On 24 May, 13:33, "Paul Scott" wrote:
wrote in message

...





On 23 May, 22:23, "Paul Scott" wrote:

Is that stub of the stairs which would have gone down in line with the
new
platform 5 tracks? They appear to have been cut off at some time to allow
for a traction supplies building to be built on the disused platform end.
It's right in front as you emerge into the main shed from platform 2.

Does the photo here help?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolly_d.../set-720575941....

Paul S

Yes, that looks like it. *The building just visible on the right, with
what looks like yellow tape on it is the TP hut, or whatever it is,
with the track feeder cables coming out of the side, isn't it? *If
these were the original steps to the old centre platform, then where
was the access to the room which can be seen behind the signal head?
Maybe a narrow staircase was built where the new one is, and widened
for the new service. *Does anybody know when the old centre platform
was removed? *I suspcet it was long ago, *The Palace was in decline
years before it burned down, so some of the platforms were probably
already out of use by that time.

From my visits to the station over the last couple of years, I don't think
any significant work has been done to the stairs - other than a good clean,
and as you suggest the handrails. The one you describe using to get from the
new central platform was always there, just gated off.

As I suggested in the my previous post, I don't think there was a central
island, I think it might have been like this, if t works out, where S is
stairs, p is platform and t track:

West ---- East

SSSStttttttttttttttttttttt
pppppppppppppp
ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt * (through line)
pppppppppppppp
SSSSpppttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
SSSSppptttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
pppppppppppppp
ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt * (through line)
pppppppppppppp
SSSSttttttttttttttttttttttt

Paul S- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You could be right. That would give the six tracks that I'm pretty
sure I saw in the old picture, platforms on both sides of most tracks,
to cope with the large crowds. Platforms would have been rather
narrow by todays standards, but that was often the case then.

If you were to remove the two centre tracks, and build a wall down the
centre supporting the roof, then I think you would have the track
arrangement of the high-level station.Of course, at high-level the
tracks extended beyond the station onto the turntable. The low-level
seems to have had no way to release a locomotive from the bay
platforms before the stock was removed, unless things were changed
after electrification.