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Report - - Nechells 'B' Power Station Remnants - Birmingham - May 2017 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Nechells 'B' Power Station Remnants - Birmingham - May 2017

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Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
Nechells 'B', built in the late 1940s, opened in the early 1950s. This was 'Birmingham's power station' sitting just south of Spaghetti Junction it was a familiar landmark until it was demolished in the early 1980s. However as with many stations all was not demolished, a small section of the station remained as it was still required to route the local 11kv supply.

33574104663_8df4829ebf_c.jpg

Nechells 'B' Boiler Houses in the 1980s

16341308960_d0fe612cd6_c.jpg

Cooling Towers Viewed from the M6 Northbound

The site sat derelict for many years after closure but in 2000 it was finally redeveloped into 'Star City', an entertainment complex featuring cinema and bowling alley. The remaining switch house must have still been in use at this time as it was incorporated into the rear of the Star City site and is still visible under advertising hoardings when travelling along the M6 Northbound

34342983886_6e00bc1256_b.jpg

Nowerdays 'Star City'..mostly

As many of you probably know by now i have been hunting old power station remains for many years and the remains at Nechells had always made me wonder about what was still left. If im honest being part of the Star City complex i didn't think we would have a hope in hell of getting inside and never really bothered to have a proper look until recently. This was mainly prompted by finally getting hold of a 1950s brochure for the station which contained maps and photos of the building. It turned out that the part they had retained was the former main entrance and more importantly contained the main station control room! Checking the photos against google maps it was clear the room would still be there but there was only one way to find what was left inside..

33998705840_9a187c67bd_b.jpg

Control Room in the 1950s

To my surprise my first recce of the building showed a pretty drab, derelict affair. I had imagined it would be well looked after but it appeared to be totally out of use now. Sure enough returning with Dweeb the next day we found our way inside and it was clear straight away it was no longer connected to the grid, merely being used as a storage shed.

33541586934_47105db669_b.jpg

Main Entrance Stairs and Lobby

It also became clear after some poking around that not only was the building no longer a substation it actually seemed to be having some sort of restoration work with a log sheet in the foyer showing people working in there only a week previously and a freshly painted ceiling.

34383364285_163eebb092_b.jpg

The moment of truth

To be honest, by this point was had seem some really good bits and some less good bits but obviously the main event would be the control room so il start there. We cautiously made our way up to it and i stuck my head round the door.

33573255043_55c4a6c0b4_b.jpg

Boo! Its empty..

Unfortunately not so much to see. At first i feared we had been a matter of weeks late (after wondering what was in there for the past 10+ years) but in actual fact i think the panels had been gone for quite a long time judging by the state of the plywood used to board over the holes. Certainly not done recently. You win some you loose some i guess!

33541615174_51f9d5538e_b.jpg

Dweeb checks out the best remaining part, the skylight and lighting rig.

Of course there was a bit more too the place than just the control room and i have to say i wasn't too disappointed over all. The main halls downstairs that would once have contained water feed pumps were too dark for good photos but contained some lovely tile work and a whole wall of epic safety posters. The cable basement was also extensive and provided several comedy moments. All in all a great few hours exploring! Roll on the next one. The list is not empty.

33541637994_3189c6d92a_b.jpg

Stairwell

33998726520_91188f2224_b.jpg

Signage

34342197596_89e2b1a05e_c.jpg

Where the panels once stood

34342176686_42cbd0d8b2_b.jpg

Safety Posters

34224872642_3285d3d014_c.jpg

Many more rooms were nicely labelled

33998723770_6330889e3d_b.jpg

Largely empty now tho

34224858712_45fdf1b5eb_b.jpg

Just a few hints of grandeur

34383429585_fb689c45e7_b.jpg

Many fixtures and fittings had been kept

34383443485_ef871c35f3_b.jpg

Cable basement was extensive

33541650554_46f5cd59e9_b.jpg

But also a little damp in places

33573243763_b594103908_b.jpg

So lets just have more safety posters

33541578594_a2282b7c8b_b.jpg


33573232693_31fcb6cae2_b.jpg








 
Last edited:

raisinwing

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Real shame that the panels are long gone, but still looks like a really nice place to wander around.

Thanks for posting up, really enjoyed the report.
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
Well yeh. Just makes me wonder if there was more to see a few years or even months ago tho. I have no idea when it stopped being part of the power grid really.

Not so many left to find now. I always say that but really there's alot less than there was a decade ago! Most have just been demo'd unfortunately.
 

Baggy trousers

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
To be honest, I always wondered if this was still there too.. I'm. Quite suprised that it is as the locations been heavily developediscounted over the years.. well done for getting in and posting it up chap! Wonder what they are planning to do with it?
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
Im not sure it was that recently. The transformer bays out front were like a forest and Bing maps shows them being like that in 2008 (or earlier). Doesn't mean for sure the place was totally abandoned at that point but it seems strange to build concrete retaining walls around the transformer bays if there's no transformers in them, they must have been there in 2000. I suspect its been out of use for ages but we just never realised. Most subs like this are the same. There's another one where the 'A' station was that i got in years ago and that was all empty too. Its a builders yard now i think. A few years back, if you looked around where these old stations had been a good number had parts still left in situe but unfortunately now 90% of that has gone suggesting the system was updated a long time ago.. Little was explored of course.
 

