Railways around Coventry

Hi Heritage I am delighted with your pics, thank you so much. What detail! Rob has set up a gallery feature for any member to upload pics where they can be categorised & subsequently edited as you please. I and several members have our gallery pics. You might enjoy the feature as much as I look forward to seeing the pics. Quite a technology, articulated steam locos. I once saw a Midland Garratt go over the flyover at Rugby about 1956 & one at Water Orton the same year. Thank you again, so much.

Thank you so much for the Foleshill Station picture, Dutchman. I'm guessing late 60s or 70s judging by the waiting room architecture? I seem to remember older buildings with wrought ironwork in the 50s. I think that many people crossed the line over the track rather than using the bridge. There was a large park on the Radford side, in those days there was actually a "Parkie" and you could rent stilts for a tanner. On the Foleshill side my dad worked at "The Albion" drop forging factory making con rods amongst other things from white hot steel, the factory was a vision of hell with a street of furnaces and steam hammers going 24 hours a day. We kids as 11 year olds used to go from Foleshill to Nuneaton for a days trainspotting because there was so much more activity on the main line. Sometimes we would go to Rugby where there was a the chance to see Great Western locos as well as LMS. We also cycled - and frequently walked - to the bridge at Shilton, quite a trek from Bell Green. In the early 60s as diesels began to dominate I saw more exotic locos on our local line across the Stoney Stanton Rd, even saw Evening Star one summer night, hauling coal to the Gas works. Spent many a lovely evening underlining my "cops" after a days spotting.

Interesting memories Walrus WarwickshireRailways.com think the picture is late 1950s. The station closed to passenger services in 1965 but I believe it continued in use for parcels traffic. The last regular steam-hauled passenger service on the route was in 1959, I remember being bitterly disappointed that a trip to Kenilworth in the early 1960s had to be by DMU.

Hi Walrus My favourite evening at Foleshill was Friday pigeon specials night. You could not move for pigeon baskets everywhere. 'Kooeeing' all-over. Over the years I saw many classes on those trains including some Eastern B1s. "Bongo" turned up one evening. I once had a tender first B1 to school from Foleshill. Thank you again. I would estimate the date to be well before 1964 but Dutchman will give you that. Loved your post.

Mention of Bablake pupils etc reminds me. There was a series of halts on the Coventry Nuneaton line, Daimler Halt was in Sandy Lane and then Coundon Halt next. At the risk of veering off topic, my gran lived in Tulliver St just off Lydgate Hill. I remember the Daimler factory well and watched numberless bus chassis and armoured cars being test driven around Radford.

I've seen a picture of a Bongo passing through Coventry station Philip but assumed it was on a cross country run from Eastern Region.

Hi. I went to the school in Warwick Rd. Walrus, one stop further on, but some of my best friends were at Bablake.

Hi When we get fully straight here at home, I will play some videos of B1s in Coventry. I remember seeing one that had sustained a damaged chimney in the tunnel, whilst leaving Birmingham New St. The snag is, that I lend so many of my videos & stuff out, I never know who has got what. I knew one of the inspectors at Market Harborough who told me that their allocated locos would often do a round of duties in order to work back to the Eastern Region. Thank you again for your info. I bet you have some train-spot stories to tell. ps. The thought of enginemen on the B1 coming into contact with a hot smoke box as they looked at the slightly damaged chimney top, played on my mind for ages afterwards. I am like that even now.

Not really Philip, I was the world's worst trainspotter as a kid and it was only when I started researching the history of the lines in this area a few years ago I was able to put names to what I had seen all those years earlier.

Hi again & thank you for your 'bus' post message at the foot. I knew that changes were in the pipeline but thanks to you I can see the details. Also, do you have a pic of the Alvis railway bridge with the Alvis sign in place. I am all fingers & thumbs trying to type on my new pc. I do take you for granted, but whilst looking back on my history on here, you were there with a pic and info right at the start. I am proud to be on here because of you inspite of my warts. Best wishes

Thanks very much Philip Do you mean this photo? I posted it previously in the Alvis cars thread: Alvis car factory, Holyhead Road

Hi Dutchmann. One word. BRIL!

My father's brother was killed under there in 1934. Riding his motor bike in pouring rain he ran into the back of a lorry parked under the bridge without lights.

Hi That is sad Heritage. I do recall many mishaps at the bridge in my school days including a bus that was too high for the bridge.

Hi Philip I don't have one I'm afraid but there's a very good chance the museum of road transport does.