This week sees the end of passenger operation across the West Midlands by the Hunslet transportation built Class 323s which have been a feature in the region since the early 1990s when 26 of the 43 built 3-car trains were allocated to the area by British Railways.
Numbered 323201-323222 and 323240-243, the units have slowly been replaced by the newly built Class 730s from Alstom (nee Bombardier). The last of the 323s will run this Sunday when a Branch Line Society railtour will take them along routes they served for so many years, but ending up in Liverpool Lime St!
Here’s a selection of pictures documenting their service over the years. But fear not, whilst some of the units will be going to store, others are being transferred to the North-West where they’ll join their sisters who work for Northern. The distinctive whine of the 323s electronics will be heard for many years yet!
Whilst many photographers have ignore the West Mids 323s (until now) I’ve been taking pictures of them for over 20 years. Here’s a small selection from different locations along the routes they’ve worked.
The first of the class, 323201 seen with a sister unit at Bromsgrove (the end of electrification) on the 16th June 2021. It’s the 2nd May 2012 and 323203 sporting London Midland livery arrives at Sutton Coldfield with a service from Four Oaks.323204 is seen through the tunnels on the approach to Birmingham New St on the 23rd March 2008. 323205 calls at Wylde Green on the 23rd April 2024 whilst working 2R39, the 1446 Four Oaks to Redditch..Here’s 323206 at journey’s end in the bay platform at Wolverhampton after working a stopping train from Birmingham on the 8th August 2013. 323207 is at the rear of 323212 with a service leaving Longbridge on the 7th August 2013. Whilst working a shuttle service from Birmingham to Birmingham International on the 7th September 2005, 323209 is seen at the latter destination before returning North. Having terminated at Lichfield City the crew change ends before working back towards Birmingham on the 1st May 2012. 323212 approaches Sutton Coldfield from the Birmingham direction on the 2nd May 2012. On the 14th January 2014, 323213 crosses the junction at Bescot stadium with a service from Walsall. Here’s 323214 waiting to depart Bournville on the 25th February 2019.323215 arrives at Stechford on the15th January 2014 whilst working the 12:47 to Birmingham International. The previous day (14th January 2014) 323216 was captured crossing the junction outside Aston station with a service to Lichfield. The end of the line. Here’s 323218 at the single platform station at Redditch on the 7th August 2013. Taken a year earlier, this is the London Midland interior of 323218, seen on the 1st May 2012. 323219 approaches Tame Bridge Parkway station near Bescot with a service from Walsall on the 14th January 2014. On the 2nd May 2012 323220 arrives at the Wolverhampton’s bay platform 1 with a service from Birmingham.323221 has become a ‘celebrity’ after its repaint into the old ‘Centro’ livery. Here it is the first time around, seen in the turnback siding at Longbridge on the 21st February 2007.An interior view of one of 323222’s driving cars after the seating had been re-upholstered by West Midlands Trains. Seen on the 23rd April 2024. 323240 picks up passengers from the impressive station at Sutton Coldfield whilst working 2R41, the 1516 Four Oaks to Redditch. The date is the 23rd April 2024.On the same day, 323241 and a sister unit arrive at Four Oaks with 2P31, the 1229 Bromsgrove to Lichfield Trent Valley.323242 calls at the rebuilt station at Alvechurch on the 24th February 2019. It’s the 16th December 2006 and the last of the class is seen at journey’s end (Coventry) before working back to Birmingham.
If you want to find pictures of other members of the fleet (I have them all) simply visit my Zenfolio website and enter the unit number in the search bar at the top right hand side of the screen.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The pair of us have had a real mix of a day here at Bigland Towers thanks to different appointments and the improving weather. I’d planned to stay at home this morning whilst Dawn went off to an appointment in Ossett but once the early morning cloud that blanketed the bottom of the Calder valley cleared and we were treated to wall to wall blue skies and sunshine it became obvious that it was too nice a day to be stuck at home. Instead, I packed the camera bag and joined Dee for the journey Eastwards. I didn’t go all the way to Ossett, instead I got dropped off in nearby Horbury Bridge, the nearest place to the old Healy Mills railway marshalling yard. Built as part of British Railways 1955 modernisation plan this huge yard was once the centre for sorting coal traffic from the vast Yorkshire coalfields. Now it lies abandoned. But, recently, parts of the yard have been cleared of Silver Birch and other trees that have taken over, to expose the tracks once more. The grapevine suggests part of the yard will be brought back into use as a staging area for the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) but I’ve yet to see this confirmed. Here’s how it looked today.
Horbury Bridge itself is cut through by the River Calder, the Calder and Hebble navigation – and this magnificent old railway viaduct, which once carried the Midland Railway’s eight-mile route from Royston Junction to Thornhill. The line closed in 1968 and the 17 arch viaduct has been disused ever since.
I’ve passed under it so many times but never been able to get pictures, so today was an ideal day to try. To be honest, it’s difficult to do it justice from the ground. Really, you need a drone as it’s hemmed in by buildings and there’s no public vantage points that give you the sense of scale.
After walking from Horbury to Ossett (a great way of getting exercise as its all uphill) I spotted something else of historical interest. Ossett has a fine collection of Victorian buildings in the centre. This one caught my eye as its an old Liberal Club. That political party vanished decades ago in a merger with the then SDP to form the Liberal-Democrats, but as a teenager I remember Liberal clubs all over the place and sometimes used to play snooker in one in Southport. Like the one in Ossett, it’s been closed for years. Mind you, with the way the Conservative party’s tearing itself apart at the moment I wonder if soon many ‘Con’ clubs will be following the Liberal ones into the history books…
The former Ossett Liberal club on Station Rd. Neither the club or the station exist anymore.
On the way home Dawn was kind enough to stop and allow me to get pictures of TRU upgrade work at a place I’d never managed to get to before. Colne Bridge Rd overbridge East of Deighton, just before the junction of the lines from Huddersfield and Brighouse. here’s how it looks today.
Looking East towards Heaton Lodge Junction. This section will regain four-track status with the new fast lines from Huddersfield being laid to the right of the existing tracks. In the middle foreground the railway passes over the Huddersfield canal. The view looking West towards Huddersfield with Bradley Junction and the site of the former station obscured by the overbridge in the background.
Once back at home the tempo changed. I indulged in some DIY before heading out for a walk and a pint in our local (The Big 6) whilst Dawn began to cook up a storm in the kitchen. So, whilst I quaffed one of these..
The Attamire Pale was lovely…
-Dawn rustled up two very different vegetarian dishes. Here’s one – a Caulifower and Chick-Pea curry (although it has many more ingredients than that).
Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of Dawn’s labours whilst we enjoy a quiet Saturday night at home, watching a good film. See you all tomorrow…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 