Birmingham Snow Hill Signalling towards the end, March 1972?

[Chrius56000]

. . .Just a quickie one!

. . .I believe the last passenger trains to use the old Birmingham Snow Hill Station prior to final closure in March 1972 was the Langley Green DMU shuttle, which brings me to a signalling question!

. . .I do believe Snow Hill was modernised in the late 1950s/early 1960s with M.A.S., but did any of this remain in use to the very end, or were all the colour–light signals at Snow Hill abolished prior to final closure?

. . .If not, does anyone have a track/signal box diagram or Signalling Notice stating what remained in use during the last few years when only the DMU shuttle was in use?

 

[Gloster]

I presume that the signals remained as the panel, opened on 11 September 1960 in an old waiting room, did not close until 17 September 1972, the same days as Hockley South. However, the layout appears to have been greatly rationalised. I don’t know if there is anything on the Signalling Record Society’s site.

Possible sources for further information are .disused-stations.org.uk , .warwickshirerailways.com and R.A.Cooke's Diagrams, volume 30 and 31, I think; but note that the latter are just track plans, not signalling diagrams.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I presume that the signals remained as the panel, opened on 11 September 1960 in an old waiting room, did not close until 17 September 1972, the same days as Hockley South. However, the layout appears to have been greatly rationalised. I don’t know if there is anything on the Signalling Record Society’s site.

Possible sources for further information are .disused-stations.org.uk , .warwickshirerailways.com and R.A.Cooke's Diagrams, volume 30 and 31, I think; but note that the latter are just track plans, not signalling diagrams.

Wasn't it a purpose built Western Region PSB at the north end? At the end there was only one platform in use, accessed from a side entrance on Livery Street.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I believe some parts of Snow Hill panel ended up at Plymouth.

 

[Taunton]

Were there any staff for anything by the end? I did read it finally only had one single line to the buffers, and was described as "the biggest unstaffed halt in the country", though presumably in even the residual structure still of that size someone would be needed to turn the lights on and off.

 

[Gloster]

Wasn't it a purpose built Western Region PSB at the north end? At the end there was only one platform in use, accessed from a side entrance on Livery Street.

As far as I can see, Birmingham South and North had power frames, but both were replaced by a panel in one of the old waiting rooms. The panel was the first of the Domino type that became standard on the WR, but unlike Plymouth, which opened a couple of months later, it was not in a purpose-built building.

Were there any staff for anything by the end? I did read it finally only had one single line to the buffers, and was described as "the biggest unstaffed halt in the country", though presumably in even the residual structure still of that size someone would be needed to turn the lights on and off.

According to disused-stations trains departed from the Livery Street side bay platforms (plural), with access by a side entrance. A photo on the site dated 3 March 1972 shows two DMUs side by side.

 

[Sprinter107]

It was still signalled. The panel was moved into an old waiting room. It was usually platform 3 for Langley Green and platform 4 for Wolverhampton. Im almost sure some of platform 2 was in use too. They made an entrance from Livery Street which went directly onto platform 2. Hockley South box, the next one along was still open, as was Handsworth & Smethwick, and Handsworth Junction. Hockley North, and Queens Head had gone, not sure about Soho & Winson Green signal box.
Mustve been terribly boring for the signallers along there. After the ECS went through after the morning rush hour, there was nothing until late afternoon on weekdays.

 

[Rescars]

There were more than DMUs at Snow Hill on the final day of the old station. IIRC what was billed as the last train ever from Snow Hill was a loco hauled special to New Street, which ran out to Stourbridge Junction, where the loco ran round before returning to Birmingham via the Lickey.

 

[Sprinter107]

Thats correct. I think that was one of the few trains that went from platform 2. It was top and tailed. A class 47 on the front, and 45 on the rear. It didn't travel via Lickey tho.

 

[Gloster]

It was still signalled. The panel was moved into an old waiting room. It was usually platform 3 for Langley Green and platform 4 for Wolverhampton. Im almost sure some of platform 2 was in use too. They made an entrance from Livery Street which went directly onto platform 2. Hockley South box, the next one along was still open, as was Handsworth & Smethwick, and Handsworth Junction. Hockley North, and Queens Head had gone, not sure about Soho & Winson Green signal box.
Mustve been terribly boring for the signallers along there. After the ECS went through after the morning rush hour, there was nothing until late afternoon on weekdays.

Birmingham Panel, Hockley South, and Handsworth Junction closed on 17 September 1972; Soho & Winston Green and Queens Head also closed on the same date, but both had already been demolished/dismantled. Handsworth & Smethwick closed on 21 December 1975, while Hockley North had gone on 1 December 1968.

Source: SRS GWR signal box register.

 

[Sprinter107]

Birmingham Panel, Hockley South, and Handsworth Junction closed on 17 September 1972; Soho & Winston Green and Queens Head also closed on the same date, but both had already been demolished/dismantled. Handsworth & Smethwick closed on 21 December 1975, while Hockley North had gone on 1 December 1968.

Source: SRS GWR signal box register.

Ah, thanks for that. Wondered about the date for Hockley North. I know the fast lines from Handsworth into Snow Hill were closed in August 1968, so probably no need for both Hockley boxes, I think Hockley Yard had gone by 1968 too.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Found a picture of the Snow Hill panel on the internet. No credit is given for the picture. A lovely Tyers train described next to it.

 

[Gloster]

Found a picture of the Snow Hill panel on the internet. No credit is given for the picture. A lovely Tyers train described next to it.
View attachment 194272

I wondered about that as the panel would have been commissioned before four-character train descriptions were introduced. I note that the most vital piece of signalbox equipment is just visible at the very bottom right.

 

[midland1]

I wondered about that as the panel would have been commissioned before four-character train descriptions were introduced. I note that the most vital piece of signalbox equipment is just visible at the very bottom right.

The four-character train descriptions came into use on the WR by June 1960. So would have been in use from the start. They may have used the Tyers train describers to send descriptions to the next boxes though.

 

[D6130]

The four-character train descriptions came into use on the WR by June 1960. So would have been in use from the start. They may have used the Tyers train describers to send descriptions to the next boxes though.

Yes....you can see the four character train describer berths on the upper panel, along with the telephone-style dial with which to input them.

 

[Gloster]

You probably dialled it up on the dialler, checked in the four windows to the left that it was correct and then pressed one of the buttons on the end of whichever berth you wanted it to appear in. Then, lo!, wonder of wonders it would appear in that berth, or at least you hoped so. All this accompanied by a chorus of clicks, clacks and buzzes as the machine did its stuff.