Tyseley Locomotive Works Open Day

Tyseley Locomotive Works in South Birmingham held a couple of of their open days at the weekend which included an impressive display of locomotives (including some good diesels) and some running steam. Its always interesting to visit their sheds and see the progress of the various new build locomotives as well as enjoy a bit of live steam. You can see my photos here.

Erdington rails

Usually i go out of Birmingham to do some train photography, i certainly have never done a proper photo shoot at my nearest station Erdington before mostly because it is usually a commuter station with a parade of 323 EMUs and little else. However this morning i saw on RTT that there were a few different workings going through the station so went along to take some photos. I've never seen a HST go through Erdington before and also never seen a Rail Head Treatment Train in operation until now. You can see the photos i took here.

Britain on film

The BFI have put 2,500 films (and more are to come) from their archives online and made them available to watch (UK only i think). The films on the Britain on film website range from Victorian times to the 80s and seem to cover all aspects of British life. Unfortunately you only seem to be able to search by geographic location and not subject unless there is an alternative search front end i haven't found yet...

But i searched for my local area anyway and found a fascinating film from the mid-1970s on a family who move out of their highrise flat in Castle Vale to a lovely little house on... Tyburn Road! I wonder if my (not so near to be honest as they lived right at the other end of the road to me) neighbours are still there?

The second film i found was on the construction of the Gravelly Hill Interchange aka Spaghetti Junction and was a truly amazing insight into the running and planning of the junction. All the overhead gantry signs were apparently run from a big computer at Perry Barr police station, i suspect they are run from a somewhat smaller computer on someone's desk now.

Actually maybe the BFI got the search front end right anyway, i might not have found the films if i had been searching for subjects...

The Coventry Canal

The Coventry Canal is a 38 mile long canal that stretches from Fradley Junction near Lichfield, where it is connected to the Trent & Mersey Canal, to Coventry.

The canal terminates at Coventry basin just North of the city centre though before that there are connections to the Lichfield (originally the Wyrley & Essington), Ashby, Birmingham & Fazeley and Oxford canals along the way. Work on the canal began in 1868 with Coventry Basin opened the following year. Construction was rapid though of a high standard and the canal reached Atherstone within a year. However financial troubles began to dog the project and the final connection to the Trent and Mersey was not completed until 1789.

One complication with the Coventry Canal is that while in reality it is a continuous stretch of waterway some maps treat it as two separate sections connected by part of the Birmingham & Fazeley canal. This confusion dates from the days of private ownership of the canals, but now the canals are all owned by British Waterways the canal should really be treated as it physically is.

Upgrading the towpath

The canal towpath in Erdington is being upgraded. Hopefully the new tarmac will be more pleasant to walk on after heavy rain than the old track!

Upgrading the towpath

The canal near my house is having its towpath upgraded (which is a good thing as it becomes a quagmire after a bit of rain).

Coventry ring road

Like Birmingham Coventry is notorious for its road system especially its ring road which some call a concrete strait jacket on the city... but then again people need some means of getting to places don't they?!

Coventry Basin

While ideally i'd like to walk every metre of a canal's towpath that isn't always possible (walking the entire Grand Union Canal would be a mean feat for example) but if i can visit both ends of a canal then i can cross it off in my imaginary abc spotters book of canals...

Today i visited Coventry Basin which is the ..er.. Coventry end of the Coventry Canal and as i've already visited the other end of that canal up at Fradley Junction that means i can cross off the Coventry too...

Though it is a bit complicated as a middle stretch of the Coventry is sometimes listed as being part of the Birmingham & Fazeley and the Coventry Canal officially consists of two separate canals. Well that is splitting hairs a bit, its a continuous waterway in reality so i'm crossing it off! You can see the photos i took here.

Electric

First time i've seen an electric car being charged in the street, it will be something that will no doubt become more common over time. Exactly how much is an interesting question.

For Betty

An angel dedicated to Betty from her Granny, a grave in Witton Cemetery.

Oozells Loop

A couple of narrowboats on the Oozells Street Loop in central Birmingham.

Wild flowers

Wild flowers (or weeds depending on your point of view) growing near the Birmingham Business Park.

Birmingham Business Park

It may lack some of the joys of Worcester but my new workplace at Birmingham Business Park does have this mini-stonehenge.

Plantsbrook tree

One of the photos from my recent visits to Plantsbrook Nature Reserve.

Eastside City Park

Eastside City Park in Central Birmingham, the first new city park for a long time, 130 years in fact. Prefer something a bit less managed personally but the chairs are cool.

Plantsbrook Local Nature Reserve

Plantsbrook is a local nature reserve that i really should go to more often seeing as it is only a couple of miles away from where i live, still i made my (first or only) visit in 2014 this morning. Plantsbrook is especially lovely on a sunny morning. You can see some photos i took here.

Canal through the science park

The Digbeth Branch Canal passing through Aston Science Park.

Oscott Road

Oscott Road in Perry Barr, most houses in this road next to BCU are student occupied.

Whitehouse Common

A flower close-up on Whitehouse Common in Sutton Coldfield.

St James' Church

St James' Church, Hill in Mere Green. Pink churches are not that common, this is a lovely sight!