Stechford Station

LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

Stechford station was opened on the London to Birmingham line by the newly formed London North Western Railway in 1844. It might have become more significant when George Stephenson surveyed the route between Derby and Birmingham in 1835 for the North Midland, the bill envisaged the line as running through Whitacre to meet the London and Birmingham Railway with a junction at Stechford to travel into the latter's terminus at Curzon Street. Stechford was the largest intermediate station on the line between Coventry and Birmingham with two island platforms providing two up and two down platforms. The main station building was constructed with timber and was located on the road bridge above the running lines with passenger facilities also provided on the platforms. The station was ideally located for serving the south-eastern side of Birmingham and it had significant goods facilities provided on the North (up) side of the line. The station was equipped with a hump shunting yard on the South (down) side of the Birmingham to Coventry line just before the station with the access road to the hump being parallel to the down slow line.

A hump yard was essentially a flat yard with an artificial hump on the shunting leg so arranged that shunting engines instead of 'setting back' at speed would suddenly stop and then push the wagons over the hump at a constant speed of about two miles per hour. As soon as the detached wagons arrive at the top of the hump they would fall away from the train. Providing the grade is correctly set and the speed of the train is suitably adjusted, a train of 70 wagons or so can be passed over the hump and the wagons marshalled into their respective roads without the engine coming to rest. The opening of the Aston to Stechford line in 1882 increased the traffic through the station allowing scheduled passenger services to avoid New Street station proceeding north along the Grand Junction's original route. Goods traffic also used the Aston Stechford route to access the marshalling yard at Washwood Heath. In the late 1960s the station lost its two island platforms when the down slow and hump road were removed. A new station building was erected off Frederick Road replacing the earlier structure and accessed the down platform via steep steps from Frederick Road.

The following is a transcription of a Special Notice issued by British Railways as part of the resignalling undertaken with the introduction of Coventry Power Box and stage 3 of Birmingham New Street resignalling scheme.

BRITISH RAILWAYS

London Midland Region
(WESTERN LINES)

SPECIAL NOTICE 655G

NOTICE TO DRIVERS, GUARDS, SIGNALMEN AND OTHERS RESPECTING THE INTRODUCTION OF MULTIPLE ASPECT SIGNALLING FROM COVENTRY TO GREAT BARR, ERDINGTON AND HANDSWORTH JUNCTION

The diagram with schedule of route indications which is attached to this Notice, shows the resignalling of the above lines consequent on the bringing into use of the extension to Coventry signal box and Stage 3 of the Birmingham New Street resignalling scheme. The work will commence at 10:00 on Saturday 2nd July 1966 and is due to be completed by 06:00 on Monday 4th July 1966. During this period points and signals worked from the signal boxes mentioned below will be disconnected and drivers handsignalled as necessary. Further details of the working during this period will be found in Section Band C of the appropriate weekly notice. The existing running signals controlled by Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton in Arden, Marston Green, Stechford No I, Stechford No 2, Washwood Heath, Aston No 1, Aston No 2, Witton Goods, Perry Barr Station Junction, Handsworth Junction, Perry Barr North Junction and Great Barr will be taken away and replaced by multiple aspect signalling. Certain signalling alterations will also be made at Canley Gates and Erdington. The distances between Distant and Home Signals leading to and from the resignalled area are shown on the accompanying diagram. All ground frames on the diagram are electrically released from Birmingham, New Street signal box except where shown otherwise on the diagram. On completion of the work the signalling and permanent way will be as shown on the diagram attached to this notice and the following notes are intended to supplement the information given thereon:

STECHFORD No 1
This signal box will become a shunting frame named Stechford to control the Up Sidings, the Down Sidings and the crossover in the Up and Down Main Lines.

STECHFORD No 2
This signal box will be taken away and signals NS 39 and NSAI, which have been acting as Stechford No 2 Home Signals will be controlled from Birmingham New Street Signal Box. The three aspect signal NSAI will become a four aspect signal. The telephone at signal NSAI will be connected to Birmingham New Street signal box. The connection Up Siding to Up Grand Junction will be controlled from a new ground frame named 'Stechford Sidings' and the crossover in the Up and Down Grand Junction Lines will be operated from a new ground frame named 'Stechford Crossover'.

