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Dudley station consisted of two island
platforns, one G.W.R. and one L.M.S. Each had its own Station
master and the usual porterage staff controlled by a foreman.
Access was obtained by a large footbridge spanning all the
tracks, upon which was built the booking offices for each
railway.
Public transport at this period was by
trams, which were slow and had very limited accommodation,
consequently the railway was very busy, the G.W. providing
roughly an hourly service in both directions on the Stourbridge
run, certain trains also conveying a through coach to London via
Worcester. Locos on this service were usually 3600 class 2-4-2
tanks - also through trains to Birmingham via Great Bridge,
these being a 3 or 4 car auto train set with the engine in the
middle, the regular locos on this job being pannier tanks number
1061/1234/1256 and 1561, Wolverhampton Stafford Road providing
the engines and men. This service was augmented at peak periods
(morning, midday and evening) by Birmingham division 4 coach
trains hauled by 3600 class 2-4-2 tank locos.
A further early morning service passing
through Dudley was the 8.07 am. ex Wolverhampton to Birmingham
via Windmill End & Old Hill, usually a Birmingham division 4
coach set engined by a Tyseley 4-4-0, no. 4107 "Alexander
Hubbard" being a regular performer. There was also a regular
Dudley - Old Hill service provided by a single auto car, engined
either by a 517 type 0-4-2 tank no. 1159, or by 2101 class 0-6-0
pannier tank no. 2120, these two locos being provided by
Stourbridge.
On the L.M.S. side a regular service was
provided to Walsall and to Dudley Port, the latter making
connections with the main line services to Wolverhampton,
Birmingham and London. These were 2 coach push and pull units,
engined by ex Midland 0-4-4 tank numbers 1234 and 1260. These
services were augmented in mornings and evenings by through
trains to Birmingham taking the old Midland Railway route
through Walsall-Aldridge and Sutton Coldfield. These trains were
4 coach eight wheeled, flat elliptical roofed Midland railway
stock, usually hauled by ex Midland Kirtley 2-4-0 tender
engines, numbers 1 / 18 or 19, provided by Birmingham
Bourneville shed. These engines were in beautiful condition,
being painted in Midland Red, with the L.M.S. coat of arms on
the cabside and large numerals on the tender, a real exhibition
turn-out.
On the freight side, things were very busy,
traffic being mainly coal, coke, iron, steel, fireclay and
firebricks, Dudley being an interchange point between the G.W.R.
and the L.M.S. Trip work on the G.W. side was mainly carried out
by the older pattern open backed pannier tanks of the 655 / 1501
and 1854 classes, mainline work was by 4300, 2800 and Aberdare
class locomotives. Quite a number of the latter had just been
allocated to Stourbridge and equipped with ex R.O.D. 4,000
gallon tenders. On the L.M.S. side the freight work was mainly
exchange traffic to and from the G.W.R. This brought a variety
of locos from the Walsall area, the last of the Webb 4 cylinder
compound 0-8-0 tender engines being employed on this work,
together with ex L.N.W.R. 0-8-0s of classes D, G and G1 also the
Cauliflower 0-6-0 tender engines. On occasions L.N.W.R.
Experiment class 4-6-0 tender engines were used, these being
named engines providing a change of interest, ''Ethe1read'',
"Lord of the Isles" and "Buckland" being seen regularly. |
