TheRailwaysofSalop
CompiledbyLesliePrice
Includingthe5.30pmtoBridgnorth
© Imagesanddesign:LesliePrice/TheTransportTreasury2021.TextLesliePrice ISBN978-1-913893-06-4 FirstPublishedin2021byTransportTreasuryPublishingLtd.16HighworthClose,HighWycombe,HP137PJ TotemPublishing,animprintofTransportTreasuryPublishing. Thecopyrightholdersherebygivenoticethatallrightstothisworkarereserved. Asidefrombriefpassagesforthepurposeofreview,nopartofthisworkmaybereproduced, copiedbyelectronicorothermeans,orotherwisestoredinanyinformationstorageand retrievalsystemwithoutwrittenpermissionfromthePublisher.Thisincludestheillustrations hereinwhichshallremainthecopyrightofthecopyrightholder. www.ttpublishing.co.uk PrintedinMaltabyGutenbergPress. ‘TheRailwaysofSalop’isoneofaseriesofbooksonspecialisttransportsubjectspublishedinstrictlylimited numbersandproducedundertheTotemPublishingimprintusingmaterialonlyavailableatTheTransportTreasury. FrontCover:(1)WooffertonJunction. Thedriverofanex-GWRrailcarleansdownfromhiscabtotakethesinglelinetokenforTenburyWellsfromthe outstretchedarmoftheWooffertonJunctionsignalman.InthefinalyearsoftheWyreForestbranchlineservice,thereweretworeturnthroughworkings operatedbyoneoftheserailcars;alatemorningandmideveningservice.Fromtheshadowonthebuttressagainstthesignalboxwallitwouldappearthis isthemorningtrainwhichhadarrivedfromBewdleyat11.58amandwasnowformingthe12.10pmreturnservicefromWoofferton.Themeanderingtwenty milejourneytookthree-quartersofanhour. Frontispiece:(2) TakenfromasimilarpositiontothepictureonthefrontcoveraClass6(partlyfittedexpressfreight)hastensnorththroughWoofferton. AllconnectionswiththeShrewsburyandHerefordmainlinehadbeenremovedatWooffertonby12November1961sothephotographpre-datesthis.The trainisheadedbyanexGreatWestern2-8-0No.3821.UpuntilthistimeithadspentmostofitslifeatStourbridgeJunctionshed(84F)whichgivesnoclue astowheretheserviceoriginatedbutitwouldlikelybeboundforre-sortingatShrewsbury. 21026. Rearcover:(101)Thewinterofsteam.Underleadenskiesex-GreatWestern‘CastleClass’No.5095 BarburyCastle awaitsitsfinaljourney.Throughoutthe longharshwinterof1962/3shehadstoodcoldandsprinkledwithsnowatHarlescottSidings,tothenorthofShrewsbury.Justpriortobeingreallocatedto Shrewsbury(84G)inSeptember1960shehadbeengivenathree-monthlongHeavyGeneralRepairatSwindonWorks.Twoyearslater,inAugust1962,she waswithdrawnfromserviceandspentthewinteratHarlescottbeforereturningtoSwindonwhereshewasscrappedinMarch1963.27December1962. CNV00001.
(16)Longville.Photographedonthesameday;thetrainstandsinthelonggrasswhichisalmosthidingthetracks.Thepassengerservicehadbeen withdrawnattheendof1951andwemaywonderwhatconversationwastakingplacebetweentheGuardandthePorterontheplatform.Itisdifficultto believethisregularfreighttraincontinuedtorunfromWellington,servingPresthopeandLongvilletwoorthreedaysaweek,forafurthersixteenmonths beyondtheclosureofthepassengerservicebetweenMuchWenlockandWellingtoninJuly1962.Clearlytheonlygoodsbeinghandledonthisdaywere alsocapableofbeingstowedinthevan.Theservicewasfinallywithdrawnon2December1963.
