ok not far from the Centre of Birmingham there stands an abandoned large shed structure
this was THE INLAND CUSTOM & EXCISE INSPECTORATE WAREHOUSE.
a breif history.................... why not eh ? it seems to be a common thing people do here............
in 1836 on this site of land, the newly formed BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY RAILWAY built their locomotive shed. in 1848 they where amalgamated with other companies to form THE MIDLAND RAILWAY who moved the loco shed over the mainline to what became known as Saltley depot.
the old shed became part of an extensive marshelling yard known as LAWLEY STREET GOODS. with links to Scotland and London the MR prospered despite their insistance in using smaller locmotives and eventually they were merged into THE LONDON MIDLAND SCOTTISH RAILWAY (LMS) in 1923. in this year the LMS built a specialist shed for loading/unloading of horses/cattle/perishable goods/glass and anything termed as special.
after nationalisation to BRITISH RAILWAYS in 1948 the age of the horse was over and the special goods shed was rebuilt to accomodate vehicles and lorrys to connect into bays where the trains pulled up.this seems to of been done in stages and was completed in 1955.
the building left there now is the 1955 structure and as rail goods transportation went to the roads it got used less and less till in 1978 THE UNITED KINGDOM CUSTOM AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT took joint control of the building with BR to examine wagons that came by ferry to our shores for drugs/non duty payable goods etc (but mainly fruit from the commonwealth and coffee from South America).
Finally when the channel tunnel act was passed in 1994 any wagon comming in through the tunnel could be pulled over at random and shunted into the shed for examination. After privatisation it all came under the banner of RAILFREIGHT DISTRIBUTION then EWS till closing in 2005 and the custom and excise people moving to DOLLANDS MOOR in KENT and Birmingham Airport
not alot to see see but here are the pictures anyhow....................
100_2638 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2639 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2641 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2643 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2642 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2644 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2645 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2646 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2648 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2650 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
there seemed to be cages here where goods were impounded in the far corner there were some pallets of car windscreens with 'checked and OK' no drugs found' written on them
100_2647 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2658 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2661 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
stay tuned maybe for some further adventures from white rabbit and rabid horse if these have gone down well in the group.
100_2655 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2656 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2660 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
this was THE INLAND CUSTOM & EXCISE INSPECTORATE WAREHOUSE.
a breif history.................... why not eh ? it seems to be a common thing people do here............
in 1836 on this site of land, the newly formed BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY RAILWAY built their locomotive shed. in 1848 they where amalgamated with other companies to form THE MIDLAND RAILWAY who moved the loco shed over the mainline to what became known as Saltley depot.
the old shed became part of an extensive marshelling yard known as LAWLEY STREET GOODS. with links to Scotland and London the MR prospered despite their insistance in using smaller locmotives and eventually they were merged into THE LONDON MIDLAND SCOTTISH RAILWAY (LMS) in 1923. in this year the LMS built a specialist shed for loading/unloading of horses/cattle/perishable goods/glass and anything termed as special.
after nationalisation to BRITISH RAILWAYS in 1948 the age of the horse was over and the special goods shed was rebuilt to accomodate vehicles and lorrys to connect into bays where the trains pulled up.this seems to of been done in stages and was completed in 1955.
the building left there now is the 1955 structure and as rail goods transportation went to the roads it got used less and less till in 1978 THE UNITED KINGDOM CUSTOM AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT took joint control of the building with BR to examine wagons that came by ferry to our shores for drugs/non duty payable goods etc (but mainly fruit from the commonwealth and coffee from South America).
Finally when the channel tunnel act was passed in 1994 any wagon comming in through the tunnel could be pulled over at random and shunted into the shed for examination. After privatisation it all came under the banner of RAILFREIGHT DISTRIBUTION then EWS till closing in 2005 and the custom and excise people moving to DOLLANDS MOOR in KENT and Birmingham Airport
not alot to see see but here are the pictures anyhow....................
100_2638 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2639 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2641 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2643 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2642 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2644 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2645 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2646 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2648 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2650 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
there seemed to be cages here where goods were impounded in the far corner there were some pallets of car windscreens with 'checked and OK' no drugs found' written on them
100_2647 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2658 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2661 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
stay tuned maybe for some further adventures from white rabbit and rabid horse if these have gone down well in the group.
100_2655 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2656 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
100_2660 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
