The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Sign

 A picture I took in January 2014 that I found mildly interesting and wanted to know a little more, the plaques were on the side of a building at 125 Northwood Street, Birmingham and the company occupying the building that I was there to deal with were AE Harris & Company (Birmingham) an engineering company that as of 10 June 2022 no longer seem to occupy the site but are still trading. Looking on google maps it appears most of the site has been cleared for development.

The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was established in 1854 for the purpose of building locomotives and carriages for use on the railway. Despite the name the company also built aeroplanes, gliders, buses, trolleybuses, and tanks, which during World War II included A10 Cruiser Tank, Challenger Tank, Churchill Tank, Challenger Tank and Valentine Tank.

The company saw a decline in locomotive and carriage stock being built up to 1963, which was the year they restructured, dividing the works up in to smaller units and becoming a real estate and finance company. In June 2014 the company reformed as a not for profit organisation to rebuild locomotives from the 1960 and earlier no longer in use.

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A Fond Farewell to J300 RAJ

It's funny how a single picture can unlock a flood of memories. Recently, I stumbled upon a photo that took me right back to my final days at RAJ Transport, a company I was proud to work for for over 11 years. The star of the show in that picture? J300 RAJ, my trusty chariot.

The End of an Era

RAJ Transport closed its doors in November 2018, but unlike many transport companies, it wasn't due to financial woes. The reason was far simpler, and in its own way, heartwarming: Bob, the boss, decided it was time to enjoy a well-earned retirement. It was a testament to the company's success and Bob's leadership that he could make such a decision.

A Unique Sight on the Motorway

This particular photo was taken a few months before the company closed. Normally, the trailers we ran were unbranded, just a distinctive yellow stripe against a green curtain. But on this day, I had one of only a couple of sign-written trailers hitched to my unit as I headed down to Wolverhampton from Huddersfield. It only struck me as I pulled into Stafford services southbound. I grabbed my camera, snapped a shot of the truck and trailer, and then, until now, completely forgot about it.

After a little digital tidying up, removing some of the colour from the trees in the background, this is the result. It's a bittersweet image now, a distant memory of a company that was genuinely enjoyable to work for. I just wanted to share it, as it brought back so many good times.

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