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Post by superteacher on Dec 22, 2008 23:02:56 GMT
Ok, it's not part of the underground anymore, but it was once, so here goes:
Who thought of the station layout - the lifts go down to a level lower than the platforms - when leaving the lift, you have to go UP.
I've always found this to be odd.
The same is true at Old Street, but this is a bit different, since it that station is shared with another line.
Anyone know the logic behind the Essex Road setup?
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Post by ruislip on Dec 22, 2008 23:05:05 GMT
Are these the only examples of this idiosynchracy on the present or past Underground system  |
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Post by superteacher on Dec 22, 2008 23:12:38 GMT
Are these the only examples of this idiosynchracy on the present or past Underground system I can't think of any others. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2008 22:59:25 GMT
I've no idea but it would be refreshing if someone just admitted it was a complete accident because those involved just didn't get it right :-D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2008 17:56:57 GMT
Perhaps there is a geological reason why the subway and lift landing are below the level of the running lines.
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Post by superteacher on Dec 27, 2008 23:39:05 GMT
I've no idea but it would be refreshing if someone just admitted it was a complete accident because those involved just didn't get it right :-D Just imagine the conversation: "We've gone down too bl**dy far . . . we'll have to go up a bit now . . ." |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2008 23:41:22 GMT
Was there some tentative plan for another line to serve Essex Road, which would have resulted in going up to one line, and down to another?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2008 8:24:07 GMT
No, I don't think so. I'd still say it was a local geological or pre-existing construction reason.
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Dec 28, 2008 9:04:47 GMT
As a matter of interest Chelney will be below, wont it? Must be something to do with DavidH's suggestions.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2008 16:52:45 GMT
I guess so - I can't think of any other reason apart from another planned line!
Not on the London Underground, but Argyle Street station on the British Rail low-level line through Glasgow Central has a similar arrangement. From what I remember the ticket office is at street level in a commercial development, from which you go down an escalator to effectively a second basement level. From there you walk along a passage and up an escalator or stairs to the island platform.
The reason for this is that the station platform lies immediately below the middle of Argyle Street itself, and although the low-level line was built a long while ago, Argyle Street station was a new addition when the line was reopened as part of the electric network in the 1970s.
Argyle Street itself is now pedestrianised, so it would be perfectly possible to simplify access by putting Berlin-style stairways/lifts/escalators direct from the middle of the street down to the platform.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2008 14:39:31 GMT
Haven't thought about this before, but yes it does strike me as a little odd now you come to mention it.
Perhaps there's some physical reason such as water or sewage pipes in the way of the exit passages and the liftshafts?
Essex Road is a very strange station anyway, imo. Hard to put my finger on why - just a really weird atmospheare about it. It's very quiet and somehow feels like some strange tube station from a parralell universe version of London. Similar and recognisable to a tube station, yet different.
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Post by cetacean on Dec 30, 2008 22:41:28 GMT
Was there some tentative plan for another line to serve Essex Road, which would have resulted in going up to one line, and down to another? This is the reason I've heard, although exactly which line they had in mind I don't know. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2008 22:48:47 GMT
I used Essex Road station regularly for a short time a few years ago. I was nearly always the only person there and it reminded me of that scene in "An American Werewolf In London". Gave me the shivers!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2008 14:23:13 GMT
Haven't thought about this before, but yes it does strike me as a little odd now you come to mention it. Perhaps there's some physical reason such as water or sewage pipes in the way of the exit passages and the liftshafts? Essex Road is a very strange station anyway, imo. Hard to put my finger on why - just a really weird atmospheare about it. It's very quiet and somehow feels like some strange tube station from a parralell universe version of London. Similar and recognisable to a tube station, yet different. I'd have to agree with that. I spent some time there a while ago it is a very eerie station - but one of my favourite stations in London. This photo sums up the creepyness of the place...  |
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Post by superteacher on Dec 31, 2008 15:50:45 GMT
No doubt it was even more creepy before it was taken over by British Rail - dim, tungsten lights!
The stairs to the platform are very steep - same as at Old Street. Far steeper than most stairs on the Underground.
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roythebus
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Post by roythebus on Feb 4, 2009 8:12:42 GMT
A possible answer is given by a surveyor friend of mine who lives nearby, Richard Reidy RICS, not a member here:
"I have just come up from Essex Road station and I have a possible answer.
