Railways in Worcestershire

RAILWAYS IN WORCESTERSHIRE
Go to content
Bromsgrove Station

BROMSGROVE STATION

Grid Reference: SO 968694 (page one of four)

Bromsgrove Station sign

Bromsgrove ticket

Bromsgrove Station is at the foot of the Lickey Incline on the former Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. Steam locomotives were based here to bank trains up the Lickey Incline until 1964.

Bromsgrove was the operating headquarters for the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway and a large complex including a wagon repair shop and engine shed was built here. This became part of the Midland Railway and then the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR). On nationalisation the shed became part of the London Midland Region and was given a 21C code number. On 1st February 1959 it was transferred to the Western Region and was given the code number 85F (later 85D).

Bromsgrove Wagon works plate

This is a close-up photograph of the plate of a wagon repaired at Bromsgrove in the 1950s (collection of MIAC).

Steam banking engines were based at Bromsgrove shed until the end of September 1964 when D69xx (later class 37) diesels based at Worcester took over. The first of these, No.D6938, had arrived at Bromsgrove at the start of July 1964. More recently these duties have been handled by a locomotive from Saltley (and since closure of the depot here the locos have been based at Washwood Heath) in the West Midlands. The steam locomotive shed at Bromsgrove was alongside the southbound platform.

Gerald Wadley visited the shed on 1st November 1959 when he recorded the following locomotives:

Former London Midland & Scottish Railway class 3F 0-6-0 engines No.43762 and class 3F 0-6-0 'Jinty's Nos. 47276 and 47308. These three locomotives were at Bromsgrove shed in 1958 when the depot was transferred to the Western Region of British Railways.

BR built 8400 class 'pannier' 0-6-0 tank engines Nos. 8400, 8402, 8404, 8406, 8427 and 8496. These engines (plus 8401, 8403 and 8405) arrived at Bromsgrove from 1956 and performed banking duties until closure in 1964. No.8496 was on loan from Worcester shed.

Former Great West Railway 4200 class 2-8-0 tank engine No.5226. This locomotive was allocated to Worcester shed but was most often to be found on banking duties at Bromsgrove.

Standard class 9F 2-10-0 tender engine No. 92231. The regular large banking engine was standard class 9F No.92079 but this was presumably away for overhaul at the time. No.92231 was allocated to Newport (Ebbw Junction). No.92079 had replaced the legendary Midland Railway locomotive 'Big Bertha' in 1956.

When Gerald re-visited Bromsgrove shed on 1st March 1960 he saw the following locomotives:

Class 3F 0-6-0 engines No.43762.

Class 3F 0-6-0 tank engine 'Jinty' Nos. 47276.

8400 class 'pannier' 0-6-0 tank engines Nos. 8400, 8401, 8403, 8405, 8406, 8487 and 9490. No.9490 was based at Worcester shed whilst No.8487 had arrived from Gloucester shed.

Standard class 9F 2-10-0 tender engine No. 92079.

Another visit was made on 16th October 1960 when the locomotives seen were:

Class 3F 0-6-0 engines No.43762.

Class 3F 0-6-0 tank engine 'Jinty' Nos. 47276.

8400 class 'pannier' 0-6-0 tank engines Nos. 8400, 8401, 8402, 8403, 8404, 8405 and 9490. No.9490 was based at Worcester shed

Standard class 9F 2-10-0 tender engine No. 92079.

Also seen were Stanier class 8F tender engines Nos.48184 (of Toton shed) and 48687 (of Saltley shed).

No.66094 at Bromsgrove

60040

Class 66 diesel locomotive No.66094 set outs from the holding siding at Bromsgrove with a heavy coal train, assisted on the climb up to Blackwell at the top of the Lickey Incline by class 60 diesel locomotive No.60040. Both photographs taken by Andrew Smith on 30th August 2002.

55033

From a much earlier period single-car class 121 railcar No.55033 in the short-lived 'Midline' livery is at Bromsgrove on 25th May 1991. On 21st January 1989 this unit disgraced itself by running away on the Stourbridge Branch and crashing through the buffers stop at Stourbridge Town Station. Network Rail has announced plans to close the station here and to relocate it slightly further to the south. Photograph taken by Andrew Smith.

Bromsgrove Enginemen Reunion

A number of Bromsgrove men have moved to Worcester over the years and so have attended the 85A reunion. It was thought by some that it was about time Bromsgrove had a reunion of its own, and so on the 22nd November 2011 thirteen former footplatemen gathered at the Washford Mill Inn in Redditch for the first Reunion Lunch. It was a big success with some travelling up from as far as Westbury. Many of us had not met for more than forty years and plans are in hand for another reunion. From left to right are Bob Dunn, Keith Hargreaves, Mick Wood, Alan Spencer, Richard Gibbon, Daryl Lucas, Phillip Marshman, Barry Troth, Gordon Russell, Sid Usher, Mick Richardson, Ian Tipper and Pat Wallace. Photograph and information supplied by Ian Tripper.

Back to content