The Bulleid Invasion of Snow Hill
 
 
27th April 1963 was one of the most interesting days in the history of Birmingham Snow Hill station. There was an F.A.Cup semi final at Villa Park between Southampton and Manchester United. Whilst the Manchester supporters who came by rail went directly to Witton station, close to the ground, the trains bringing the Southampton supporters came in to Snow Hill. Of the 13 trains, 9 came main line via Oxford and Banbury, 3 via Oxford, Worcester, and Stourbridge Junction, and 1, from Bournemouth, via the Somerset & Dorset, Bath, Cheltenham, and Stratford. Most of the trains were 12 coaches, and those that came via Worcester needed assistance up Old Hill bank, and from Stourbridge were given ex LMS 8F 2-8-0 pilots.

So 10 trains arrived facing west, and 3 facing east. And of the 13 trains, 12 were hauled by Bullied light pacifics, those from Eastleigh shed, all rebuilds, turned out in superb external condition. The train from Bournemouth, via the S & D, was hauled by a grubby unrebuilt pacific, and the final arrival was a Western Region Modified Hall which had taken over from a Standard 5 (73155) at Basingstoke. 

The trains continued to either Oxley, Stourbridge, or, for the eastbound arrivals, Tyseley,  for locomotive and train servicing.

The same arrangements applied to the evening return trains, three returning via Worcester. Those that were returning main line that had been serviced at Stourbridge required the same 8F pilots on their empty stock return to Snow Hill.

 
 
DOWN LINE: FOOTBALL EXCURSIONS:
 
34098 Templecombe arrived 10.45am on Footex no 1
34028 Eddystone arrived 11.03am on Footex no 3
34052 Lord Dowding arrived 11.08am on Footex no 4
34094 Mortehoe arrived 11.30am on Footex no 6
34040 Crewkerne arrived 11.53am on Footex no 11
34042 Dorchester arrived 12.08pm on Footex no 8
34088 213 Squadron arrived 12.22pm on Footex no 9
34050 Royal Observer Corps arrived 12.40pm on Footex no 12
34045 Ottery St Mary arrived 1.00pm on Footex no 10
7919 Runter Hall arrived 1.08pm on Footex no 15
 
DOWN LINE: NORMAL TRAFFIC:
 
D1005 called 11.21/11.24 on Paddington-Birkenhead (10)
D1008 called 1.25/1.29 on Paddington-Aberystwyth (14)
 
UP LINE: FOOTBALL EXCURSIONS:
  
34009 Lyme Regis arrived 11.45am on Footex no 2 (48478)
34039 Boscastle arrived 12.18pm on Footex no 5 (48417)
34046 Braunton arrived 12.43pm on Footex no 7 (48430)
 
UP LINE: NORMAL TRAFFIC:
 
D1015 called 10.55/11.00 on Birkenhead-Paddington (12)
D1001 called 11.02/11.03 on Schoolboys International Ex (11)
6678 (0-6-2T) called 11.10/11.26 on transfer freight(7+b)
7014 called 11.12/11.17 on Wolverhampton-Ramsgate (8)
6644 (0-6-2T) passed 11.41 Light engine.
D1014 called 11.55/12.00 on Birkenhead-Paddington (12)
4172 (2-6-2T) held centre road 12.03/12.48 on freight (14+b)
5089 called 12.28/12.32 on Manchester-Bournemouth (12)
6842 passed 12.39 on freight (33+b)
 
In the evening, I drove to Old Hill to see the three empty stock workings from Stourbridge, with their 8F pilots, coming up the bank. And I also saw 34009, 34039, and 34046, heading down the bank en route for Worcester, Oxford, and Southampton.

The only bad thing about the day was that Southampton lost.
 

 

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