The platform stairs come up between the running tunnels, into quite a narrow space. So the lift and stair shaft has to be bored to terminate either above or below the running tunnels and to one side of the running tunnels.. In this case it is below the running tunnels.
Why below? The geology is probably the reason.
The local geology is odd. It is quite possible that the shaft penetrates a gravel/hogging strata. While it is easy enough to sink through this strata, horizontal boring is difficult and not very safe. Much better to go lower and run through London clay. Constructing the staircase is reasonably simple.
I can't see any other reason for adding to the cost of the construction".
Hopefully this answers the original question and thanks to Dick for taking the time to answer.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2009 17:17:59 GMT
Having read the various comments, I took the opportunity to stop off at Essex Road on Tuesday 24/2 whilst having a mooch along the GN&C in general. It is certainly an eerie station. Got off a northbound train at about 13.40, went (down!) to go to top level, outside station and then back again to go north to other stations.
Throughout my time there (probably 20 mins start to finish), not one passenger was around, apart from yours truly - platform, passageways, lift or top level, entering or exiting.
There were three staff at top level.
I was grateful there was CCTV - but thinking about it, I hope it was working!
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Feb 27, 2009 18:17:33 GMT
Thats a fascinating answer, Reg. I do a bit of surveying on my course and its interesting stuff, and indeed Londons unique predicament has shaped its metro throught its development.
I just have one question though; is this a station which Chelney really needs to serve if its so quiet? The '74 routing seems more useful, via Old Street and what would now be Shoreditch High Street. Having said that though, it would duplicate the ELL extension north of there, and between Farringdon and Holborn Crossrail. Not that they follow the best courses though...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2009 19:39:45 GMT
I think the reason traffic at Essex Road is so low is because trains only serve one key destination, the City.
In peak hours that's not so bad, because of the significant inwards/outwards flow to/from the City. Off-peak however, I would think Victoria, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Kings Cross, the South Bank, Camden and Paddington are among the major destinations. From Essex Road, most of those are better reached by starting with a bus (or going the whole way by bus).
I remember that this was one of the principal reasons given for the diversion of a chunk of the late evening/weekend Great Northern Electrics service to Kings Cross back around 1988.
Chelney will/would be well-placed to serve most of those off-peak destinations, either directly or with one simple change. The area around Essex Road is densely populated, and I think a stop at Essex Road will probably pick up a fair bit of traffic from people getting off Central London-bound buses as well.
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Post by 21146 on Mar 2, 2009 20:09:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2009 20:57:04 GMT
Fascinating pictures there. Surprised of the amount of NSE signage still about.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2009 21:13:59 GMT
its surprising they havent closed it really! it is sort of imune to time
does that station have the lu standard dva in the lifts-normally VERA?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2009 21:21:23 GMT
Yes, it does have a sort of uniqueness about it, I won't say down at heel, because these little quirky lines in busy areas really do appeal to me. It gives you time to take in the stations 'atmostphere' the occasional click from say a signal relay or a clank from a distant rail key sprining back into place, running water, rumbles of cars at street level or indeed nearby tubelines...
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Post by 21146 on Mar 2, 2009 21:42:37 GMT
Fascinating pictures there. Surprised of the amount of NSE signage still about. There are trackside NSE line diagrams both sides too but it was too dark to get these without flash. The whole Northern City Line retains most of its NSE platform name frieze and 1970s BR tiling. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2009 22:53:24 GMT
I've only been down to Moorgate from Drayton Park three times. I should do a proper recce of the branch soon before the enivtable new signage arrives.
Thanks for sharing these pictures with us.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 12:29:14 GMT
Intrigued by this topic I decided to have a look at this station: ;D EDIT: Oops, how the advertising got in here?  |
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Post by maxtube on Mar 5, 2009 14:11:20 GMT
The advertising, for some reason, always appears when you embed a video. Nice videos though.
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Post by 21146 on Mar 8, 2009 17:52:34 GMT
Does the tiling on the Northern City date from the initial BR takeover or the later NSE era? I seem to recall moulded plastic yellow seating which, I think, was stripped out after the Kings Cross Fire. Ditto all that over-the-top low level emergency evacuation lighting on the walls and even set into platforms I believe came in later. Can anyone else remember?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2009 19:22:30 GMT
The tiles do look like NSE branding to me.
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Post by londonboy on Mar 9, 2009 23:15:54 GMT
The tiles were originally an orange colour not too dissimilar to the colour of the interior of the D78 doors before they were refurbished
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