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LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb62a

Close up showing on the right the new down platform and station building being erected and on the left the original up platform

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.

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