Albion Oil depot

[MarkWi72]

Is there anyone from the Black Country or wider Midlands who recall the Albion Oil depot? It was just on the Stour Valley line before you approach Oldbury/Sandwell & Dudley from the North. Sidings were on the down side and I think there was a collision with an EMU once - back in the late 60s - as the locos had to reverse in across both main line tracks. In addition, I remember the bogie TEA tanks in 3 sidings and that the tanks were diesel hauled from Stanlow , Merseyside, and the empties shuttled back. I imagine, like the BOC tanks (6F57), the train would have gone south to Soho Jn , then on to the Grand Junction via Bescot, Wolverhampton and Bushbury , through to Stafford onto the WCML. Can't recall the operating number, but it would have been a class 6 freight.

The Oil depot was OLE'd and my father had a photo of a class 86 (AL6 in Blue) in the sidings in 1967. Incidentally, this is now 86639 and was still operational until last year (now in Basford Hall Yard). Does anyone know when the OLE was taken out. My recollections probably go back to around 1980 or 1981, as a 8/9 year old, and it was all diesel then - no OLE either. Why was that decision reached? No electric traction to Stanlow? Or was there an alternative venue for the Oil traffic in the late 60s before Stanlow was used?

 

[Gloster]

The accident was on 27 May 1970 and is on Railways Archive. (Sorry, I can’t do a link.) If I remember correctly there was an article in Traction magazine (Not Tractor! We don’t want that sort of magazine here.) a few years ago. I think that later on the tanks came from South Wales (Waterston, I think) via Hereford and Telford.

 

[MarkWi72]

Yes, my father’s AL6 photo was in the very article, I think; but I cannot recall the content around the reduction of electric workings. The article was published around 3/4 years back.

 

[D6968]

I remember Albion Gulf rather well, my Dad would take my brother and I spotting down there as kids, we used to squeeze through a gap in the fence by King Steel, then cross the tracks (yes I know, trespassing and I shouldn’t condone it) and watch the trains the other side of the fence by the cut.
Took me years to realise the entrance for the road tankers to access the site was off Roway Lane, which I think was technically Oldbury, the other side of the canal came under West Bromwich.

 

[MadMac]

Accident report HERE.

 

[MarkWi72]

Yes, I recall access near King Steel off Oldbury Rd, Greets Green. I thought there was a wicket gate crossing there? If we trespassed , Or was that gone by the 80s? Myself and my dad would walk to Albion Gulf Oil from Dudley Port of an evening in the Summer and cross over there. I was always nervous as you had to be aware when crossing the line on the curve. Although line speed was not Trent Valley speed ( only 75mph - maybe 60 mph on the bend) it was still a bit nervy. It was the site of a station which closed around the time of the Beeching Cuts, I think.

 

[alan71]

Some excellent photos here (you have to scroll down to get to those taken in & around the terminal itself) https://flic.kr/s/aHskzAGSEu

 

[Falcon1200]

There was another, less serious accident at Albion, with a train being propelled through the buffer stop and a wagon ending up in the canal.

 

[D6968]

Yes, I recall access near King Steel off Oldbury Rd, Greets Green. I thought there was a wicket gate crossing there? If we trespassed , Or was that gone by the 80s? Myself and my dad would walk to Albion Gulf Oil from Dudley Port of an evening in the Summer and cross over there. I was always nervous as you had to be aware when crossing the line on the curve. Although line speed was not Trent Valley speed ( only 75mph - maybe 60 mph on the bend) it was still a bit nervy. It was the site of a station which closed around the time of the Beeching Cuts, I think.

There may have been a crossing there (possibly when Albion Station was there) but there certainly wasn’t when I was a youngster! Living in both West Bromwich (off Trinity Way) and Oakham (off City Road) it wasn’t far to walk or bike ride there.
I think we only used go there because Dad used to go spotting there when he was younger (he grew up in Greets Green)
Regarding @Falcon1200’s post I remember Dad telling me something about that. Can’t remember if it was he or one of his friends that was about at the time.

