley Street area in 1845

Summary of Principal Dates:

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