Author Topic: Tow & Rhodon a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s  (Read 1484 times)

Offline wyrleybart

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Tow & Rhodon a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s
« on: Thursday 08 August 13 01:07 BST (UK) »
Hi all
Trying to help a mate out with some railway history in the Tipton area in the 1960s. The Conygre estates formerly owned by the Earl of Dudley, were sold off in the 1920s, the Coneygre Foundry and Coneygre Blue Brickworks passing on to other ownership. By 1961 these companies are believed to have ceased despatch of products, and may also have ceased receiving inbound railborne traffic.

A British Railways notice dated 1961 apparently makes a case for retaining the sidings for other custom in the names of Freakley and Tow & Rhodon. I have checked a 1960 telephone book for the Dudley area, but no mention of Tow & Rhodon. Dabbling in genealogy searches throws up a Tow marriage to Hickman in Wolverhampton in 1978 and another in Walsall in 1989 to Adshead.

Does anyone know if this company from the late 1950s (after 1956) and presumably prior to 1964 when the Conrygre site apparently severed rail connections.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Regards
Phil Bartlett
Great Wyrley
Bartlett -  Hampshire via London to Northants
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Offline weste

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Re: Tow & Rhodon a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 08 August 13 19:51 BST (UK) »
What about the local archives they may have some documents. It may be coseley but they are open only 2 or 3 days a week until their move. Don't know whether Smethwick archives would have anything, it would be more likely coseley I think. Tipton is half way between the 2. Either should be able to advise. Have you looked into anything like Kelly'swhite's directory or similar. Nothings come up on ancestry or genuki.There is a railway ancestors society , may be they can help. Could n't find anything on the national archives site. Something like what you describe should have generated some paperwork somewhere if not new maps and a lot of paperwork to official bodies. Never heard of the firm you mention but but heard of wyrley! Dad came from there! Also they have back issues of railway mags. The other thing you could perhaps try is railway enthusiasts. They have different toy train shows throughout the year and those people are pretty knowledgeable, I don't know whether Dudley has one but Warley I think has a show each year. I used to go out with someone who was into model railways. There is a show every now and then at the staffs county showground.

Offline weste

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Re: Tow & Rhodon a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 08 August 13 22:14 BST (UK) »
Also 50-60's would have been the end of the steam trains and beginning of electrification. I lived in Walsall and remember an aunt taking me to Dudley on one of the last steam trains. I was born in '56 and i'm sure it's the day we went to Dudley zoo, I think I would probably be at junior school. We lived in Walsall at the time.
There's www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections  this gives you the idea of some stuff the archives. I do notice Sandwell archives does have some tipton stuff. That is open  tomorrow and Saturday and it's in Smethwick library.

Offline wyrleybart

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Re: Tow & Rhodon a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 08 August 13 22:50 BST (UK) »
Hi Weste and thanks very much indeed for all your advice and suggestions. They are all very valid but sadly we have already tried most of those fields of enquiry. Part of my interest is to collect the information long term for a model railway of Sedgeley Jn, but that is only a part of the research. I have chatted with signalmen and traincrew who worked the line but cannot get back to the days prior to cessation of traffic into Coneygre. We do know that the service that called there was half past ten at night in 1963. The train went up to Dudley, shunted, then came down towards Sedgeley Jn, where the guard would get off and use the ground frame to allow the engine to shunt wagons in and out. The guard would then hand the control back to Sedgeley Jn signal box, then his engine known as "target 63" would work up on the Stour Valley to shunt Albion and Oldbury before returning to Bescot. 

My mate has a huge amount of railway paperwork and i have visited Coseley a few times - the last full week in fact, but not sure how much they have kept prior to the big move. I have looked at a 1960 telephone directory for the area, but nothing for Tow & Rhodon.

Thanks again Weste.

Kind regards
Phil aka Wyrleybart
Bartlett -  Hampshire via London to Northants
Rimes - Northants, Llandudno and Birmingham
Garrett - Northants
Thorneloe - Leics and Northants
Jackson, Powell - Staffordshire


Offline wyrleybart

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Re: Tew & Rhoden (changed)a company trading in the Tipton area in the late 1950s
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 14 August 13 06:39 BST (UK) »
It seems the British Railways clerk who wrote the 1961 instruction was none too clever with the spelling. It is believed the company was actually Tew & Rhoden, a scrap metal company.

Going back to the 1960 'phone book there was a J.S Tew living in Sweetpool Lane, Hagley and an E.I Rhoden living in Penn, Wolverhampton. J.S Tew was still living at the address in Hagley in the 1963 book, but in addition to the Penn resident, a T Rhoden of Dudley also appeared.

Still welcome any information on the company if you know and would like to share.
Thanks very much.
Phil   
Bartlett -  Hampshire via London to Northants
Rimes - Northants, Llandudno and Birmingham
Garrett - Northants
Thorneloe - Leics and Northants
Jackson, Powell - Staffordshire