Shrub Hill canopy refurbishment.

[TimBrown]

Shrub Hill station is undergoing a £5.25 million refurbishment to the canopies and the contractors Murphy's have boarded up the work areas for safety reasons. I believe they are only working between the hours of 12-30 am until 04-30 am when the station is closed to the public. Apparently one of the problems to solve is that the inner cladding between the wall and translucent (glassfibre?) canopy panels is of grey asbestos.

It saddens me that this project is starting before the much needed lifts are installed in the old goods bridge which was completely rebuilt with a replica fabrication over two years ago - apparently involves different budgets.

I am also at a loss as to why all the money is being spent restoring the very ugly motorail canopy at the southern end of platform 1 when it was only ever used for a short period between 1970 and the end of 1973. Seems it is the only remaining example in the UK and the heritage people have given it a Grade II listing. Can't help thinking that re-doubling the section of track between Shrub Hill and Foregate Street is a much greater priority now that the Stratford-on-Avon services call at both Worcester stations changing ends at each station, but again, different budgets!

The Grade II listed 1970 Motorail canopy;

Platform 1 boarded up beneath the canopies;

Platform 2 boarded up beneath the canopies;

[MattW]

Just another great example of non-joined up thinking on the railways Tim!
I'm not against privatisation per se, but the current system seems to have been designed simply to frustrate normal people!

[TimBrown]

Took a few photographs of progress made so far on the canopies with much of the old cladding and translucent glassfibre now removed from the south end of platform 1 with some additional sheets of ply now fitted as temporary protection from the ravages of wet weather. This shot taken from the station over bridge with 166204 about to depart with the 09-00 working to Bristol Temple Meads;

This shot taken from the over bridge stairs from beneath the canopy to show the space where the cladding has been removed, the IET is seen arriving from Paddington en route to Great Malvern as the 09-15 service;

This shot taken from the over bridge shows where the cladding has been removed from canopy on the north end of platform 1;

This photo taken on the north end of platform 1 from beneath the canopy shows the space where the cladding has been removed; the nine car IET worked in from Paddington en route to Great Malvern as the 11-00 service;

This is the very restricted view from the only remaining passenger seat on platform 1 which is hemmed in by the white boarding visible either side of the photo. Note that the entrance to the refurbished goods over bridge lift shaft is being used by Murphy's as a storage for their barriers and equipment, so don't expect those long overdue disabled lifts to be fitted until a good while after the canopy restoration job is finished; if it takes as long as Great Malvern job to complete it could be measured in years rather than months!;

[TimBrown]

Since my last photographs the contractors have been hard at work on the little-used old Motorail canopy / shed; all the warped plywood facings have been removed and the steel support structure has been blasted back to bare metal and re-painted white, not sure if this is final finish but not a very good choice where there are diesel fumes nearby in abundance?

This picture taken from outside the station on the access road looking into the area normally used as a car park by GWR employees.

This shot taken from platform 1A

This shot taken from the passenger over-bridge;

The following shots taken from the passenger over-bridge and show the temporary roof structure comprising plastic sheeting which has been erected over the large gaps in the canopy to keep the worst of the weather out and allow work to be carried out during inclement nights and days.

However, platform 2B is still without any protection from the elements where the old glass-fibre/plastic 'roof lights' have been removed;

[TimBrown]

More dismantling of the canopy over platform 2 carried out recently with removal of the glass sections of the roof, these were installed at the time of completion of restoration of the cast iron Victorian waiting room almost eight years ago to the date. Note the peeling paint and general poor condition of the staircase in left corner of the photographs.

Here is a picture of the run-down condition of the main station structure above the canopies on platform 1 taken from passenger over-bridge.

Here are a couple of shots of 158762 working a Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street service into platform 1, with some of the canopy renovation work visible in the background.

[TimBrown]

Quite a large area of the canopy underside was painted last Sunday 01 October 2023, prior to fitting the new glass panels between the fixed wooden roof and station buildings.
This photo taken at the North end of platform 1 shows the Victorian canopy with some of the roof support beams painted white, but considerable work is needed on the leaking guttering adjacent to the two announcement speakers.

Another shot of these part-painted white roof support beams taken from a different angle.

This shot shows some ornate cast iron roof support stanchions with paint removed prior to undercoat and topcoat applications.

White paint has been applied to the underside of the canopy roof of this extension believed to have been erected in 1935 when the station had the overall glass roof removed and the new canopies constructed using what appears to be the same steel girders of i-section 'RSJ' vertical supports and architectural style.

The underside of the canopy roof is now painted white adjacent to the passenger stairs on platform 1A. Note the pair of roof mounted banjo signals which are reportedly very rare anywhere on the network.

[TimBrown]

I meant to put these pictures of the alfresco canopy above platform 2 last week, one was taken from the over-bridge stairs and the other from one of the only remaining seats on the station platform which are of course exposed to all the weather we've had recently and more often than not wringing wet and unusable unless the passenger is in the unlikely possession of a drying cloth! Note the Buddleia 'Butterfly' bushes growing out of the top of wall.

[TimBrown]

Meant to post these shots last month! The shuttering has been removed from platform 2 and the southern 1B end of platform 1 now that the reinforced plastic roof-lights have been fitted to the canopy making for a much brighter atmosphere for intending passengers. (Click on the photographs and they will appear the correct way up)

[TimBrown]

As of Saturday 2 March 2024 all the shuttering was finally removed from platform 1B giving back the spacious airy feel to Shrub Hill station. These shots taken today Tuesday 5 March 2024.

Many of the upright support pillars have been braced at ground level to overcome long term corrosion, not unexpected as they have been in situation since 1935!

Cladding has been fitted to the outside upper edge of motorail shed and painted white along with the upright supports and roof beams.

A few more pictures of platform 1A work in progress.

[TimBrown]

The refurbishment painting contractors have just removed all the layers of paint from Shrub Hill platform 2 canopies revealing some interesting information which I believe was put there by the original manufacturers E.C & J. Keay Ltd., of Darlaston. Attached are photographs taken today (DSCF5225 (2) enhanced to improve definition) and links to a couple of relevant articles. I have picked up a wrong year for replacement of overall glass roof, it was 1938 not 1935 – my apologies.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/ ... list-entry
http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/article ... n/Keay.htm