LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Harborne

Hagley Road Station: lnwrhr66c

Close up of image 'lnwrhr66' showing Hagley Road station's small goods yard and coal wharf equipped with a short single siding. Access to the yard and coal wharf was via Station Avenue which in turn was off Stanmore Road both of which in this view lay behind the station building . On the left of the yard coal merchant offices can be seen together with horse-drawn drays. Behind the signal are coal staithes used to store coal. Coal merchants would where ever possible try to bag and load the coal direct from the railway wagon onto their dray. The reason being was that the height of the two were fairly compatible and required less effort. Another reason being that storing coal in staithes required double handling which obviously was not just extra effort but also cost. However coal was at its cheapest during the summer months and merchants would therefore buy and store the coal to save money as well as incentivise their customers to do the same.

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