Camp Hill railway station explained

Camp Hill
Status:Disused
Borough:Balsall Heath, City of Birmingham
Country:England
Coordinates:52.462°N -1.8832°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Original:Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Pregroup:Midland Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Events:Opened
Years1:17 August 1841
Events1:Closed
Years2:15 November 1841
Events2:Reopened
Years3:1 December 1867
Events3:Closed; reopened as Camp Hill and Balsall Heath
Years4:1 April 1904
Events4:Renamed Camp Hill
Events5:Closed[1]

Camp Hill railway station refers to a series of disused railway stations in Camp Hill, Birmingham.

History

It was opened by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (B&GR) in 1840 and was its first terminus.

Subsequently, the line extended to join the London and Birmingham Railway to the latter's Curzon Street terminus. The former terminus was split into two: Camp Hill (passengers) and Camp Hill Goods, with the latter forming a spur.

In 1854 Birmingham New Street opened and began to usurp Curzon Street as the main Birmingham station. From 1867 to 1904, it was known as Camp Hill and Balsall Heath. The name of the station reverted back to Camp Hill in 1904.

Because of the necessity for a reversal at New Street, many trains on the Midland Railway line from Derby continued to use Camp Hill until New Street was extended in 1885 and connected to the Birmingham West Suburban Railway (BWSR).[2] This also resulted in the stretch from Kings Norton to Camp Hill becoming a branch line, being renamed the Camp Hill line after its eponymous former terminus.

The station and line closed to passenger traffic on 27 January 1941.[3] Camp Hill Goods station continued operating until the 1960s, however it has since been turned into an industrial estate.

Station masters

Incidents

On 26 June 1845, a B&GR passenger train from Gloucester, hauled by one of the company's Philadelphia, United States-built engines, ran into a slow-moving "heavy, powerful" goods engine which was crossing the line from a siding, via a diamond crossing, at Camp Hill. The driver of the Gloucester train was badly hurt after jumping from his engine. Some passengers suffered minor injuries, mostly from flying glass. Both engines suffered only minor damage. The driver of the goods engine was deemed at fault, but was discharged by magistrates on the grounds of previous good character. For the same reason the company demoted him to non-driving duties, rather than dismissing him.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Butt, R.V.J.. 1995. The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil. Patrick Stephens. 9781852605087. 832733511.
  2. Book: Pixton, B.. 2005. Birmingham-Derby: Portrait of a Famous Route. Runpast Publishing. 9781870754637. 63136070.
  3. News: . Five Birmingham Station to Close . Coventry Evening Telegraph . England . 22 January 1941 . 28 March 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  4. News: . Presentation to Mr. J.F. Pepper . Birmingham Daily Post . England . 7 November 1894 . 28 March 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  5. News: . Hammerwich. Lichfield Mercury . England . 4 December 1936 . 28 March 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  6. News: . Mr. E. Bosworth . Evening Despatch . England . 18 January 1939 . 28 March 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  7. Book: Maj.-Gen. C. W. Pasley . Charles Pasley . Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Camp Hill on 26th June 1845 . 1 July 1845 . .