Reader Galleries

Photos submitted by readers of Rail Around Birmingham

Since Rail Around Birmingham first went onto the WWW in 2003, I have received some fascinating photographs kindly sent to me by readers of the site. Until now I've displayed some of these shots in the Miscellaneous section but as I am fortunate enough to have a growing collection of photos from people who have enjoyed the site, I felt it time to setup a dedicated section of the site to display their work.

Should anyone wish to see their photographs of the region's railways displayed on this site, please feel free to contact me through the Contact page as I am always pleased to display the work of readers.

Reader Charles Steele kindly sent in the following two photographs showing Birmingham New Street during its transition from site of interest to eyesore during the mid-1960s and has kindly given permission for them to be displayed here.

This 1964 shot is taken from the original footbridge at the station peering out through the missing wall to Dudley Street, with Station Street to the right.

This impressive photo shows the old Queen's Drive in 1964, that bifurcated the old station, being removed.

Many thanks to Alan Stokes for sending the next two photographs in response to my plea for images showing Soho station during operation as I'd never seen any!

Alan used to live near Smethwick Rolfe Street station which can be seen here as we peer around the tender heading towards Wolverhampton.

This view shows Soho station prior to inner city slum clearance and closure. We are looking towards Smethwick Rolfe Street from what was Soho Street bridge.

I'm very fortunate to be able to present the four photographs below of Hockley Goods station. As far as I am aware they have never been published before and came to light during the clearance of Linread Automotive who occupied premises at 33 Pitsford Street which borders the facilities. The photos are stamped 'GWR 1908' on the rear and give a fascinating glimpse of the goods workings at the turn of the last century. My thanks to Brian Shanahan for sending them to me.

The view from All Saints St bridge towards Snow Hill with Hockley station centre-left.

Good shot of horse-drawn GWR wagons loading/unloading at the goods sheds.

A fascinating insight in this shot taken inside one of the goods sheds at the site.

Horse-drawn road delivery vehicles outside the main goods shed, Pitsford Street.

Once again I have to thank a reader of this site for sending me the photographs below and for kindly allowing me to display them here. Dave Morrall took these photographs of Halesowen and Hunnington stations on the Halesowen Railway around 1970 and they provide a fascinating snapshot of the two sites taken only two years after the closure of Halesowen station to goods, and six years after the closure of the line from Halesowen to Longbridge on which Hunnington station stood.

In this shot we are looking along the Longbridge platform of Halesowen station towards Longbridge with Mucklow Hill in the distance where the track ran under the road but the route is blocked-off in this shot.

Here again we are looking along the Longbridge platform of Halesowen station but this time in the direction of Old Hill.

We are now on the trackbed taking a closer look at the Longbridge platform again in the direction of Old Hill.

We have now moved along the line towards Longbridge and are looking at Hunnington station building from its approach road off Bromsgrove Road.

This is the trackside view of Hunnington station showing the building looking rather the worse-for-wear. However, the structure appears sound.

This view takes-in the whole station looking in the direction of Halesowen. In its heyday, the station served Blue Bird's toffee factory and a coal merchants and had a small goods yard for this purpose. The station building is now a private residence.

Above-left we are in the same position as the previous shot but looking along the trackbed towards Rubery.

Here we see the site of the most impressive structure on the Halesowen Railway: the 660 feet long, 100 feet high Dowery Dell trestle viaduct. As can be seen, the iron viaduct had long-since been scrapped although the stone abutments are visible either side of the bottom of the photograph.