|
|
|
London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
|
|
LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway
Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb62a
|
Close up of image 'lnwrgb62' showing on the right the new
down platform and station building being erected and on the left the original
up platform. The height difference between the old up platform on the right and
the new up platform on the left can easily be seen. The latter also clearly
being higher than the down platform opposite. Platforms increased in height
from the outset of railways. Originally they were not much higher than rail
height because when first built railways were seen as essentially a mechanised
version of stage coaches. Therefore carriages were initially built with
multiple stage coach compartments and were accessed via steps from ground
level. Longer coaches meant stronger chassis and wheel sets to suit. The
articulated bogie coach had to accommodate a strong chassis and four wheels
within a mini-chassis able to rotate. This required the floor of the coach to
be raised considerably and by the late 19th century new platforms were being
built to a much higher profile. Under the archway can be seen a barrow crossing
which passengers would have used to cross between the two platforms. The new
station's buildings are a standard late 19th century LNWR design, being a
timber framed building with timber cladding produced at Crewe works.
back
|
|
|