Dunstall Park to Brierley Hill - the centenary of an almost forgotten railway line

FOLLOWING David Cooper's article in the Bugle of 2nd April, 'the Great Western locos named after grand West Midlands residences', my friend and neighbour Ken Hopley, a real steam railway enthusiast, noted that David wrote 'around 1925, services for both passengers and goods were running between Oxley Junction and Brettell Lane' (Brierley Hill).

- By GEOFF ALFORD & KEN HOPLEY Bugle correspondents

Ken asked me if I realised that this would be the centenary of the line, and suggested maybe it should be worth remembering. I had read the article but was more interested in the halls, e.g. Himley Hall, Enville Hall, Patshull Hall etc. around our region, which were among the GWR Hall Class engines' names. Listening to Ken, I thought it may be of interest to Bugle readers so we have put together a short history of the new branch line, with help along the way by the excellent 'Railway to Wombourn' by Ned Williams.

Sunday May 11 this year will mark one hundred years since the opening of the branch line. The GWR main line from Wolverhampton Low Level station to Shrewsbury was running well before, but a new branch line was planned, connecting Wolverhampton to Brettell Lane. The branch was built at Oxley, just a mile or so north of Wolverhampton.