Boba Low

SWC ___/
28DL Full Member
I do wonder if the control block retention that doesn't seem too uncommon has anything to do with the expense of disconnecting them? Everything's long switched off at weston point but the control room with its two resident engineers dozing at 5am, and I can think of at least one other older generation national grid station control room entirely intact sat unloved on a big substation!
 

Speed

Got Epic?
Regular User
Yeh. I guess today it's all done with computers and a networking from one room somwhere. Back when these stations closed im guessing local control of the grid still needed a man in a room throwing switches so they had to keep them. Either that or they just routed cables through thier basements that needed to be retained and the room on top stayed by default..

Currently I know of at least 4 unseen ones like this where the room at least is still there (with unknown contents/use) and one where I know it's totally intact and disused waiting for an explorer to bite.
 

bubblehead

you lost the game
28DL Full Member
FFS, I knew that they kept part of the power station when I worked on the construction of Star City. Never gave a thought that it could have been left untouched back then
 

socratio

28DL Member
28DL Member
Nechells 'B', built in the late 1940s, opened in the early 1950s. This was 'Birmingham's power station' sitting just south of Spaghetti Junction it was a familiar landmark until it was demolished in the early 1980s. However as with many stations all was not demolished, a small section of the station remained as it was still required to route the local 11kv supply.

33574104663_8df4829ebf_c.jpg

Nechells 'B' Boiler Houses in the 1980s

16341308960_d0fe612cd6_c.jpg

Cooling Towers Viewed from the M6 Northbound

The site sat derelict for many years after closure but in 2000 it was finally redeveloped into 'Star City', an entertainment complex featuring cinema and bowling alley. The remaining switch house must have still been in use at this time as it was incorporated into the rear of the Star City site and is still visible under advertising hoardings when travelling along the M6 Northbound

34342983886_6e00bc1256_b.jpg

Nowerdays 'Star City'..mostly


As many of you probably know by now i have been hunting old power station remains for many years and the remains at Nechells had always made me wonder about what was still left. If im honest being part of the Star City complex i didn't think we would have a hope in hell of getting inside and never really bothered to have a proper look until recently. This was mainly prompted by finally getting hold of a 1950s brochure for the station which contained maps and photos of the building. It turned out that the part they had retained was the former main entrance and more importantly contained the main station control room! Checking the photos against google maps it was clear the room would still be there but there was only one way to find what was left inside..

33998705840_9a187c67bd_b.jpg

Control Room in the 1950s

To my surprise my first recce of the building showed a pretty drab, derelict affair. I had imagined it would be well looked after but it appeared to be totally out of use now. Sure enough returning with Dweeb the next day we found our way inside and it was clear straight away it was no longer connected to the grid, merely being used as a storage shed.

33541586934_47105db669_b.jpg

Main Entrance Stairs and Lobby

It also became clear after some poking around that not only was the building no longer a substation it actually seemed to be having some sort of restoration work with a log sheet in the foyer showing people working in there only a week previously and a freshly painted ceiling.

34383364285_163eebb092_b.jpg

The moment of truth

To be honest, by this point was had seem some really good bits and some less good bits but obviously the main event would be the control room so il start there. We cautiously made our way up to it and i stuck my head round the door.

33573255043_55c4a6c0b4_b.jpg

Boo! Its empty..

Unfortunately not so much to see. At first i feared we had been a matter of weeks late (after wondering what was in there for the past 10+ years) but in actual fact i think the panels had been gone for quite a long time judging by the state of the plywood used to board over the holes. Certainly not done recently. You win some you loose some i guess!

33541615174_51f9d5538e_b.jpg

Dweeb checks out the best remaining part, the skylight and lighting rig.

Of course there was a bit more too the place than just the control room and i have to say i wasn't too disappointed over all. The main halls downstairs that would once have contained water feed pumps were too dark for good photos but contained some lovely tile work and a whole wall of epic safety posters. The cable basement was also extensive and provided several comedy moments. All in all a great few hours exploring! Roll on the next one. The list is not empty.

