Stafford Road Works and running sheds in 1875, after the provision of turntable sheds Nos 2 and 3. Rapid expansion of the old S&B (upper level) site since 1854 includes a two-road standard gauge running shed and a coal stage, erected in about 1860 just to the south of Oxley viaduct (out of view to the north). Once this shed was in use, an erecting shop was then built on the site of the original, smaller, S&BR shed near the railway bridge over the Stafford Road. The 1860 shed was demolished in about 1890, but the coal stage remained for use by locomotives terminating at Victoria Basin or at Oxley sidings. Author's Collection.

It soon became clear in the early 1870s that more covered locomotive accommodation was urgently required, and two further turntable sheds were erected alongside shed No 1 in 1874 and 1875. These housed about 22 and 30 locomotives respectively. These three sheds were designated as shed Nos 1, 2 and 3, or were sometimes referred to as 'A', 'B' and 'C'. Any visitor during the period 1875-85 would have found an impressive array of both antiquated, rebuilt or newly-constructed engines on view, ranging from 2-2-2 singles and 2-4-0 passenger engines to 0-6-0 tender engines and 0-6-0 and 0-4-0 tank engines. Perhaps the most fascinating period of all at Wolverhampton would have been from around 1855 up until the turn of the century.

Joseph Armstrong's last class of singles were the 'Queen' class 2-2-2s, and No 999 Sir Alexander was a well-known Stafford Road resident. Completed at Swindon Works in March 1875, it was rebuilt at Stafford Road Works in September 1882, with enclosed wheel splashers, a cab and various typical Wolverhampton-style fitments, such as a roll-top chimney and smokebox wing-plates. For many years the 'Queens' worked express trains from London to Swindon, Gloucester and Wolverhampton. E. L. Ahrons, writing in Locomotive and Train Working in the Latter Part of the 19th Century, tells us that Nos 999, 1000, 1116, 1121 and 1127 were all allocated to Stafford Road shed; No 1126 was also later transferred to the Northern Division.

By 1904 the 'Queens' were largely relegated to secondary work from Oxford and Swindon, their reign at Wolverhampton coming to an end when a longer turntable was installed in one of the sheds, in about 1900, enabling the larger GWR 4-2-2 locomotives to work into Wolverhampton. New locomotives continued to arrive, and by January 1902 eleven Gooch-designed 0-6-0 goods engines had also been allocated. By now Stafford Road was one of the busiest GWR operating depots in the country. In view of this situation a decision was taken to erect another shed, mainly for goods locomotives, over on the north side of the Oxley viaduct, overlooking Dunstall Park racecourse. This new 'Oxley' shed was opened on 1 July 1907. Both sheds were then operated as a joint concern, although Oxley had its own integral coaling bay from new, located in the shed yard.

In the early years at Stafford Road shed, up until 1869 a coal transfer stage was operated whereby the coal was unloaded from narrow to broad gauge wagons from an overhead ramp, for distribution between the separate sheds. Coaling of locomotives was then carried out manually from secondary stages, one of which was in the lower yard adjacent to the broad gauge shed - this coal stage is clearly shown on an 1867 plan. A basic hand-operated crane fitted with an adjustable jib and bucket-style grab was then used to load the coal on to the locomotives. This situation became increasingly unsatisfactory and time-consuming and so by 1900 a purpose-built red-brick coaling plant was erected some distance away from the locomotive sheds on the opposite side of the BCN canal. This may well have replaced an earlier 1850s coaling stage left over from broad gauge days in the same area.


A '517' class 0-4-2T, No 1421, is at rest inside one of the three large turntable sheds at Stafford Road circa 1880. It is seen in original condition, as completed in Wolverhampton as Works No 313 in April 1877. The '517' class had countless variants, from short-wheelbase saddle tanks through to long-wheelbase side tanks, and No 1421 differed from its predecessors in that the wheelbase was 15ft rather than 13ft 7in, and the dome had a tall brass cover. It was the 109th member of the class and eventually the fleet numbered 156, all erected at Stafford Road Works between 1868 and 1885. The '517s' were often used on suburban work in the Wolverhampton and Birmingham areas, this particular example eventually being withdrawn from service in 1928. Author's Collection.

A survivor from the S&CR's 1854 amalgamation with the GWR, 1848-built 2-2-2 No 14, is seen in the Stafford Road shed yard circa 1890. Legend has it that this engine was a favourite of CME George Armstrong during his own locomotive driving days, and because of this it was kept until 1920, minus its tender, despite being officially withdrawn in December 1885. It could be seen during this period inside the shed building, standing on two carefully placed lengths of old bridge rail, and was supposedly repainted on one side only for photographic purposes. Despite an assumption in a GWR Magazine article that it was destined for preservation, it was scrapped after 35 years of safe keeping, on the personal orders of Benjamin Giles, the Works Superintendent. He may have had some explaining to do when a request was received from Swindon to prepare the engine to take part in the 1925 railway celebrations! The tender attached to the engine in this view is not the original. Author's Collection.

Former OW&WR No 1 in its later guise as GWR No 171 in Stafford Road yard circa 1880. This 2-4-0 was built by R. & W. Hawthorn in 1852 and it became a West Midland Railway asset on 1 July 1860. In turn it became GWR property from 1 August 1863, with another amalgamation, along with 130 other WMR locomotives. Although receiving minor modifications at Stafford Road Works over the years, No 171 would be withdrawn in July 1885 without being rebuilt. Author's Collection.

