Buildwas

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A Westbound train on the Severn Valley line, with another in the Much Wenlock branch platform behind (Sellick Collection)
An aerial view of Buildwas station and Ironbridge A Power Station in January 1948. The photo is looking north, and the lines from Shrewsbury and Much Wenlock are at the left, and from Bridgnorth and Coalbrookdale on the right. Image from Britain from Above
Next stations pre-closure
Towards Hartlebury and Kidderminster Towards Shrewsbury
Ironbridge (1½ miles) Cressage (4 miles)

Buildwas station was situated 28½ miles from Hartlebury and 12¼ miles from Shrewsbury. It was an interchange station in open countryside with no passenger access other than by rail, and was built on two levels. The station building was of a similar design to that at Bewdley.

Buildwas Junction layout, Ordnance Survey 1903.

Approaching the station from the south, the single track Severn Valley Line was joined from the right by the double track line from Coalbrookdale, which crossed the river via the Albert Edward Bridge. In the short distance between the bridge and the station, the Much Wenlock line (the Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway before incorporation into the GWR) began to branch off to the left and climb, the single platform for this branch being on a higher level than the two platforms for the Severn Valley Line (at opening on 1 February 1862, Buildwas was the first station at which trains leaving and approaching Shrewsbury could cross).

A new power station came into use in 1932, requiring extensive additional sidings and a new signal box to handle the coal traffic. The station also handled limestone traffic from the quarries on Wenlock Edge.

West of Buildwas the Severn Valley line left the Severn Valley gorge and entered the flatter flood plain area leading towards Shrewsbury.

In the early 1960s a second power station, Ironbridge B, was in course of construction. The station closed along with the Severn Valley Line in 1963, and was demolished in 1964 to make way for a new coal handling plant for the power station.

Contents

Station name

The station was named Buildwas in timetables, and also appeared as such in the 1963 notice of closure. However the station running in board showed the name as “Buildwas Junction”;[1] this version was also shown on Ordnance Survey maps as above.

Traffic statistics

GWR Traffic statistics for Buildwas, selected years prior to 1939[2]
Passenger Traffic Freight Traffic
Year Tickets issued Parcels despatched Revenue (£) Tons received & despatched Revenue (£) Total revenue (£)
1903 9,693 1,258 598 3,831 700 1,298
1913 9,601 2,445 582 3,980 600 1,182
1923 7,098 1,023 432 3,838 755 1,187
1933 5,983 1,029 489 49,309 4,105 4,594
1938 7,720 1,465 561 324,330 23,092 24,555

Traffic at Buildwas originated from the Wellington and Much Wenlock lines as well as the Severn Valley Branch. The opening of the coal-fired Ironbridge Power Station in 1932 brought about a significant increase in freight traffic.

Gallery

See also

References

The Severn Valley Railway, John Marshall
Severn Valley Railway, A View from the Past, MA Vanns

  1. Vanns (2013) p. 31.
  2. Nabarro (1971) p. 56.
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Trimpley Reservoir can be seen to the west of the line between Bewdley and Arley. The reservoir, which is managed by Severn Trent Water, was opened in 1968 and covers 29 acres. It is open to the public and is used by the Trimpley Sailing Club, while other activities include angling, wildlife watching and walking. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks.png
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larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

Categories of article

History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Miscellaneous


Query Corner

Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

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