 

[6Gman]

There was another, less serious accident at Albion, with a train being propelled through the buffer stop and a wagon ending up in the canal.

I saw that! The wagon in the canal, not the incident itself. It looked very odd to say the least.

At that time the tanks definitely came from West Wales and gave an opportunity to see Landore 37s which were otherwise not numerous in the area.

I also recall a story about one of the railway officers who attended who was a pipe smoker and was casually knocking his pipe on one of the tanks until somebody from the Fire Service suggested it really, really wasn't a good idea.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Some excellent photos here (you have to scroll down to get to those taken in & around the terminal itself) https://flic.kr/s/aHskzAGSEu

Thanks for that link - shared with some retired railway officers of that Parish - and it brought back very many happy memories of the working railway !

 

[gg1]

Some excellent photos here (you have to scroll down to get to those taken in & around the terminal itself) https://flic.kr/s/aHskzAGSEu

Thanks for sharing the link, very interesting perusing those.

 

[MarkWi72]

There may have been a crossing there (possibly when Albion Station was there) but there certainly wasn’t when I was a youngster! Living in both West Bromwich (off Trinity Way) and Oakham (off City Road) it wasn’t far to walk or bike ride there.
I think we only used go there because Dad used to go spotting there when he was younger (he grew up in Greets Green)
Regarding @Falcon1200’s post I remember Dad telling me something about that. Can’t remember if it was he or one of his friends that was about at the time.

My dad also grew up in Greets Green. Atlas Grove. So he spent his 50s youth train spotting and photographing trains at Albion. I've also seen some early 60s cine of a few trains on the embankment and the old station, which he'd took .

Some excellent photos here (you have to scroll down to get to those taken in & around the terminal itself) https://flic.kr/s/aHskzAGSEu

Love those, thanks for the link. The edges of the Stour Valley line are now very much young to mature tree-lined.

 

[craigybagel]

There's still some rather rude graffiti on a bridge there that I won't be sharing that supposedly refers to a shunter that worked at Albion.

Although line speed was not Trent Valley speed ( only 75mph - maybe 60 mph on the bend) it was still a bit nervy. It was the site of a station which closed around the time of the Beeching Cuts, I think.

Certainly today anyway it's 60 through the curves at Albion, and 75 on either side.

 

[D6968]

There's still some rather rude graffiti on a bridge there that I won't be sharing that supposedly refers to a shutter that worked at Albion.

Certainly today anyway it's 60 through the curves at Albion, and 75 on either side.

Is that ‘Tojo the Dwarf’ is it still there?

 

[MarkWi72]

There's still some rather rude graffiti on a bridge there that I won't be sharing that supposedly refers to a shutter that worked at Albion.

Certainly today anyway it's 60 through the curves at Albion, and 75 on either side.

I might investigate when I have time! Would be good to see how it all looks now , although I suspect little has changed . Where I grew up ( Horseley Heath) we could see the storage tanks at the depot from the front bedroom window of our house.

 

[D6968]

My dad also grew up in Greets Green. Atlas Grove. So he spent his 50s youth train spotting and photographing trains at Albion. I've also seen some early 60s cine of a few trains on the embankment and the old station, which he'd took .


Love those, thanks for the link. The edges of the Stour Valley line are now very much young to mature tree-lined.

Wonder if my old man knows your old man?!

 

[MarkWi72]

Is that ‘Tojo the Dwarf’ is it still there?

Yes! I saw that last time I went through and I recall it being there in the 80s.

Wonder if my old man knows your old man?!

It’s very probable. My dad is Dave.

 

[craigybagel]

Is that ‘Tojo the Dwarf’ is it still there?

Yes! I saw that last time I went through and I recall it being there in the 80s.

Yup, still there and that is indeed what I had in mind.

 

[MarkWi72]

It looks like ToJo has inspired a Merseyside, indie band who are named after him. A legend.

