Railways around Coventry

Hello, With all of my steam enthusiasm onging, I would not give up what we have now. The ease at which I can maintain my volunteering, getting about using public transport, particularly the railways for distance & speed takes some beeting. Yesterday, I travelled from Coventry to Warwick by bus. That completed a duty. Then a bus into Stratford to see some friends who were having a river boat trip. I then Journeyed by train to B'ham Jewellery Quarter, a tram to Edgbaston. Duty completed. Then train to Wolverhampton, back to New St. Duty completed. Eventually getting home for 6.30pm. Like falling off a log. The only cost with my bus pass & railcard was £4, from Stratford to Dorridge, the boundary of the West Midlands transport system.

Hello, Whilst out & about recently, I was thrilled to see a class 37 diesel locomotive pulling a lengthy train of redundant units that are destined for scrap or refurbishment, through Wolverhampton. It knocked years off my age, seeing this, as the class 37s were constructed whilst I was still at school. Over three hundred were built, between 1960 to 1965. They've gone through umpteen upgrades & mods over the decades, but to see one still doing what it was built for. I was walking over the north end footbridge at Wolverhampton, when I heard the announcement to keep clear of the platform edge. My picture is through the footbridge glass, as I didn't have time to reach platform level. The redundant stock was very heavy. Every other carriage is a power car, so the average weight will be between 30 & 40 tons each.

The first time I ever travelled on British trains, on the return journey from Birmingham I ended up in a very old carriage with a corridor. It felt like I was in Murder on the Orient Express. Never again sadly. Funny how trains can stick in your memory.

Hello, One of the absolute delights for me living in Coventry is ease of access using public transport. Wherever we live in Coventry, no one is more than thirty minutes from the city centre. For me, twenty minutes by bus, or twelve minutes by train. One of my volunteer counterparts who lives in Birmingham, needs nearly an hour travelling, before commencing a duty. Coventry is big enough to warrant its own integral public transport, but not so big as to be unwieldy. Good old Coventry, hey.

In the good old days, before yellow lines on the platforms, cameras all over the shop, staff in uniforms yelling at people to keep behind the yellow line, speakers blaring "mind the gap", trains were great fun at COV. Many are the time some awkward teacher would not let us depart at 1600 prompt (I liked to be the first schoolboy, out of 1000 or so off, the school premises running to catch my train). I would run along the platform, often as the train had started to move (diesel, so they did not accelerate so quickly then), grab hold of a brass door handle, give it a twist and dive into the carriage. Same on leaving the train. The trick was to open the door before the train had stopped, then jump off as quickly as you could before it slowed down too much. Great fun. Never got told off by some official. It's a wonder I'm still alive today!

I used to love seeing the class 37s at COV. As I recall, they were the biggest locos. And they had character, to judge from their appearance. They looked the business. I used to call them nose-butters (I didn't know about the class system then [the rail, not the social class system]), as opposed to all the other characterless locos, which were cabover jobs.

I've added links to John Wells' terrific Video clips before. This one is only a snippet but it's a rare capture of the old loop line in use (sorry I could've added to the Railway thread), but shows what may have been the final cars leaving the Stoke plant............. Lots of Sunbeams/Horizons! Copied. Such a wonderful clip, not to be missed.

Coventry Station in 1962.

Hello, Thank you for that picture. I chilly picture of a Fowler 2-6-4 tank loco. Called tank, because it has integral water storage tanks, rather than having a tender with coal & water. Ideal for short trips & shunting. All of the LMS contemporary designers had 2-6-4 tank designs. Stanier & Fairburn, plus the modernisation standard classes had a standard design 2-6-4. Standard was the term used to design locos having similar parts, so maintenance storage costs could be reduced. At Holbrooks, we have just one 2-6-4, tank. A Fairburn, seen far side of the level crosding. Both locos in the picture are tank loco designs.

Hello, Bedlam Lane Crossing. 1988. Three Spires Junction 1993 Keresley Colliery Exchange Workings 1991.

Hello, This could be in the Nuneaton topic, but ..... Nuneaton railway tunnel.

Hello, Do you remember if or when on the spur of the moment, a family member might have said let's go for a ride in our motor? We could call in the Oak for a little tipple & a bag of crisps. I haven't got ready access to a motor nowadays, but after my lovely breaky at the Flying Standard this morning, I just had one errand to see too, which then soon after I was sat at the Arena station. I hadn't decided where to go, but with uncertainty with the weather, it also remaining a bit stuffy, I had decided that if I was going anywhere, it would be air conditioned train travel. So, for few hours this afternoon, I really enjoyed window watching going one way to Wolverhampton, but coming home another route. Only one short bus ride, which was from the Arena to my home. I even met two friends on route by chance, one asked to join me for part of my afternoon "Drive". It's made all the easier for me because of some very basics like knowing my whereabouts on stations & so on. I know what part of a train to be sat in, to avoid crowding, or where I'm getting off so I'm not unnecessarily walking in silly directions. When Helen gets into her car, she doesn't climb through the back window then over the front seatback to get to the comfortable driving position. I don't get in a packed like sardines part of a train, to then climb over bodies to get to sometimes relaxed empty seats. I get on in the right place. One train that I was on today was just like that. I did have a drink of orange juice & a Bounty bar. Whow! Best wishes.

Hello, If ever you are travelling by train to Birmingham from Coventry, try this recipe. As I travel from the Arena, which is one an hour, I arrive usually on platform 2. The LNWR trains to New St, depart from Platform 3 every half hour, at 15 mins past the hour. I stand by the platform marker No 9. That's near to the Warwick Rd bridge. When the train stops, I usually walk into an empty carriage. There are usually eight carriages on these services. I'm right at the front of the train. You might notice the sign to the driver that tells him where to stop the train marker. Just a tip. Have a lovely day.

Hello, Well, I eat humble pie, Helen. A duty today just totally went plonk. The 1.15pm to New St, was 6 mins late into New St, plus it arrived in Platform 4. Our connection train had gone. I re-covered a bit of ground by using a Liverpool train, so we were not technically late, but it wasn't a smooth journey like I had previously boasted about. Ok, I stand in the corner with my face to the wall.