Chris and Ashley's Brum Bash
On Saturday 19 February I met up With Ashley Dace Link to explore some of the industrial history and steam engines of Birmingham. As I have been visiting, studying in or working in Birmingham variously since 1977, it seemed reasonable that I act as local tour guide and interpreter of technology.
The weather was dreadful but forecast to improve in the afternoon, so we started indoors at the Thinktank museum at Millennium Point that replaced the old Birmingham Museum of Science & Industry on Newhall Street .
Our main target in the museum was the power hall gallery on the lowest level - home to the world's oldest and third oldest workable steam engines (neither posted yet). However there are many other fine stationary steam engines to see . Ashley was especially pleased to catch up with the Coronation/Duchess class locomotive City of Birmingham as this completed his set. We finished here surprisingly quickly because I had left the camera kit in the bag.
So we ventured forth to explore on foot and visit another large beam engine en route. Curzon Street station has been closed for much longer than it was open but is a splendid survivor in a sea of land clearance . Just round the corner is the splendid and overlooked Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House . Behind that we entered the mysterious world of Birmingham's canal system . I was able to record industrial dereliction and my co-conspirator in action .
Eventually we emerged by the Grazebrook beam blowing engine and Ashley was able to capture it for posterity (I had been there as recently as late December 2010) . A wander up Farmer's Bridge locks and down Newhall Street brought us back to the city centre and I left Ashley to catch his train home. On the way back to the car I passed Moor Street Station again and as the weather was a little better, took the shots we had both passed on in the morning .
This completed a most enjoyable day, let down only by indifferent weather. I hope that there will be more tales of joint exploration.
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