33541637994_3189c6d92a_b.jpg

Stairwell

33998726520_91188f2224_b.jpg

Signage

34342197596_89e2b1a05e_c.jpg

Where the panels once stood

34342176686_42cbd0d8b2_b.jpg

Safety Posters

34224872642_3285d3d014_c.jpg

Many more rooms were nicely labelled

33998723770_6330889e3d_b.jpg

Largely empty now tho

34224858712_45fdf1b5eb_b.jpg

Just a few hints of grandeur

34383429585_fb689c45e7_b.jpg

Many fixtures and fittings had been kept

34383443485_ef871c35f3_b.jpg

Cable basement was extensive

33541650554_46f5cd59e9_b.jpg

But also a little damp in places

33573243763_b594103908_b.jpg

So lets just have more safety posters

33541578594_a2282b7c8b_b.jpg


33573232693_31fcb6cae2_b.jpg






I found this bronze sign, in a garden in Nottingham!

image.jpg
 

Rosary_Boy

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nechells 'B', built in the late 1940s, opened in the early 1950s. This was 'Birmingham's power station' sitting just south of Spaghetti Junction it was a familiar landmark until it was demolished in the early 1980s. However as with many stations all was not demolished, a small section of the station remained as it was still required to route the local 11kv supply.

33574104663_8df4829ebf_c.jpg

Nechells 'B' Boiler Houses in the 1980s

16341308960_d0fe612cd6_c.jpg

Cooling Towers Viewed from the M6 Northbound

The site sat derelict for many years after closure but in 2000 it was finally redeveloped into 'Star City', an entertainment complex featuring cinema and bowling alley. The remaining switch house must have still been in use at this time as it was incorporated into the rear of the Star City site and is still visible under advertising hoardings when travelling along the M6 Northbound

34342983886_6e00bc1256_b.jpg

Nowerdays 'Star City'..mostly


As many of you probably know by now i have been hunting old power station remains for many years and the remains at Nechells had always made me wonder about what was still left. If im honest being part of the Star City complex i didn't think we would have a hope in hell of getting inside and never really bothered to have a proper look until recently. This was mainly prompted by finally getting hold of a 1950s brochure for the station which contained maps and photos of the building. It turned out that the part they had retained was the former main entrance and more importantly contained the main station control room! Checking the photos against google maps it was clear the room would still be there but there was only one way to find what was left inside..

33998705840_9a187c67bd_b.jpg

Control Room in the 1950s

To my surprise my first recce of the building showed a pretty drab, derelict affair. I had imagined it would be well looked after but it appeared to be totally out of use now. Sure enough returning with Dweeb the next day we found our way inside and it was clear straight away it was no longer connected to the grid, merely being used as a storage shed.

33541586934_47105db669_b.jpg

Main Entrance Stairs and Lobby

It also became clear after some poking around that not only was the building no longer a substation it actually seemed to be having some sort of restoration work with a log sheet in the foyer showing people working in there only a week previously and a freshly painted ceiling.

34383364285_163eebb092_b.jpg

The moment of truth

To be honest, by this point was had seem some really good bits and some less good bits but obviously the main event would be the control room so il start there. We cautiously made our way up to it and i stuck my head round the door.

33573255043_55c4a6c0b4_b.jpg

Boo! Its empty..

Unfortunately not so much to see. At first i feared we had been a matter of weeks late (after wondering what was in there for the past 10+ years) but in actual fact i think the panels had been gone for quite a long time judging by the state of the plywood used to board over the holes. Certainly not done recently. You win some you loose some i guess!

33541615174_51f9d5538e_b.jpg

Dweeb checks out the best remaining part, the skylight and lighting rig.

Of course there was a bit more too the place than just the control room and i have to say i wasn't too disappointed over all. The main halls downstairs that would once have contained water feed pumps were too dark for good photos but contained some lovely tile work and a whole wall of epic safety posters. The cable basement was also extensive and provided several comedy moments. All in all a great few hours exploring! Roll on the next one. The list is not empty.

33541637994_3189c6d92a_b.jpg

Stairwell

33998726520_91188f2224_b.jpg

Signage

34342197596_89e2b1a05e_c.jpg

Where the panels once stood

34342176686_42cbd0d8b2_b.jpg

Safety Posters

34224872642_3285d3d014_c.jpg

Many more rooms were nicely labelled

33998723770_6330889e3d_b.jpg

Largely empty now tho

34224858712_45fdf1b5eb_b.jpg

Just a few hints of grandeur

34383429585_fb689c45e7_b.jpg

Many fixtures and fittings had been kept

34383443485_ef871c35f3_b.jpg

Cable basement was extensive

33541650554_46f5cd59e9_b.jpg

But also a little damp in places

33573243763_b594103908_b.jpg

So lets just have more safety posters

33541578594_a2282b7c8b_b.jpg


33573232693_31fcb6cae2_b.jpg








Good old Nechells
 

Trevorzjones

28DL Member
28DL Member
Good old Nechells
Really interesting. Can’t think there are that many of us left who worked there. I was a student apprentice starting in 1973 and ended my days at Nechells as a Control Engineer. Yes I was that person sat at the control desk. For my sins I was the last Control Engineer to synchronise the machines (there were only 2 of the 4 still in commission). Can’t remember the date or year but I know it was an evening shift, probably tea time peak, and we recorded 106MW (2 x53) for the half an hour period. The Grid Control Engineer (Warwick House) said brilliant or words to that effect and told me to shut it down. The boilers never fired again and the turbines never turned.
If anyone remains the slightest bit interested then I’m happy to tell more.
 

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