Mark Norton has kindly provided some additional photographs of Washwood Heath - a rare find indeed. There are however several photos that are described as "Washwood Heath Box" leading to "Metro Cam" branch.
The site plan of Washwood Heath shown in Bob Pixton's book on the Birmingham to Derby route shows a siding leading to the "Carriage & Wagon works" but its altogether different to the photo because its off to the right whilst the photo shows the branch off to the left, the MR route is 6 tracks wide whilst the photo has only 2 tracks.
My thoughts are that there must have been a branch to the Metro Cams works from the LNWR's Aston to Stechford line too and its this which the photo shows. The quickest way of confirming this is to identify if the box in the photo is LNWR or MR.
If it is LNWR then I believe this is the LNWR branch to the works, especially as the photographer took a photo of the LNWR line passing under 3 bridges quite near to this point. All information would be gratefully received. The URLs are:
http://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg453.htm
http://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg454.htm
http://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg455.htm
http://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg456.htm
Many Thanks
Mike
Is this a MR or LNWR Signal Box at Washwood Heath
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mikemusson
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mikemusson
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With regard to my enqury I have found out the following:
a) The box is the LNW box at Washwood Heath midway between
Stechford No.2 and Aston No.1.
b) It controlled the single line that connected the LNWR to MR at Saltley "Junction".
c) Until the early 1960s Metro-Cam had TWO factories, the second being "Saltley Works" which was alongside Saltley Junction.
d) This single line also accessed sidings to the Saltley Carriage works.
See URL for a map of the area: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms ... gs_map.htm
Therefore the single connecting line was both to Metro Cam (although a different one to that exists today) and to the MR's lines at Washwood.
Many thanks to all that helped to piece this together.
Mike
a) The box is the LNW box at Washwood Heath midway between
Stechford No.2 and Aston No.1.
b) It controlled the single line that connected the LNWR to MR at Saltley "Junction".
c) Until the early 1960s Metro-Cam had TWO factories, the second being "Saltley Works" which was alongside Saltley Junction.
d) This single line also accessed sidings to the Saltley Carriage works.
See URL for a map of the area: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms ... gs_map.htm
Therefore the single connecting line was both to Metro Cam (although a different one to that exists today) and to the MR's lines at Washwood.
Many thanks to all that helped to piece this together.
Mike