"Bill Borland" wrote

Why WAS Clapham Junction so called? Neither IN Clapham nor a junction
FOR Clapham. And has it always been one station, or were there
originally two or three stations close together?

The first station in the area was the LSWR Wandsworth station, sited further
west at the Battersea Rise overbridge. Clapham Junction became a junction
in 1846 when the Windsor lines were opened (initially to Richmond) but no
station was provided at the junction. The West End & Crystal Palace
(forerunner of the LBS&CR route to Victoria) paralleled the LSWR through the
site of Clapham Junction from 1858 to its temporary terminus, named Pimlico,
on the South Bank. The WE&CP had a station named New Wandsworth, adjacent to
the LSWR Wandsworth. Then in 1860 the WE&CP, by then acquired by the LB&SCR
was extended to Victoria.

The West London Extension Railway reached Clapham Junction and the station
there was opened to provide exchange facilities between the LSWR (Main and
Windsor Lines), the LB&SCR, and the WLER. Wandsworth (LSWR) was then closed,
though New Wandsworth (LB&SCR) remained open until 1869. An 1869 photograph
shows the station buildings in the fork between the LSWR Main and Windsor
Lines. The Windsor platforms are out of shot, but in view are
side platform for LSWR Up
LSWR up line
LSWR down line
narrow island platform
LBSCR up relief
LBSCR up main (no platform)
LBSCR down line
wider island platform
WLER northbound line
WLER southbound line
side platform

Peter