Sutton Park

LMS Route: Water Orton to Walsall

Opened in 1879, the station stood on the Midland Railway's Walsall to Water Orton branch. The building of Sutton Park station and its line was highly contentious as it bisected Sutton Park which was a very prosperous and wealthy area and was met with significant resistance from local landowners and local residents. The station itself is approximately five minutes from the LNWR's Sutton Coldfield station and 10 minutes from the MR's Sutton Town station (which is the next station towards Water Orton). Because Sutton Park was seen by the MR as a natural place of beauty and was therefore a popular destination for Victorians to picnic it was built to accommodate trains that would terminate at the station from Birmingham instead of progressing onwards to Walsall. This resulted in the station having three platforms, the up being a stand-alone structure whilst the down platform was situated on an island with the third platform being both an arrival as well as departure platform. The number of stations within such a confined area (in what was not a densely populated area) contributed to the closure of the MR's Sutton Town in 1924 shortly after the formation of the LMS. Passenger traffic remained relatively light on the line because most passenger were commuters and the ex-LNWR route provided a more direct route to Birmingham. Passenger traffic finally ceased on this section of the line in 1964 together with its local goods yard although goods traffic continues to use the line as a through route to this day.

Ref: mrspk1151a HMRS Close up of the station's booking office and hall on the left and the waiting and ladies room on the right

Ref: mrspk1151 HMRS View from the island platform of the main station building located on the up platform during British Rail days

Ref: mrspk344 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Walsall from the Water Orton end of the up platform with the main station building located on the left

Ref: mrspk344a Lens of Sutton Close up Sutton Park's main station building which housed the booking office, waiting rooms and toilets

Ref: mrspk341 Real Photographs Looking towards Walsall and the goods yard from the Water Orton end of Sutton Park station's island platform

Ref: mrspk341a Real Photographs Close up showing Sutton Park signal box and goods yard and shed with a passenger train standing in siding

Ref: mrspk343b Real Photographs Close up of the entrance to the Gentlemen's toilet on the left and the footbridge steps on the up platform

Ref: mrspk344a Lens of Sutton Close up of the Water Orton end of the island platform showing the water crane used by down trains

Ref: mrspk342b ES Russell Close up showing the passenger building which served both platforms on Sutton Park's island structure

Ref: mrspk342a ES Russell Close up of LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 2482 arriving on the 1:45pm Saturday Only service from Walsall

Ref: mrspk342 ES Russell Looking towards Walsall from the up platform as LMS 4MT No 2482 arrives with a Walsall to New Street local service

Ref: mrspk343 Real Photographs Looking towards Water Orton from the Walsall end of Sutton Park station's island platform

Ref: mrspk1140 J Blundell An internal view of Sutton Park signal box showing the twenty-four lever frame sited at the front of the box

Ref: mrspk1141 J Blundell Another internal view of Sutton Park signal box and its frame and the shelf above fitted with electrical equipment

Ref: mrspk1136 P Riley Ex-LNWR 0-8-0 No 49381 runs through the up platform after passing under Anchorage Road on 7th March 1964

Ref: mrspk1142 J Raines A Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company's DMU is seen being tested at Sutton Park in April 1956

Ref: mrspk341b Real Photographs Close up showing ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-4T No 42448 running bunker first on a train to New Street station

Ref: mrspk343a Real Photographs Close up showing ex-LMS 'Stanier' 2-6-4T No 42604 of '3C' Saltley shed with the air shimmering from its chimne

Ref: mrspk470 RS Carpenter Ex-Midland Railway 0-6-4T No 2038 is seen running bunker first on a New Street to Walsall service circa 1924

Ref: mrspk1134 A Neath An OS map showing the layout of Sutton Park station and its associated goods yard and shed