1960s Steam Snow Hill To Shrewsbury

This video will show parts of what the former Great Western Mainline from Birmingham Snow Hill to Shrewsbury was like in the 1960s. Today the line from Snow Hill to Priestfield is now used by the Midland Metro.
A special thanks has to go to Michael Clemens of B&R videos for giving me permission to use various clips by his late father Jim Clemens who filmed the majority of the clips in this video. Credits also go to Michael Marsden for the clips of Swan Village and Oxley, and also Terence Dorrity for the clip of Stafford Road Shed 84a. Any B&R video by Jim Clemens is well worth having in anyone's collection. Enjoy this real blast from the past.

[@JR-SCOOT]

Wonderful memories, oh to have been at Snow Hill in the early 60's. I would have really enjoyed seeing all those western engines, especially the Castles and Kings. Once again thanks for sharing. JR.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers John, Snow Hill was a superb place during my footplate days at Stafford Road and Oxley Sheds during the early 60s all manner of GWR loco's such as Kings/Castles/Halls/Granges/Manors were to be seen on a daily basis. A mecca for GWR fans. Thanks for looking/commenting, much appreciated. Regards...Bill

[@kenh3344]

Very. Very good. Great stuff. Thank you for the memory s.

[@ianjones4116]

Nice to watch and hope my dad was firing one of those. Regularly worked Shrewsbury to Paddington, double home. He was much happier, 2nd manning in the early days of the Westerns. Much cleaner and easier on the back lol. Big thanks for posting. 😎👍

[@kennethcoxell9449]

I was only in Brom 2 weeks ago and managed to see 6 Stafford road kings plus 4 LNWR super D's on freights.Had a great day.

[@beverleyking]

Oh, so many happy memories to cherish - thanks indeed for that!

[@84asrd84boxy]

Beverley, thanks for taking the time to view and comment. It's nice to know that this video bought back some fond and happy memories for you. This was my era and it shows how things have changed over the last 50 odd years or so, take care....Bill

[@steve71p]

A very enjoyable & informative upload Bill, thanks for sharing this slice of history. Cheers, Steve.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Steve, many thanks for looking/commenting, as you say this is part of our railway history, long since gone, it's great that these days were recorded by various people like Jim Clemens, glad you enjoyed watching, cheers...Bill

[@johngregory5424]

Wellington, a pannier tank with one carriage pulling out on its journey to Nantwich. I used to travel on it to Tern Hill during 1955, a delightful country railway journey.

[@oscillation9814]

I've already seen one of your films that has Wellington Station in these days, but this shows it off in far superior light to that video. I love it! Different engines and just... lost for words. :D Thanks for uploading. ;)

[@84asrd84boxy]

This video is 1 of 3 this being number 3 where I tried to recreate the route of The Cambrian Coast Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury during my footplate days in the early 1960s. It's nice to know that you enjoyed watching this video. Thanks for taking the time to view and comment, much appreciated, Cheers...Bill

[@jonajonesyboy]

I live in Wednesbury and this is the first time I,ve ever seen this, I wish it was like that now

[@84asrd84boxy]

Andy, Thanks for looking/commenting, a lot has gone from Wednesbury since steam days, but at least the Metro runs over part of the former GWR Mainline from Priestfield into Snow Hill and has kept part of the line still open. Cheers...Bill

[@chriso8485]

Jaw dropping to see Swan Village

[@philipboug]

Just found your channel. Brilliant stuff, I grew up in Wolverhampton in the 1950s and 60s. Loved visiting Stafford Road and Oxley and became good friends with a signalman at Oxley branch. I have lived in Australia since 1965, I don’t think I would like Wolverhampton now with no GWR. Thanks so much for the video. Memories...

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Philip, Thanks for taking the time to view and comment much appreciated. Unfortunately very little is left of the former GWR in Wolverhampton nowadays. Stafford Rd Shed became an industrial Park so did the site of the former Loco Works on Dunstall Hill. Herbert Street Goods Depot (Victoria Basin) became a builders Merchants site. Oxley Shed now services Pendolino's and the former Wolverhampton Low Level Station is now used as a Banqueting Suite, Conference Centre and various other things and has now been renamed as Grand Central Station. The downside of the station is where all this takes place. The rest of the Station area had a Premier Inn hotel built on it with a Pub as part of the Hotel called The Bluebricks along with numerous private flats. I don't think you would like many of the changes having been made. Regards....Bill

[@philipboug]

Thanks for all the information Bill. I visited Wolves in the late '80s and went for a walk to Low Level station. It was completely in disrepair, windows and doors boarded up etc. Broke my heart when I remember what that entrance hall used to be, with it's amazing models in glass cases. I wonder what happened to those? Whilst I am grateful that it has not been bulldozed, you are spot on. I don't think I would like the result as you described. Happy that Oxley shed still has some railway association, I would love a ride on a Pendolino, railways here in Australia are still in the dark ages, and I don't mean steam! Thanks again and Best Wishes, Philip.

