LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Harborne

Rotton Park Station: lnwrrp2180

View of one of the two connections between the Harborne branch and Mitchell & Butler's Brewery sidings seen in 1949. The above photograph illustrates the connection at the Harborne end and shows the curve into the sidings was quite sharp requiring a long checkrail on the left and the short checkrail before the end of the switchblades. Steven Robertson states in his article that this is the reason for the notice on the left instructing Engines not to work beyond this point. Access into the sidings by either connection required a key kept at Rotton Park Road station's ground frame whilst the connection at the Harborne end required an additional key kept on the electric train staff. The points for both connections were worked by the porter/signalman based at Rotton Park Road station. The gate seen above, and on the other connection too, were required to be closed and padlocked except when opened by railway staff with the key kept in the Station Master's office.

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