LMS reconstruction of Lawley Street Goods Depot, Birmingham : official opening brochure : London Midland & Scottish Railway, 25 October 1945 : received section and transport
A brochure issued by the London Midland & Scottish Railway to commemorate the opening of the reconstructed Goods Shed, that formed part of the Lawley Street Goods Depot, by the Lord Mayor of the City of Birmingham, Alderman W T Wiggins-Davies, on Monday 29 October 1945. If truth be told there probably was not much in the way of construction warranting an official opening in 1945 - months after the end of the Second World War and with the UK in the midst of the impact of six long years and heading into austerity to pay for it all.
The reconstruction of Lawley Street Depot was not initiated by war damage. The original depot had spectacularly burnt down in 1937 and clearing the site, along with temporary facilities was underway before the outbreak of war slowed the pace of rebuilding. Although the shed seen here stood for decades I'm not sure that the fine, modern office block seen on the cover courtesy of the LMS Architects was ever actually built? I don't recall it but its a long time since I lived in the city! Lawley Street had a long railway history as Birmingham's third railway, the Birmingham & Derby Junction, opened their passenger terminus on the site in 1842. In 1844 the Railway was absorbed by the expanding Midland Railway who, by building a new section of line, took the Derby route into the city's major city centre station of New Street in 1853. The original Lawley Street passenger station thus closed and was converted to freight use.
The photographs, by the LMS Photographers, are of interest in that they show women war workers in what previously like many other occupations would have been a male preserve. The other point of interest is that despite the mechanisation of many tasks in the Depot, such as cranage and lifting, there are still a large number of horses in use, such as for pulling waggons. Even allowing for the increased use of motorised transport by the railways the use of horses was still continued and I gather it was not until 1964 the last horse was used at this Depot. Lawley Street continued in use until 1987. The railways in this area of Birmingham are again undergoing massive changes as, adjacent to the site, the new HS2 lines and station are under construction.
LMS reconstruction of Lawley Street Goods Depot, Birmingham : official opening brochure : London Midland & Scottish Railway, 25 October 1945 : received section and transport
A brochure issued by the London Midland & Scottish Railway to commemorate the opening of the reconstructed Goods Shed, that formed part of the Lawley Street Goods Depot, by the Lord Mayor of the City of Birmingham, Alderman W T Wiggins-Davies, on Monday 29 October 1945. If truth be told there probably was not much in the way of construction warranting an official opening in 1945 - months after the end of the Second World War and with the UK in the midst of the impact of six long years and heading into austerity to pay for it all.
The reconstruction of Lawley Street Depot was not initiated by war damage. The original depot had spectacularly burnt down in 1937 and clearing the site, along with temporary facilities was underway before the outbreak of war slowed the pace of rebuilding. Although the shed seen here stood for decades I'm not sure that the fine, modern office block seen on the cover courtesy of the LMS Architects was ever actually built? I don't recall it but its a long time since I lived in the city! Lawley Street had a long railway history as Birmingham's third railway, the Birmingham & Derby Junction, opened their passenger terminus on the site in 1842. In 1844 the Railway was absorbed by the expanding Midland Railway who, by building a new section of line, took the Derby route into the city's major city centre station of New Street in 1853. The original Lawley Street passenger station thus closed and was converted to freight use.
The photographs, by the LMS Photographers, are of interest in that they show women war workers in what previously like many other occupations would have been a male preserve. The other point of interest is that despite the mechanisation of many tasks in the Depot, such as cranage and lifting, there are still a large number of horses in use, such as for pulling waggons. Even allowing for the increased use of motorised transport by the railways the use of horses was still continued and I gather it was not until 1964 the last horse was used at this Depot. Lawley Street continued in use until 1987. The railways in this area of Birmingham are again undergoing massive changes as, adjacent to the site, the new HS2 lines and station are under construction.