[@jammiebeasts]

Fantastic video this. What superb days these must have been.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Jamie, thanks for looking/commenting, and yes they were fantastic days. I put this video together to remind me of my firing days at Stafford Rd and Oxley, and it's thanks to Michael Clemens I was able to do so, cheers...Bill

[@KenBrownekb71000duke]

Cracking collection of nostalgic scenes Bill - well done I really enjoyed viewing it! Cheers. Ken

[@84asrd84boxy]

Ken, thanks for taking the time time to view and comment, so glad you enjoyed watching this little blast from the past, cheers...Bill

[@gilbertcostin2429]

I Gil costin was fireman at Oxley moor sheds 1966 my driver Ken law Best job ever.

[@Gwril76]

Amazing footage Bill. Wished i'd been around in these days. Thanks for sharing

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Steve, thanks for looking/commenting, glad you enjoyed watching. Did you notice the differences at Codsall that were there in the 60s, and are no longer there today. (The signal box and loop on the upside, and the refuge siding on the downside). I can still picture them now 50 odd years on, cheers...Bill

[@richardevans7294]

Brilliant, I grew up 100 yards from Blowers Green Station

[@84asrd84boxy]

Richard, thanks for taking the time to view and your kind comment. Blowers Green Station in the 60s is featured in another video on my channel it shows W-ton Low Level to Stourbridge Jnc in 1962, you may wish to take a look. Regards...Bill

[@geoffwbaU]

Wonderful memories ! I still have my spotting notes from the 60s and recorded four of the locos seen at Swan Village on 1 August 1964, It is quite likely that I was actually at Swan Village or in that vicinity when this footage was filmed. Unusually I have a record of Jubilee 45611 Hong Kong at the same location- possibly working a special ?

[@risvegliato]

This is great. Makes me feel old - I was born around the time most of this was recorded, so it is just slightly 'before my time', as it's before my memories of rail in the midlands (from the 70's onwards) and it shows how much changed in those two decades - I dont remember steam trains at all, or Westerns at New Street. Snow Hill was closed and Demolished by the Time I was travelling to Birmingham from Wolverhampton. And one of those commentators sounds like John Shuttleworth...

[@84asrd84boxy]

Thanks for taking the time to view and comment much appreciated nice to know you enjoyed watching the video. Regards...Bill

[@TrevorLedgeway]

Great Stuff this is Bill,Love the archive films...Trevor.''

[@84asrd84boxy]

Trevor, thanks for looking,I think it's great to look at videos from the past, what we have now is nothing like it was then in the 60s, so much has been lost, cheers...Bill

[@moirahole1395]

Found it! Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this - how amazing to have a glimpse of Priestfield again. These days I am a voluntary worker with the Watercress Line Preserved Steam Railway half an hour away from my home in Southampton.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Moira, many thanks for looking, glad you found it and that it bought back some more happy memories for you of your childhood days in and around Priestfield etc, and I would imagine you love working as a volunteer on the Watercress Line I do have another video which I have not yet uploaded showing a local 2:10pm service from Low Level to Stourbridge which show all the stations en-route. I may get round to uploading it sometime in the near future, take care...Bill

[@v8pilot]

Nostalgic for me. I was a student at Bham University and I had a girlfriend in Hereford. I used to take the train from Snow Hill to get to Hereford.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Happy days, fond memories for you. Thanks for looking/commenting much appreciated. Regards...Bill

[@TheWesternExplorer]

Wonderful nostalgic views Bill. Thanks for sharing. Dave.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Dave, many thanks for looking/commenting, for myself a look at the past of workings over this former mainline evokes so many great memories, glad you enjoyed watching, cheers...Bill

[@JimTLonW6]

Very good! It's almost impossible to imagine Upton Magna ever having had a station, despite it's name the place is tiny, also a fair distance from the railway, so passengers would have a healthy walk!

