The new M6 takes its toll?
All change at Chasewater
4 May 2003
The Chasewater Railway is one of the country's oldest
preservation schemes, starting up in 1959 as the Railway
Preservation Society (West Midlands District), gathering
together a most interesting collection of some of the lesser
bits and pieces of railwayana - from tiny industrial
locomotives to ancient 4- and 6-wheeled coaches. Its site,
near Brownhills in Staffordshire, was somewhat cramped, and
the line short, but it nevertheless pottered along over the
years, gradually expanding its running line on former colliery
railways around the shores of Chasewater lake, itself a relic
from the industrial revolution.
I first visited the site in 1968, then in the early 70s as a short
excursion from Birmingham, and occasionally over the
intervening years. Nothing seemed to change too much. The
former colliery waste tips were landscaped, and no longer
smoulder underfoot; the area became "Chasewater Country
Park"....
....and then came the BNRR - Birmingham Northern Relief Road,
the infamous M6 toll road - cutting straight through between the
line's depot and station, and most of the rest of its line. The old
headquarters were swept away, and funds became available for
building new stations and a fine new 6-road display shed (still
under construction) for all those aged vehicles, some of which
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
have barely been holding their own against the weather and old
age. What a change!
We joined the train - consisting of two ex-DMU cars and a fine
little Sentinel (9632 of 1957) - at Brownhills West, for a leisurely
trip to Chasewater Heaths, another fine new building housing
the line's bookshop. Beyond this station, the track extends a
little further to what will become (later this year) the terminus.
We walked back! It's not far - a little over a mile, and quite a
pleasant route beside the lake, with views to the line where our
train trundled back to Brownhills West. There was just time for a
quick snap of the next departure, before tea and excellent home
made cakes ("There's a quarter of a pint of rum in the fruit
cake") in the station buffet.
Lastly, a quick look at the latest venture on the site - a
collection of narrow gauge equipment is being assembled, with
the intention to create a line linking the station at Brownhills
West with the main entrance to Chasewater Country Park - what
a great idea!
An excellent, inexpensive short afternoon's entertainment - if
you're in the area, go and have a look at what they're doing, and
help to complete the change at Chasewater
Link:
Chasewater Railway