A circa 1880 scene at Stafford Road, GWR No 40 - its heritage harks back to Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway No 6. An 0-4-2 tender engine with single frames, outside-cylinders, a long boiler and Gothic firebox, it was built by R. B. Longridge and delivered in February 1849. ln September 1852 the S&BR put it up for sale but No 6 was still in stock when the GWR took over in September 1854. Taken out of use in June 1858, the engine was then completely rebuilt at Wolverhampton, emerging in March 1862 as an 0-4-2ST; Ahrons stated that it 'contained nothing of the original engine'. This view records it after an '850' class boiler was added in October 1873, and a subsequent rebuild in 1897 would see it through to withdrawal in 1904. Author's Collection.
A circa 1885 view finds 'Queen' class 2-2-2 No 999 Sir Alexander in the Stafford Road shed yard. Dating from March 1875, this express passenger engine is seen after its September 1882 rebuild at the nearby Stafford Road Works. Sir Alexander was named after Sir Charles Alexander Wood, a Director of the GWR from 1863 to 1890. This Single was eventually withdrawn from service in October 1904, but at least one of its nameplates has survived and is now on show at the Kidderminster Railway Museum. Author's Collection.

 

 

An 1867 plan records the lower yard's 1857-built four-road broad gauge engine shed and turntable (centre right), together with the coal transfer stage (upper left), and some of the ex-S&BR (High Level) site facilities on the opposite side of the Stafford Road.

The transfer stage was located close to the GWR's mixed gauge main line, near the gasworks yard and close to where the Dunstall Park station platforms would be located from 1896.

Coal transfer was carried out using two standard gauge tracks that ran onto an elevated platform positioned above two broad gauge tracks.

Most probably, the coal was then either shovelled, or perhaps dropped by gravity from one coal wagon to another for further distribution. It is assumed that the coal stage fell into disuse by 1870, after the end of broad gauge operations at Wolverhampton, although no specific information confirms when it was finally removed. Author's Collection.

 

Also at the south end of the new coaling plant yard was a 65ft turntable and an oil-gas manufacturing plant. These buildings were all demolished following the closure of the sheds in 1963, the last remains being swept away in about 1985. However, at the time of writing the circular turntable hollow still remains visible, together with some of the perimeter brickwork. These last few remains of the coaling bay infrastructure have been included in The Wolverhampton City Council Lock Conservation Area appraisal document issued in May 2013, as being of archaeological potential.

Some Stafford Road locomotives got VIP treatment. Writing in Locomotive Adventure, H. Holcroft recalls that (circa 1898) 'one could see an old single-wheeler moving out of the gloom of the shed into the daylight with cleaner lads clinging on to it in order to put the finishing touches to the gleaming paint and shining brass. So keen were these lads that they had to be removed so as to enable the engine to depart'. Things would be very different as regards locomotive cleaning in the years just prior to closure.

As from around 1904, the '4400' and '4500' 2-6-2Ts started to appear, the first batches having been built at Stafford Road Works until such time as construction was transferred to Swindon in 1909. Large numbers of 0-6-0STs and '517' class 0-4-2Ts were also now being built at Stafford Road Works and they were often seen in the shed yard. Tank engines in general were, of course, always a regular sight on shed, right up until closure.

With the outbreak of World War 1 only a few months away, the following 'modern' passenger locomotives were noted at Stafford Road shed in the autumn of 1913 – French- built De Glehn Compound 4-4-2 No 104 Alliance, together with 'Saint' class 4-6-0s Nos 2901 Lady Superior, 2902 Lady of the Lake, 2905 Lady Macbeth, 2906 Lady of Lynn, 2908 Lady of Quality, 2909 Lady of Provence, 2910 Lady of Shallot, 2911 Saint Agatha and 2949 Stanford Court, and four-cylinder 'Star' class 4-6-0s Nos 4004 Morning Star, 4034 Queen Adelaide and 4036 Queen Elizabeth.


A late 1930s Ordnance Survey plan shows the separate Stafford Road shed coaling plant erected circa 1900 on land adjacent to the BCN waterway. South of the turntable is an oil-gas manufacturing plant. In the top left-hand corner is the exit from the lower shed yard, beneath one of the arches of the LMS Stour Valley line viaduct, with the GWR main line through the neighbouring arch, heading south-east from Dunstall Park station and skirting the shed lines as it makes for Wolverhampton (Low Level). The lines heading south to north on the far right of the map are those of the GWR link from S&B, or Cannock Road, Junction through to the LMS at Bushbury. Courtesy Ordnance Survey Historical Map Archive.

Collett 'Grange' class 4-6-0 No 6841 Marlas Grange is at the Stafford Road coaling plant in the early 1960s, a location known on early plans as the 'oil-gas yard'. The oil-gas manufacturing plant building is seen in the background, complete with an oil wagon outside. Note the stationery boilers (with twin tall chimneys) visible on the extreme right - they were used in the manufacture of the oil-gas. From here, the oil-gas was pumped to a pair of storage tanks located just to the south side of Wolverhampton (Low Level) station, where it was transferred to coaching stock undergoing servicing at the carriage sheds to the rear of the station. Author's Collection.


French-built De Glehn Compound No 104 Alliance is at Stafford Road's coaling plant on 19 July 1924. Taken into GWR stock during 1903 and 1905 for evaluation, this class of three 4-4-2s was initially put to use on West of England expresses. However, in about 1907 they were sent north to work the Wolverhampton and Worcester trains, so Nos 102 La France, 103 President and 104 Alliance were allocated to Stafford Road shed until around 1913, when transferred away to Oxford for use on Birmingham and Wolverhampton trains. Over the years they all received standard GWR boilers, chimneys and other fitments, and they were often seen being serviced at Stafford Road shed. The three engines were eventually withdrawn between 1926 and 1928 and cut up at Swindon, although the wheels, most of the frames and the cab of No 104 lingering on in the scrapyard well into 1930. Author's Collection.


 
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