(30)ApanoramicviewacrossBridgnorthfromthehillabovethetunnel;asthe7.32pmex-BridgnorthtoShrewsburyisabouttoburrowintoit,onits homewardjourney,circa1960/1.Thetrainhadcome‘up’fromShrewsbury,runningtenderfirst,asthe5.30pmworkingtoBridgnorthandisnowreturning uptherivervalleytoShrewsbury.Thisiswhererailwayterminologybecameveryconfusing;‘Up’inrailwaytermsmeaning‘Up’toLondon,Downwasaway fromLondonevenifthetrainwasheadingupcountry!.TheCollettdesignedGWR2251class0-6-0No.2214,headingthetwocoachtrain,wasbasedat Shrewsbury(84G)fromDecember1960toAugust1963.Atenderenginewasveryunusualmotivepowerforthistrain. 21243.
Left:(40)Muchtothejoyofshort-trouseredyoungstersthe doyenoftheGWManorclass,4-6-0No.7800 Torquay Manor acceleratesupthethroughroadatWellingtonwith anunfittedthroughfreight.FromFebruary1963untilshe waswithdrawninAugust1964shewasallocatedto Shrewsbury(6D).Thiswouldsuggestsheisinchargeof aCotonHill(Shrewsbury)toOxleymixedfreightalthough anotherpossibilityisfromCreweviatheMarketDrayton route.Wellingtonsawagreatdealofsuchtraffic;beingon thetrunkrouteforthroughfreightbetweenCreweand Wolverhampton. RCR14544.
Top:(41)Unusuallyusingthemainupplatform,ratherthan theislandaroundthebackandsobaskingintheafternoon sunshine,largePrairieNo.4110hasjustarrivedwiththe 12.52pmallstationslocalfromCrewe.Thistrainwasdueat Wellingtonatabout2.10pm.Bytheindicationofitsshed codeplateitwasaWellington(84H)basedengineand consequentlythedutymeantithadlikelyearliertravelled northwiththe10.8amWellingtontoCrewebeforereturning withthistrain.Evenaslateas14July1959,theWestern RegionretaineditsowndepotatCrewe;GrestyLane.This wasasubshedofWellingtonandalthoughnolocomotives werebasedthereitcontinuedtoprovideservicing facilities. LRF4134.
Bottom:(42)Anex-GWRLargePrairieNo.4148withwhat appearstobeapermanentwaytrainstandingontheUp linefromCreweatMarketDraytonJunction,Wellington.It iswaitingforthepassageoftheBirkenhead-Paddington express,fromwhichitwasphotographed,before continuingitsjourney.AllthesignalboxesatWellington wereidentifiednumericallyinthestyleoftheLNWR,rather thanseparatelynamedinGreatWesternstyle;thisjunction beingcontrolledbyWellingtonNo.4Box.Theengine minusitscabsidenumberplatelooksratherwoebegone. Whenpictured,inJune,1965,itwasbasedatOxley, Wolverhampton(bythen2B);perhapsaclueastowhere itstrainwasheaded.Itwascondemnedjustthreemonths later. Set2925A.
Top:(54)Onacoldfrostymorning.12December1964,Ivatt Class42-6-0No.43151passesWhitchurchGoodsYard signalbox,whilstintheprocessofshuntingacrossfrom thedownyardtotheup.Thiswasinthecourseofworking theCrewetoShrewsburypick-upfreight.FromOctober 1964untilwithdrawalfromserviceinDecember,1967this locomotivewasbasedatCrewe(South)(5B).In1897,with thedevelopmentoftheYard,theLNWRbuiltthis substantialraisedsignalboxcontaininga55-levertumbler frame,andillustratingthesizetheyardhadgrownto. Set 225A. Left:(55)Thesignalman’sview;takenfromChester JunctionsignalboxatWhitchurchon2March1967.A ShrewsburytoCrewepick-upfreightispullinggingerlyout ofthegoodsyardheadingnorthbehindaStanier8FNo. 48045.ChesterJunctionsignalboxalsocontainedan LNWRleverframebutthistimecontaining45leversand withtappetlocking.Itwasbroughtintousein1872in conjunctionwiththeopeningoftheChesterbranch;just seencurvingawaytotheright.Thepassengerserviceto Chesterhadbeenwithdrawnasfrom16September1967 althoughfreight,boththroughandlocal,continueduntil 16November1963whentheChesterbranchclosed completely. Set4V216.
