Birmingham New Street ( A retrospective look)

[@jimmillington8299]

I worked in the Panel Room 83-89 as announcer. A dream job for a train crank! Great camaraderie.

[@paged76]

Best place I have ever worked. I’m now working in Birmingham ROC but still covering the New St workstations. It’s just not the same.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@paged76 I quite like the relative solitude of any box plus the ability to look out a window, it’s a big modal shift working in a Roc, watching folks move about desk to desk using ARS or the Trust to tell you where everything goes, modernisation

[@NigelCrisp-b9v]

Thank for this tour of this box. It's been most interesting. As a matter of fact It's listed status should include not just the building but all of the equipment Inside as this is part of history as well.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@NigelCrisp-b9v it’s odd to think black tiles and black grout as being listed but it does have that Cold War feel to it, plus the very large fire doors

[@ben2692]

I did some work experiance with network rail back in 2008 and was given a day in the signal box. The guys actually took the time to explain things and allowed me to set points and signals was awesome.

[@markgr1nyer]

I went up there in 2018 as part of my senior conductor training. See how the other half live type thing. I was like a kid in a sweet shop in awe of it having being playing simsig for years

[@doctortinkle3834]

Incomprehensible to me but fascinating. I’ve walked and driven past that building lots of times and would have loved a peek inside.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@doctortinkle3834 it’s the magic behind it that’s the fun part.

[@johncherrington6080]

In the early 90s I worked at New Street and went into the box on a regular basis. I recall that the first time I wnet in and watched the signallers going about their business I was amazed at how they appeared to press a button here and anothed there setting up routes without ever seeming to refer to any documentation. To say I was impressed was an understatement.

[@sunjamm222]

I remember working on those MK1 Westpac units. They weight a ton and so so easy to damage when moving about. Those pins where a pain. What is missing is the old Westronic system to the outer relay rooms. Replaced by Vaughan's systems.

[@rbrwr]

I applied for that open day and didn't win. Glad you got a camera inside so we could all see.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@rbrwr yes I did too, as you say it’s on camera for posterity 🫡

[@mickjenkinson9680]

The panel should be preserved

[@simonhodgetts6530]

‘Old’ New Street - I travelled from it and to it a lot in my youth - mainly to and from Newcastle. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I hated it because it was actually an inconvenience with its escalators and stairs down to the platforms. I loved it because, when I was very young, I could get onto a train pulled by a Deltic - my all-time favourite locomotive. I remember the signal box well. Personally I like Birmingham’s 60s architecture- the Rotunda, the old library and so on. It smacked of ‘the white heat’ of 60s Britain, and it’s a shame that a lot of examples of 60s architecture have been raised. Good to see the signal box preserved.

[@74HC138]

I'd love to see that panel preserved, running a simulator, so it could still be experienced in a "working" condition.

[@Allan-bp3gj]

I was one of the original S&T when the box was came into use, I think I am the only one left, good days in the box and Westpac Mk1 was good apart from when they ot a fault in them and had to be changed

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@Allan-bp3gj legendary status there sir , bet you’ve got some memories of the w years on h t e job 🤗

[@cedarcam]

Hopefully some of the MK1 equipment will be saved being all there is left of that system. It is a shame the panel will most likely be scrapped as well.

[@nkpanathan]

Love these videos, but please make sure people hide their ID badges when you are filming them :) thanks for the videos!

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@nkpanathan we already thought of that John was happy to be recorded , I’d already asked about that

[@simonhodgetts6530]

‘Old’ New Street - I travelled from it and to it a lot in my youth - mainly to and from Newcastle. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I hated it because it was actually an inconvenience with its escalators and stairs down to the platforms. I loved it because, when I was very young, I could get onto a train pulled by a Deltic - my all-time favourite locomotive. I remember the signal box well. Personally I like Birmingham’s 60s architecture- the Rotunda, the old library and so on. It smacked of ‘the white heat’ of 60s Britain, and it’s a shame that a lot of examples of 60s architecture have been raised. Good to see the signal box preserved.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

@@simonhodgetts6530 deltics. Bet you got some good views of them powering out the station from the box