H. Whitehouse's Sand Siding

OS map showing the Sand Siding north of the Loop Line, opposite Kidderminster Shed.

H. Whitehouse’s Sand Siding was situated on the Kidderminster Loop Line at milepost 135¾, between Kidderminster Junction and the Foley Park sugar beet siding, on the falling gradient of 1 in 112 towards Bewdley. Access to the siding was controlled by a ground frame which was locked by the Electric Train Token for the Kidderminster Junction – Bewdley South section.

The siding could hold up to 12 wagons, and was facing to trains from the direction of Bewdley. Traffic from the siding was worked by the Kidderminster shunting engine, which would draw wagons out onto the main line and then propel them back towards Kidderminster Junction. Such propelling movements could only be carried out in clear weather and at reduced speed, with a guard in the leading brake van providing hand signals to the driver where necessary.

The OS Map of 1938 shows the area between Hoo Road Bridge (right) and Worcester Road Bridge (left). Kidderminster Shed is located south of the loop line with the sand siding and the sand pit that it served to the north of the line. The pit produced foundry sand which was used in the GWR’s three main works at Swindon, Wolverhampton and Caerphilly.

See also

• Wilden Sand Siding
• Private sidings connected to the Severn Valley Railway
• Pre-1963 map
• List of historical Signal Boxes and Ground Frames

References

Instructions for Train Working to Whitehouse’s Siding. Service Timetable for February 1943, reproduced in Turley (2005), p134.