(93)Aviewfromasimilarpositionlookingnorth;justbeyondthebattlements arethefourslendertowersofthemainrailwaystationbuilding.Immediately totheirleftistheoriginalengineshedoftheShrewsbury&ChesterRailway datingfromDecember1848.Centre,oneofShrewsbury’sGWRpanniertanks takestheCrewelineatCreweJunctionwithatransferfreightprobablybound forCreweBankSidings.InthemiddledistanceistheformerGWGoods Depot.StraightaheadbeyondtheGreenfieldsRoadBridgeliesCotonHill yardwiththemainlinestretchingawaytoHencoteandbeyond,and ultimatelytoChester.25August1965. Set3234.
Opposite:(96)FollowingtheChesterroutenorthoutofthetownatrainisfacedalmostimmediatelywiththetwomilesclimbofHencotebank,havinga rulinggradientof1in100.Withonlyfourmonthsremainingbeforetheseserviceswerewithdrawn,BlackFive’No.44695makesavigorousattackonthe bankwiththe12.10pmPaddingtontoBirkenhead,whichithadjusttakenoveratShrewsbury.Bythistimethisclassofenginehadbecomethestaple poweronthesectionbetweenShrewsburyandChester,displacingthetheGWRexpresstypesofpreviousyears.9November1966. Set2V234.
Above:(97)OnHencoteBankadishevelledBR9FNo.92079easesitwaydownwithaheavyblockoiltrain;theheadcodeindicatingitisnotafully-fitted working.Thefiremannonchalantlyleansoutofthecab,possiblycontemplatinghisfutureastherewerenotalwaysthevacanciesforsecond-menonthe replacementdiesels.AtthetimeNo.92079wasallocatedtoBirkenheadMollingtonStreet(8H)anditstrainwouldbefromtheStanlowRefinery(Ellesmere Port)tooneoftheoilterminalsintheWestMidlands.Thethreearchbridgespanningthecuttingcarriesasimplefarmtrack,muchtraversedonmybycycle inmyyouth.9November1966. Set2V232.
(100)ButthreedayslaterafinalefforthadbeenmadeforNo.75021andbytheweekenditlookedquitesprucedup.Hereitspiritedlyclimbsoutof ShrewsburypastBelleVueattheheadofthelastdown‘CambrianCoastExpress’.Atthistimethislocomotivehadbeeninserviceforonlythirteenyears. InadditionbyDecember1966MachynllethandAberystwythshedswhichpreviouslyprovidedthemotivepowerhadbothbeenclosed.Nevertheless,forthe occasion,Shrewsburydepothadpainteditssmokeboxdoor;onwhichawreathhadalsobeenplaced.Thefrontbufferbeamwasadornedwithasmall plaqueannouncingitwasthe‘LastCambrianCoastExpress’.ItmarkedtheendofaneraforsteaminSalop,4March1967. Set4V228.
Salopianrailwaysencompassedeverythingfrommainlineurbansprawlto crosscountryandpicturesquebranchlinesandinconsequencealso witnessedavarietyofenginesandtrains.Addingtothevarietythecounty alsoborderedtheindustrialMidlandsononesideandruralWalesonthe other,alladdingtothecharmoftraintravelinpastyears.Inthisverypersonal andattimesanecdotalaccount,LesliePrice,someofwhoseancestors workedonthoselines,takesusonajourneyofnostalgiaaroundthecounty. £12.50 ISBN978-1-913893-06-4