 

[gg1]

Out of curiosity I googled 'Tojo the dwarf' and found this image on Flickr, if you're familiar with the Black Country dialect the explanation of the nickname's origin is brilliant:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133909440@N06/25567355763

I remember wondering about 'TOJO' in the 1980s, then when I went to do the Wolverhampton A.M.I. job in 1993 I saw a similar scrawled reference to him near Oxley signal box.

I asked the question and discovered that his nick-name was a result of his aggressive use of the phrase "Ah ToJo!" which translated as "I Told You!"

 

[D6968]

Out of curiosity I googled 'Tojo the dwarf' and found this image on Flickr, if you're familiar with the Black Country dialect the explanation of the nickname's origin is brilliant:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133909440@N06/25567355763

I remember wondering about 'TOJO' in the 1980s, then when I went to do the Wolverhampton A.M.I. job in 1993 I saw a similar scrawled reference to him near Oxley signal box.

I asked the question and discovered that his nick-name was a result of his aggressive use of the phrase "Ah ToJo!" which translated as "I Told You!"

I like this! Thanks for sharing

 

[MarkWi72]

It's Black Country working class humour at its finest. I also googled ' Tojo the dwarf ' and came across this blog: http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com/2018/09/tojo-dwarf.html

Came across this quite rare view. 85 (?) and a 47. The photo David Hayes mentions is the one taken by my dad. Dave Hayes thinks that the wires were gone by 1972. He is very well versed in the history of freight in the Black Country and the West Midlands. One might say an authority on it.

Albion Gulf Oil Depot.

Late 1960s view of what is described on the negative holder as " Bescot depot",which,as it turns out,is actually the old Gulf Oil Depot at Albion.

www.flickr.com

 

[Dr Hoo]

Thanks for that link - shared with some retired railway officers of that Parish - and it brought back very many happy memories of the working railway !

+1

Amazing set of pics. As someone who grew up in the West Midlands and walked and cycled all around the Black Country canals and rail network they brought back so many memories.

 

[Strathclyder]

Out of curiosity I googled 'Tojo the dwarf' and found this image on Flickr, if you're familiar with the Black Country dialect the explanation of the nickname's origin is brilliant:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133909440@N06/25567355763

I remember wondering about 'TOJO' in the 1980s, then when I went to do the Wolverhampton A.M.I. job in 1993 I saw a similar scrawled reference to him near Oxley signal box.

I asked the question and discovered that his nick-name was a result of his aggressive use of the phrase "Ah ToJo!" which translated as "I Told You!"

Brilliant.

 

[MarkWi72]

Just had a chat with my Dad about this. Before the Oil Depot was there, there was a railway wagon repairers called Eveson's (not sure of the spelling). Adam and Benson was just of Union Rd too, and they had a goods yard and shunter. This is steam days.

 

[Gloster]

A look at the National Library of Scotland maps shows the Albion Wagon Works on the same side of the line as the oil depot, but roughly level with the mainline connection. There is a fair amount of old-fashioned heavy industry around the area, including one unidentified building on the site of the sidings.

 

[MarkWi72]

A look at the National Library of Scotland maps shows the Albion Wagon Works on the same side of the line as the oil depot, but roughly level with the mainline connection. There is a fair amount of old-fashioned heavy industry around the area, including one unidentified building on the site of the sidings.

Nice one. I'll check those out. Yes, a lot of heavy industry around there, up to the 60/70s, before it waned.

 

[D6968]

Always wondered why it was known as ‘Albion Gulf’ as its on the Oldbury side of the cut, whereas the other side is West Bromwich.

 

[Gloster]

Always wondered why it was known as ‘Albion Gulf’ as its on the Oldbury side of the cut, whereas the other side is West Bromwich.

Presumably because the connections appear to be within the station limits of Albion station, even though this was on the opposite side of the canal. For that matter, there may not have been any distinct locality nearby on the same side of the canal when the depot opened.