Blackwell railway station
Encyclopedia
Blackwell railway station was a railway station serving Blackwell
in the English
county of Worcestershire
. It was opened by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
in 1841 a year after the line opened. In 1846 it became part of the Midland Railway
which had been formed two years before.
It was situated at the top of the steepest part of the Lickey Incline
and, slightly to the north was the sidings where the banking engines would drop back from their trains and reverse ready to return to Bromsgrove. In addition trains travelling southwards or down would be brought to a stand at the head of the incline for a brake test including, until 1941, passenger trains. In the days before through braking of goods trains, wagon brakes would have to be pinned down. Even later, when vacuum braking had been introduced, most trains would only be partly fitted and, often, a banking engine would have to lead the train to provide extra braking
There were two platforms, that on the down (southward) line being exceedingly long - much longer than that on the up side. Access to it was by a barrow crossing to the south, there being no footbridge. There were short goods sidings for each line running into bay platforms with an extra one on the up side. The entrance and booking hall was on the up platform, with a small waiting room on the other side. Construction was of typical Midland Railway brick built design with wooden awnings
At grouping
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The station closed in 1966. Although a few railway cottages still exist, the station itself has disappeared.
Blackwell, Worcestershire
Blackwell is a village located in the North-East of Worcestershire and comes under the jurisdiction of Lickey Parish Council.Nearby large towns include Barnt Green and Bromsgrove. Worcester and Birmingham are also influential...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. It was opened by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
in 1841 a year after the line opened. In 1846 it became part of the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
which had been formed two years before.
It was situated at the top of the steepest part of the Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
and, slightly to the north was the sidings where the banking engines would drop back from their trains and reverse ready to return to Bromsgrove. In addition trains travelling southwards or down would be brought to a stand at the head of the incline for a brake test including, until 1941, passenger trains. In the days before through braking of goods trains, wagon brakes would have to be pinned down. Even later, when vacuum braking had been introduced, most trains would only be partly fitted and, often, a banking engine would have to lead the train to provide extra braking
There were two platforms, that on the down (southward) line being exceedingly long - much longer than that on the up side. Access to it was by a barrow crossing to the south, there being no footbridge. There were short goods sidings for each line running into bay platforms with an extra one on the up side. The entrance and booking hall was on the up platform, with a small waiting room on the other side. Construction was of typical Midland Railway brick built design with wooden awnings
At grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The station closed in 1966. Although a few railway cottages still exist, the station itself has disappeared.