Stechford station's southern approaches and down yard

Ref: lnwrstfd1596 DJ Norton Looking East with Stechford No 1 signal box on the left and the down marshalling sidings on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd1596a DJ Norton Close up of Stechford No 1 signal cabin which controlled the eastern approach to Stechford station

Ref: lnwrstfd2842 DJ Norton View of the approaches on the Coventry side of Stechford station with the ten road down sidings on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd2842a DJ Norton Close up of Stechford Frame which controlled access to and from each of Stechford's down sidings ten roads

Ref: lnwrstfd2837 DJ Norton Looking East towards Coventry with Hill House Lane bridge in the distance and the down yard's sidings on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd2833a DJ Norton Close up of the hump over which wagons were propelled to travel under their own gravity into the down sidings

Ref: lnwrstfd2851a M Mensing Close up showing the 'Black Five' reversing the train adjacent to the hump road leading to the sidings

View of Stechford station's booking office and hall

Ref: lnwrstfd2859 G Dowling An external side view of Stechford station's booking office and hall seen from Victoria Road

Ref: lnwrstfd1605 Lens of Sutton An external view of Stechford station's booking hall and offices which was located above the main running lines

Ref: lnwrstfd1346 DJ Norton Looking to Washwood Heath along Station Road with the station's main building on the junction with Victoria Street

View of Stechford station's platform buildings and structures

Ref: lnwrstfd2850 J Alsop Looking towards Coventry along the down platform from the Birmingham end of the station during the early 1900s

Ref: lnwrstfd2850a DJ Norton Close up of the station's up island platform which shows the platform buildings to be in their Edwardian prime

Ref: lnwrstfd2850b DJ Norton Close up showing the station's down platform and the array of gas lanterns and lamp posts used to light the station

Ref: lnwrstfd1347 Postcard View of the station taken from the down island platform with a local service standing at the main up platform

Ref: lnwrstfd1347a Postcard Close up showing Stechford station and the LNWR four-coach local passenger service to Rugby from New Street

Ref: lnwrstfd1598 DJ Norton Looking East from the Birmingham end of the up platform showing the canopy to the down platform cut back

Ref: lnwrstfd2838 DJ Norton Looking to Coventry along the up platform with the booking office and hall above and No 1 Signal Cabin in the distance

Ref: lnwrstfd2838a DJ Norton Close up of the passenger staircase leading down from the booking office and hall to the station's down platform

Ref: lnwrstfd2836 DJ Norton Looking beneath Station Road bridge along the up lines with Stechford No 1 Signal Cabin seen on the left

Ref: lnwrstfd2839 DJ Norton Looking east with Station Road bridge in the centre, the up yard entrance on the left and the station to the right

Ref: lnwrstfd2839a DJ Norton Close up showing the passenger staircase leading down from the booking office and hall to the up platform

Ref: lnwrstfd4045 RJ Essery A three quarter rear view of the up side of the station's roadside main booking office is seen on 25th October 1964

Ref: lnwrstfd4045a RJ Essery Close up showing the signal on the bridge which controlled the up loop line passing the platform on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd4045b RJ Essery Close up showing the gated staircase from the up platforms to the Booking Office located at street level

Stechford station's northern approaches

Ref: lnwrstfd1343 Postcard A panoramic view of Stechford station looking towards Coventry from south of Albert Road circa 1910d

Ref: lnwrstfd1343a Postcard Close up of the goods yard showing that most open wagons are being used by local coal merchants

Ref: lnwrstfd1344 DJ Norton View of the station and goods yard looking towards Coventry taken from West of Albert Road on 28th May 1960

Ref: lnwrstfd1344a DJ Norton Close up of the Birmingham end of Stechford station and its two island platforms looking towards Coventry

Ref: lnwrstfd2834 DJ Norton Another panoramic view of Stechford station and goods yard looking towards Coventry seen west of Albert Road

Ref: lnwrstfd1597 DJ Norton View from Stechford No 2 signal cabin with on the right the connection to the down goods line

Ref: lnwrstfd1599 DJ Norton Looking East from the down main with Stechford No 2 signal cabin on the right and the sidings on the left

Ref: lnwrstfd2835a DJ Norton Close up showing Stechford No 2 Signal Cabin with a black and white framed structure in the foreground

Ref: lnwrstfd1345 DJ Norton Looking towards Stechford station from the down main with Stechford No 2 signal cabin on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd2835 DJ Norton View of Stechford No 2 Signal Cabin with lines to New Street via Adderley Park on the left and lines to Aston on the right

Ref: lnwrstfd1604 DJ Norton Looking West towards New Street to the left and the line to Aston and Washwood Heath sidings to the right

Ref: lnwrstfd2843 DJ Norton Looking north with the lines to New Street on the left and the lines to Aston on the right on 28th September 1963

Ref: lnwrstfd2840 DJ Norton Looking from the Aston branch to Stechford station with the Adderley Park line on the right on 28th May 1960

