Transporting the goods through Wolverhampton

In May 1911 there was something interesting happening on Dudley railway station (6 miles from Wolverhampton). 

The London North Western Railway had received an order at their Wolverhampton Freight department to move freight for Noah Hingley and Sons Ltd (Forgemasters) of Netherton (Black Country), from Dudley station to Fleetwood station in Lancashire.

The freight to be moved was the first (the largest centre anchor) of the three of Titanics three anchors (and chains) which  Noah Hingley had  largely been responsible for constructing and overseeing in construction.

Twenty Clydesdale horses moved this centre anchor the two or so miles from the Netherton works of Noah Hingley to Dudley railway station.

From Dudley the London North Western Railway moved the anchor through Wolverhampton and Stafford on to Fleetwood in Lancashire.

Wolverhampton was used to seeing vast tonnages of freight pass through its railway station daily.

Perhaps we will see more rail freight in the future and less road freight and Wolverhampton could play a more central role in this.

From Fleetwood the Duke of Albany freight and passenger ship moved the anchor across to Belfast where the Titanic was being finished at Harland and Wolff shipyards.

That might of Midlands engineering in the form of the Titanic’s anchors look majestic one hundred and eight years later, 3.8k below the surface of the ocean.

A seaborne Monument to Midlands skill and muscle.