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Stourbridge Town Branch
Stourbridge and Connecting West Midland Services

Each image links to a larger copy which will open in a new window


 
This page shows images of the Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town Branch, with images of the current Class 139 Parry People Movers plus some earlier 'heritage' DMUs. Modern images of other West Midland connecting services are also shown, including London Midland Class 172s in their first month of service in the area.

The Stourbridge Town Branch Line is a 0.8 miles (1.3 km) railway branch line, in Stourbridge, West Midlands. It is claimed to be the shortest branch line in Europe, and many miniature railways are certainly longer. Now used solely for passenger traffic, it was originally constructed to allow trans-shipment with the Stourbridge Town Arm of the Stourbridge Canal.

The passenger service along the branch is presently being operated by Class 139 Parry People Movers. Replacement buses ran from December 2008 until March 2009 due to the previous Class 153 being reallocated from December 2008, this being the date the Parry People Mover was originally intended to start working the service. However due to customer feedback, the Class 153 was re-introduced from 15 March until Mid June, when the Parry People Mover finally entered full service. For the first time in many years, a Sunday service is operated.

Opened in 1879, it has operated continually since, save for a short break for the First World War. The short and steeply-inclined branch originally carried both passenger traffic from nearby Stourbridge Junction to the terminus at Stourbridge Town and freight to Stourbridge Basin.

Although the branch line was originally double-tracked, after 1935 the two tracks were worked as two parallel single lines, with the non-passenger track used for freight workings beyond the station over a bridge across Foster Street (a bridge rebuilt in 1957 then subsequently demolished in 1967) towards the Stourbridge Basin. The station and branch were listed for closure under the Beeching Axe, but were later delisted in 1965.

The 1879 Stourbridge Town station survived mostly intact until February 1979 when it was demolished and the branch cut back by 70 yards, leaving room for a bus station.

The line was controlled by traditional semaphore signals until at least 1990, later than the adjacent main line. However, the line is currently worked by the 'One Train Working' system with a train staff as authority to occupy the line, and there are no working signals.



 

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Stourbridge Town Branch
Stourbridge and Connecting West Midland Services


All images link to larger copies which will open in a new window/tab



This page shows images of the Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town Branch, with previous 'heritage' DMUs and the current Class 139 Parry People Movers.



Heritage DMUs


Single unit T132 at Stourbridge Junction on a Stourbridge Town shuttle
Photo: ©1988 Ian Boyle
T132 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: ©1988 Ian Boyle



T323 at Stourbridge Junction on a Birmingham suburban service
Photo: ©1988 Ian Boyle
T323 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: ©1988 Ian BoyleT323 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: ©1988 Ian Boyle






Class 150 DMUs


Class 150-017 arriving at Stourbridge Junction from Birmingham
Photo: ©1988 Ian Boyle
150-018 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



Class 150-units at Moor Street on a Birmingham suburban service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
150-018 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011150-010 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011






Class 139 Parry People Movers

British Rail Class 139 is the TOPS classification for PPM60 model lightweight railcars built by Parry People Movers, for use on the British rail network. The class were originally built in 2008 for operation on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line following an extensive trial with a prototype registered as a Class 999 unit.

The first newly constructed Class 139 was shown on 28 June 2008 at the Tyseley Locomotive Works Open Day. The full fleet of two units eventually entered public service on the branch line in June 2009.

The Class 139 units are typical of the Parry People Mover concept, in that they utilise flywheel energy storage as the main source of energy to propel the vehicle. The flywheel captures braking energy when the brakes are used, and re-uses the energy for acceleration. As the unit's primary motive power comes from the flywheel, this eliminates the need for a large diesel engine. The small onboard engine is used to power up the vehicle initially, and to provide power for the onboard systems.



139-001

139-001 at Stourbridge Town
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



139-001 leaving Stourbridge Town
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011




139-001 leaving Stourbridge Junction for Stourbridge Town
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



139-001 arriving at Stourbridge Junction from Stourbridge Town
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-001 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011






139-002

139-002 at Stourbridge Junction
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
Parry 139-002 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011Parry 139-002 - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011






Class 172 - 2 & 3-Car DMUs

The Class 172 is a new diesel multiple unit (DMU) of the Turbostar family, similar to Classes 168, 170 and 171. London Midland Class 172/3 and 172/3 two and three-car sets entered service during September 2011.

There are four sub-types of Class 172:
Class 172/0 - two-car units in operation with London Overground
Class 172/1 - two-car units to be operated by Chiltern Railways
Class 172/2 - two-car units in operation with London Midland
Class 172/3 - three-car units in operation with London Midland

The 172/0s and 172/1s resemble the existing Turbostar trains in not having end gangways. Class 172/0s have a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) due to their use on the high volume/short distance services, such as those on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line. Class 172/1s have a maximum speed of 100mph.

The Class 172/2s and 172/3s to be used by London Midland will resemble the Class 375, Class 377 and Class 379 Electrostars by having end gangways to allow access between units. These trains will have a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). They were introduced on Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction trains in September 2011.

The Class 172 trains are lighter than other Turbostars thanks to the addition of lightweight bogies similar to those on the Class 220 Voyager trains. They also differ from earlier Turbostars in having mechanical transmission rather than hydraulic.



172-215 two-car unit at Hawthorns on a trial run before entering service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



172-215 two-car unit at Hawthorns on a trial run before entering service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



172-215 two-car unit at Hawthorns on a trial run before entering service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



172-340 three-car unit arriving at Stourbridge Junction
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



172-342 three-car unit at Hawthorns
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



172-342 three-car unit at Hawthorns
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011






GWR Class 28xx - No.2887

The GWR Class 28xx 2-8-0 freight loco number 2887 sits in an unused platform at Birmingham Moor Street.


GWR Class 28xx 2-8-0 freight loco number 2887 at Birmingham Moor Street
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



GWR Class 28xx 2-8-0 freight loco number 2887 at Birmingham Moor Street
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011



GWR Class 28xx 2-8-0 freight loco number 2887 at Birmingham Moor Street
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011
London Midland Trains - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2011




















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