Stechford station's good's yard and up and down sidings

Ref: lnwrstfd1602 M Mensing Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 44865 is seen shunting in Stechford's goods yard on 14th October 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd1602a M Mensing Close up showing the sidings leading up to Cartwright & Company's main timber internal storage shed

Ref: lnwrstfd1602b M Mensing Close up of the section of the yard primarily being used to stack timber belonging to Cartwright & Company

Ref: lnwrstfd1308a M Mensing Close up view of the goods yard showing Cartwright & Company's two-storey timber stacking shed

Ref: lnwrstfd1308b M Mensing Close up on another occasion showing the sidings almost empty with just a few stacks of timber evident

Ref: lnwrstfd3192 British Railways Rear view of Stetchford goods yard as seen from Station Road and and Northcote Road in November 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd2845 M Mensing Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48681 is standing on the up passenger loopline shunting a goods train on 5th May 1959

Ref: lnwrstfd3774 M Mensing Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 45362 passes Stechford No 1 Signal Box on an up goods train towards Coventry circa 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd3775 M Mensing Ex-LMS No 44872 passes Stechford No 1 Signal Box on an up Civil Engineers train on 8th March 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd3776 M Mensing Ex-LMS No 44897 stands on the down main as it shunts at Stechford's down yard on 8th March 1962

Locomotives and trains seen at or near Stechford station

Ref: lnwrstfd1066 M Mensing Ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black 5' No 44934 passes through the station on a down special made of SR coaching stock

Ref: lnwrstfd2844a DJ Norton Ex-MR 2F 0-6-0 No 58181 is seen arriving at Stechford on the up goods line with a local stopping freight service

Ref: lnwrstfd2848 DJ Norton BR 4MT 2-6-4T No 80039 stands at the down platform on the 12:42pm Coventry to New Street service

Ref: lnwrstfd2841 DJ Norton An unidentified ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 locomotive is seen approaching Hill House bridge with an up express to Euston

Ref: lnwrstfd2830 M Mensing Ex-LMS 3MT 2-6-2T No 40180 is seen shunting wagons over the hump into the down goods yard on 3rd June 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd1308 M Mensing Ex-LMS 2-6-0 5MT 'Mogul' No 42974 is seen shunting in the up yard of Stechford station on 31st May 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd2844 DJ Norton Ex-MR 2F 0-6-0 No 58181 is seen arriving at Stechford on the up goods line with a local stopping freight service

Ref: lnwrstfd2833 DJ Norton British Railways Standard Class 4MT 2-6-4T No 80088 pilots ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 44803 on a down express

Ref: lnwrstfd2852 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 'Fowler Crab' 2-6-0 No 42925 is seen waiting its turn to reverse into Stechford's goods yard on 13th April 1959

Ref: lnwrstfd2851 DJ Norton Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 45038 is seen reversing its rake of wagons on the down loop line on 27th March 1961

Ref: lnwrstfd2849 M Mensing Ex-LMS 3P 2-6-2T No 40180 shunts a number of wagons in Stechford's down sidings during September 1960

Ref: lnwrstfd2847 M Mensing BR built 2MT 2-6-0 No 46446 passes through Ward End Park on a football special bound for Witton station

Ref: lnwrstfd2846 M Mensing Ex-LMS 4P 2-6-4T No 42544 is seen crossing the Midland Railway's New Street to Derby route in December 1957

Ref: lnwrstfd3191 Anon Ex-LNWR 2F 0-6-0 No 28548 is seen paused between shunting duties in Stechford's exchange sidings in 1947

Ref: lnwrstfd2831 Birmingham Post E3063 heads the first freight powered by electric motive power between the West Midlands and the south

Ref: lnwrstfd3780 M Mensing A three-car DMU stands at Stechford station with the 13:38 pm Birmingham New Street to Rugby service

Miscellaneous

Ref: lnwrstfd2832 Birmingham Post Emergency services at the scene of the crash of the EMU travelling from New Street to Euston on 28th February 1967

Ref: lnwrstfd3773 LNWR Society Various ex-LMS locomotives are involved in the overhead electrification of the line through Stechford

Ordnance Survey Maps

Ref: lnwrstfd4480 Binns & Clifford and Wood An updated version of the 1840 map showing Stechford station in a staggered platform configuration

Ref:lnwrstfd4481 Binns & Clifford and Wood An updated version of an 1841 map showing the bridge crossing the River Cole just prior Stechford station

Ref: lnwrstfd3777 National Library of Scotland An 1886 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey map of Stechford station, goods yard and up and down sidings

Ref: lnwrstfd3778 National Library of Scotland A 1902 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey map of Stechford station, goods yard and up and down sidings

Ref: lnwrstfd3779 National Library of Scotland A 1912 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey map of Stechford station, goods yard and up and down sidings