Birmingham New Street Station

[SammyJ]

Hi, I hope i have got this in the right place..

Basically 8 years ago i lived in Bloxwich and used to travel to Birmingham New Street and the train used to go into a tunnel to reverse.

I'm just wondering is there a Siding in the tunnel or is there a crossover much further up the line and how long it would take to reverse and come back to Birmingham New Street?

 

[Mojo]

Hi, I hope i have got this in the right place..

Basically 8 years ago i lived in Bloxwich and used to travel to Birmingham New Street and the train used to go into a tunnel to reverse.

I'm just wondering is there a Siding in the tunnel or is there a crossover much further up the line and how long it would take to reverse and come back to Birmingham New Street?

I couldn't say what happenned then, but nowadays the majority of trains on the line to Bloxwich do not reverse at New Street but continue round in a loop going via Soho on the way into New Street and via Aston on the way out. A few trains do however reverse at New Street. If you look on this map you can see what happens.

 

[TomBoyRacer]

There aren't any sidings in the tunnel but reverse moves are possible in all four tunnels. The only line that doesn't have a limit of shunt is the Up Gloucester. I'm not entirely sure how common such moves are at New Street nowadays. I suspect in the days of Loco hauled trains terminating at New Street this move was much more common.

 

[TDK]

There aren't any sidings in the tunnel but reverse moves are possible in all four tunnels. The only line that doesn't have a limit of shunt is the Up Gloucester. I'm not entirely sure how common such moves are at New Street nowadays. I suspect in the days of Loco hauled trains terminating at New Street this move was much more common.

It is very rare these days, From the North end on the up Stour (down direction) the LOS is very tight (2 car) so this is generally not used, on the down stour the LOS is the next signal as you are in the right direction, to make a move on this line you either need 2 drivers or there is a special dispensation to be able to propel the train into the tunnel unless you can walk through the train. The glocester tunnels are the same, I beg to differ on the lack of a LOS if there is a move on the up line in the down direction, there has to be one if there is a signalled move for the shunt.

 

[150219]

The glocester tunnels are the same, I beg to differ on the lack of a LOS if there is a move on the up line in the down direction, there has to be one if there is a signalled move for the shunt.

It's correct to say that there is no facility to shunt in the down direction via the Up Gloucester line, towards Holliday St Tunnel.

 

[Old Timer]

Shunting out on the Gloucesters is via the Down Gloucester towards Five Ways (NS453 ??) until beyond the trailing crossover in Holliday St tunnel.

As far as I recall there is no signalled WDT route towards the Up Gloucester, unlike the other ends which have WDT routes and associated LOS. The reason for this that the loco holding sidings outside the PSB can only reach the Down Gloucester, hence no need to have an WDT move towards Five Ways along the Up Gloucester. In days of old the Up Gloucester in the tunnel was not wired, only the Down Gloucester was, and there was an Electric Trains Stop Here board just beyond the trailing crossover Down to Up Gloucester.

 

[mumrar]

You can shunt in each of the four tunnels at New Street, although the need hardly ever arises. As for services from Bloxwich reversing in a tunnel at New Street, that's not right. Passenger services are not allowed to perform that kind of shunt with people on board. There'd be no need for a shunt either with that route to New Street.

 

[150219]

Shunting out on the Gloucesters is via the Down Gloucester towards Five Ways (NS453 ??) until beyond the trailing crossover in Holliday St tunnel.

NS452 is the first signal after leaving New Street on the Down Gloucester.

NS242 then protects the return shunt over trailing crossover towards the Up Gloucester (NS238 ) or back towards the Down Gloucester/Engine Sidings (NS237).

 

[TomBoyRacer]

In days of old the Up Gloucester in the tunnel was not wired, only the Down Gloucester was, and there was an Electric Trains Stop Here board just beyond the trailing crossover Down to Up Gloucester.

I was wondering about that OT, I've never managed to spot where the new Catenery started and the old catenery finished. I only travelled the line once before it was electrified and didn't take any notice!

An old railway atlas I had c1990 showed the OHLE apparently running the whole length of Holliday St tunnel but I never took it as being accurate.

 

[Old Timer]

NS452 is the first signal after leaving New Street on the Down Gloucester.

NS242 then protects the return shunt over trailing crossover towards the Up Gloucester (NS238 ) or back towards the Down Gloucester/Engine Sidings (NS237).

Thanks, chap. My old signalling plans are buried in the loft.

I was wondering about that OT, I've never managed to spot where the new Catenery started and the old catenery finished. I only travelled the line once before it was electrified and didn't take any notice!

An old railway atlas I had c1990 showed the OHLE apparently running the whole length of Holliday St tunnel but I never took it as being accurate.

As far as I recall there was sufficient headrom to get two electric locos behind the dummy. I have certainly had one runoff when the loco went past the ETS board.

The termination point was not too far beyond the curve, where it enters the straight.....there is a bit of a wide cess with a brick wall facing where the termination fittings were.

 

[thegrich37423]

i thought birmingham ne street was more street

 

[bluebottle]

Nurse!