Bullring
Birmingham gives the original Moor Street station a new
lease of life ....the changing fortunes of Birmingham's
terminal station...with
regular steam train workings>>.
The original GWR Moor Street station (which was built by
the GWR and opened in 1908) survived the closures of the
1960's and 1970's and was retained solely for the commuter
service to Stratford-upon-Avon. Although that service
and the station were both under threat of closure.
They survived thanks to a very active and concerted campaign
to prevent closure and both eventually went on to prosper.
The commuter service along the "main line" to
Solihull and Leamington Spa was transferred back from New
Street as local rail travel saw a revival. The station
at Snow Hill (which had been closed in the 1970's and demolished)
was rebuilt and opened in 1987. Trains once more travelled
under the Birmingham City Centre through the famous Snow
Hill Tunnel. However this meant that the original
Moor Street terminal station was redundant and a new modern
station was built alongside the original on the former non-stop
lines (at the south end of the tunnel).
6024 King Edward I Paddington bound
passes
through the 1980's Moor Street platforms
|
On
the final day of operation of the old Moor Street
terminal station, Birmingham Railway Museum organised
a number of Moor Street to Dorridge shuttles using
GWR 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle & LMS 2-6-0 46443 on
alternate trains. The penultimate train hauled
by 46443 continued on to Stratford running through
Claverdon (the old route to Stratford) and returning
up the North Warwickshire line (now known as the Shakespeare
Line). The final train of the day was hauled
by Clun Castle and this was also the last train out
of the old Moor Street before the gates were closed
and the original Moor Street "dead end"
platform lines were severed from the National Rail
network. The running lines from the south were
"slewed across" to connect up with the new
through platform lines and the tunnel to Snow Hill.
Fortunately, that wasn't the end of the story...... |
The original Moor Street
station became derelict over the years, and commuters using
the new through platforms could be forgiven for wondering
why this growing eyesore was left as it was. However,
it was and is a Grade II listed building and as part of
the BULLRING Birmingham development there was an agreement
to restore the original Edwardian Moor Street station to
its former glory. As commuters can now see, it is
being magnificently restored to its 1930's condition, incorporating
a subtle blend of modern facilities (such as a
wine bar, a coffee bar, a shop and other kiosks) housed
wherever possible in the original buildings or where necessary,
new buildings to a matching design. The refurbished
station will eventually be connected to the mainline network
again and provide a Birmingham terminal station for Chiltern
Railways for trains from London Marylebone that will travel
along the former GWR route.
Tyseley Locomotive
Works (the engineering subsidiary of the Birmingham
Railway Museum Trust) is playing a prominent part in the
return of the the old GWR station at Moor Street.
Just as it played a part in it's sad closure. The
Museum is donating the original entrance
gates rescued from the old Snow Hill Station for use at
the restored station.
Significantly,
the refurbished station is being equipped with traditional
watering facilities for use by steam locomotives.
An original water crane, again provided by Tyseley
Locomotive Works, will be returned near to its original
position at the end of Platform 2 and a water tank
has been built and erected with the assistance of
Tyseley Locomotive Works. Locomotive run-round
facilities will be provided so it is intended that
the Shakespeare Express will eventually use this station
as the northern terminus, so returning Moor Street
to its original reason for being i.e. to be a start
point for steam trains that run to Stratford down
the North Warwickshire line. This is seen as
a key attraction in the promotion of BULLRING Birmingham
and Birmingham City Centre, encouraging visitors from
the south to take a nostalgic express steam train
to Birmingham for shopping, site-seeing or visiting
other city attractions. |
4965 Rood Ashton Hall at the head
of the Shakespeare Express
Photo Chris Morrison |
GWR 8F 2-8-0 No 2885 cosmetically
restored stands on display
at Moor Street on 01/02/05
Photo Brian Wilson |
The
original entrance gates from the old Snow Hill Station
will be used in the station and the restored wrought
iron Booking Hall entranceway from Snow Hill will
form a focal point for the station entrance. Platform signs and seating will be
replicas of the originals, and the station lighting
will be provided by reproduction GWR lamps.
Tyseley Locomotive Works is also providing refurbished
traditional buffers and railings.
The existing through
lines platforms built in 1987 have also been incorporated
within the refurbishment and the 1980's style platform
buildings and canopies have made way for replacements
complementary with the restoration of the original
station. A new GWR style footbridge incorporating lifts has been built between Platfroms 1 & 2. |
Although the restored original station buildings will
be used from July 2003, unfortunately it will not
be possible to relay the track, connect it to the
National Rail network and provide signalling until
later. In the meantime, at least one of the original
platforms will see some use! A GWR 2-8-0 freight
engine number 2885 has been cosmetically restored
by Tyseley Locomotive Works and has been taken to
Moor Street as a static exhibit to be a foretaste
of the steam trains to come.
Meanwhile, Tyseley's GWR 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall
will call at the station on summer Sundays with
the Shakespeare Express and at other times on Vintage
Trains steam excursions.
|
A water tank built to a traditional
GWR design installed
at Moor Street
Photo Tony Dalley
|
In 2007, Vintage Trains
will be running a Sundays only Shakespeare
Express every week from 1 July to 2 Sept.
All of these trains will stop at Moor Street to pick up or set down passengers. See
details>>. |