[@84asrd84boxy]

Many thanks for looking/commenting, there must have been many small stations like Upton Magna, that were way out from the small villages they served, unfortunately I would imagine not many survived into the modern railway era, cheers...Bill

[@cosmicmaniac1886]

BRILLIANT.

[@DownGrand1967]

Superb old footage. Especially enjoyed the Swan Village/Wednesbury/Priestfield clips.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Gaz, thanks for looking, I thought you would like the Swan Village clip etc from past comments of the area, glad you enjoyed watching, cheers...Bill

[@LeamingtonSteve]

Great memories of the DCL

[@84asrd84boxy]

Steve, thanks for looking, glad you enjoyed watching this little blast from the past, cheers...Bill

[@roya2498]

Tremendous Bill.So much at Swan Village which is amazing.Spent many happy days between 1950 and 1960 trainspotting on the bank outside the tunnel and in the main line signalbox where my grandad worked. He used to let me work the wicketts.Did you ever have trouble climbing the bank?

[@84asrd84boxy]

Roy, thanks for taking the time to view and comment, much appreciated, and glad this bought back some great memories for you.regarding climbing the bank up to West Brom, very rarely had a problem, it always depended on the state the loco was in, and the load behind, my favourite loco was the Castle, they were superb loco's, cheers...Bill

[@richardjellis9186]

Thanks for a great vid. That's nowhere near me(I'm in lakes!), and, nowhere near as far as my 'timeframe' of interest. But.. I really did enjoy the content. Fantastic film mate. Do one covering between Carlisle and let's say Warrington, or better still, Preston (with this corner of Manchester included). Have 'liked', and, subscribed, and will be going through whatever else you have uploaded. Cheers for the last ten mins mate. ..r..

[@davidwall7747]

I may have been on that DMU at Upton Magna - wow..

[@locomotive67]

Nice 1 Bill...Dave

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Dave, thanks for looking, glad you enjoyed watching a blast from the past...Bill

[@locomotive67]

Hi Bill ,I did indeed,Thanks for reply..Dave

[@judithmerricks5448]

All of these lines should still be open it would help with congestion on the roads

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Judith, I totally agree with your comment. Thanks for looking/commenting. Regards...Bill

[@SniperBoy-hp6xr]

But if these lines were open we would have no heritage railways

[@bennickss]

Ah, so Wellington did have 5 platforms at one point!

[@mrgoodintent]

Please......At around 5 mins. on video the commentator gets it wrong ........ the GW Pannier Tank is actually heading towards West Bromwich on the line to B'ham Snow Hill (not Dudley!)

[@mrgoodintent]

I Know as I used to Trainspot there at the gates!!

[@84asrd84boxy]

Thanks for pointing out the error in the commentary in the video, and thanks for taking the time to view and comment. Regards...Bill

[@mrgoodintent]

You are welcome.... you see for that pannier to be heading towards Dudley it would have to travel in an opposite direction & not only that, it would have to be on the middle rail crossing over Swan Lane actually!!!

[@roya2498]

Overall you are correct.It is a view of main line as factory buildings -above left-have only been demolished in 2017.The houses are in Cygnet Road and an old school friend lived in number 10 and had a bedroom at rear facing the main line. Shame he was only lukewarm to trainspotting. You are out regarding the opposite direction.Bearing in mind the signalbox at the branch line crossing is on the left then the film maker has the main line to his rear. My granddad was one of the signalmen on the main line crossing and I regularly spent happy times in there.I probably know you-I was born 1944. Also see my comments later on this post.Regards Roy Adlington

[@michaelgoodliffe4887]

A question for you,are these B&R Jim Clemens films from volume65Steaming Through Shropshire Parts 1&2?

[@84asrd84boxy]

Hello Michael, yes some of the scenes are from the late Jim Clemens video Steaming Through Shropshire. As stated in the description of the video I did ask Michael Clemens for his permission to use various clips of his late fathers. This is video 3 of 3 as I tried to recreate the route of The Cambrian Coast Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury during my firing days in the early 60s. I hope this answers your question. Regards...Bill

[@anthonytonks7892]

lord Roberts was 70042 not 41

[@84asrd84boxy]

Anthony, thanks for pointing out the error in the commentary regarding the wrong name being given to the Britannia Class loco passing through Wellington. Cheers...Bill