West Bromwich to Wolverhampton Low Level

[Mr Fizz]

Came across these pics on a Flickr site showing some wonderful scenes if this line in 1979/80. I was thrilled to see views of the sidings of Black Lake coal depot as i have never seen these before.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/railway_images/9128914345/in/photostream

 

[Harbornite]

I've been through his album before, some great pics.

It's a shame what happened to that route, it lost passenger services in 1972 but lingered on for 10 more years with traffic from Bilston Steel terminal and the parcels depot at Low Level. I do sometimes wonder if it reopening the line for heavy rail rather than trams would have been better.

I recommend watching this as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2r5MfO8uOo

 

[Mr Fizz]

Thats great viewing there!

The Flickr album bought back a lot of memories. I used to slide down the grass bank by Hill Top tunnel on cardboard! Lost count of the number of times i walked through the tunnel too. After all track had been lifted of course! Many happy hours spent over there in the 80's

 

[Johnuk123]

Thats great viewing there!

The Flickr album bought back a lot of memories. I used to slide down the grass bank by Hill Top tunnel on cardboard! Lost count of the number of times i walked through the tunnel too. After all track had been lifted of course! Many happy hours spent over there in the 80's

Along with others I walked through Hill Top tunnel when it was still open, more than once.

 

[Mr Fizz]

Would anyone on here know what the last working was on this section of the line (between Wednesbury and Swan Village)? I presume it was to the coal yard but there may have been an engineering train of some sort.

 

[Harbornite]

Would anyone on here know what the last working was on this section of the line (between Wednesbury and Swan Village)? I presume it was to the coal yard but there may have been an engineering train of some sort.

I forgot that there was a coal yard there. The last workings I know of between Wolves and Wednesbury were mail workings and scrap metal trips to and from Bilston steel terminal which ceased in 1982. As for Wednesbury and Swan Village, I'm not so sure.

 

[Mr Fizz]

The coal yard lingered on until the mid 1980's IIRC. I remember walking past it. I would think the last working would have been during 1978 as those Flickr photos show Bilport Lane bridge demolished as of 1979/80.

 

[Harbornite]

The coal yard lingered on until the mid 1980's IIRC. I remember walking past it. I would think the last working would have been during 1978 as those Flickr photos show Bilport Lane bridge demolished as of 1979/80.

Oh right, that's interesting because I didn't know there was a coal yard there.

 

[Johnuk123]

I forgot that there was a coal yard there. The last workings I know of between Wolves and Wednsbury were mail workings and scrap metal trips to and from Bilston steel terminal which ceased in 1982. As for Wendesbury and Swan Village, I'm not so sure.

Managing to spell Wednesbury wrong differently twice is a remarkable achievement.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Would anyone on here know what the last working was on this section of the line (between Wednesbury and Swan Village)? I presume it was to the coal yard but there may have been an engineering train of some sort.

There certainly was plenty of trains picking up various collected scrap along the line from the GWR/LMS exchange sidings at Wednesbury to Wolverhampton and south to Birmingham.The trains would then go back to Wednesbury and take it onto ex LMS metals to Walsall, Bescot or Dudley.
I spent most of my spare time divided between Bescot and Wednesbury but I have no idea what the last train was or when.
I doubt you will ever find out unless somebody on here has first hand knowledge which is unlikely.

 

[Harbornite]

Managing to spell Wednesbury wrong differently twice is a remarkable achievement.

IPad keyboards are crap.

 

[Harbornite]

This has recently been uploaded and might be worth watching.

https://youtu.be/E1AhiA0l9iA


I've just learnt from Wikipedia that the section of line between Bilston and Wednesbury survived until 199, while the bit from Bilston to Wolves Low Level closed in 1982, with Low Level closing to Parcels traffic in 1981.

 

[gg1]

Wonderful pics and videos. I grew up in West Brom and remember this route very well as a kid in the mid 80s, especially the section of trackbed between Hill Top and Wednesbury which was turned into a BMX course

IIRC Snow Hill to Wolves Low Level was one of the few routes Beeching wanted to keep open which actually closed.

 

[Harbornite]

IIRC Snow Hill to Wolves Low Level was one of the few routes Beeching wanted to keep open which actually closed.

I heard this as well. We should be glad that the tracked wasn't built on!

 

[gg1]

I heard this as well. We should be glad that the tracked wasn't built on!

I suspect that was down to the good fortune of the Snow Hill to Wednesbury section surviving just long enough to see the construction of the northern section of the M5 and the redevelopment of West Bromwich with it's accompanying road building. If the route had closed 5 years earlier those sections would probably have been built on. By the time the Wednesbury to Wolverhampton section closed the midlands metro was already being mooted as a possibility.

 

[Harbornite]

I suspect that was down to the good fortune of the Snow Hill to Wednesbury section surviving just long enough to see the construction of the northern section of the M5 and the redevelopment of West Bromwich with it's accompanying road building. If the route had closed 5 years earlier those sections would probably have been built on. By the time the Wednesbury to Wolverhampton section closed the midlands metro was already being mooted as a possibility.

Aye, there were plans to reopen Snow Hill in the 1970s as part of the plans to have a second cross city line across Birmingham.

I think you are right though, with regards to the timing of the line's closure safeguarding its survival. The route died a slow death with Parcels traffic at Wolves Low level lasting until 1981 and the Bilston to Wolves bit lasted for freight until 1982, while Wednesbury to Bilston lasted until 1992 and Smethwick Galton Junction to Handsworth never closed due to the cement and steel terminals at Queens head.

 

[Mr Fizz]

This has recently been uploaded and might be worth watching.

https://youtu.be/E1AhiA0l9iA


I've just learnt from Wikipedia that the section of line between Bilston and Wednesbury survived until 199, while the bit from Bilston to Wolves Low Level closed in 1982, with Low Level closing to Parcels traffic in 1981.

A good find. Thats how i remember it looking as a kid. Although I didn't realise Snow Hill was in such a state.hock: