Birmingham New Street Station: lnwrbns_str1858

View taken from the Queens Hotel from above the South Staffordshire bay showing the entrance to the LNWR's parcel offices on Platform 3 to the left of the passenger footbridge. The entrance from Queens Drive has now had a screen erected to be parallel with the front of the building standing on Platform 3 which has also seen the addition of a set of steps running up the gable end with a small enclosed lobby at the top. This photograph was taken the same day in 1911 as image 'lnwrbns_str1857' and again shows the visual impact of the heavy tie bars added to strengthen the roof in 1906-7. More than 200 tons of steel were added as a precaution following the failure of a similar roof at Charing Cross in London. Reg Stone of the LNWR Society writes 'standing at platform 1 is an arc roof set, which must be one of the 'Birmingham & Derby' sets 1-5 built in 1901. They were composed of Brake Third - Third - First - Brake Second. The number of the first is almost legible. On the far side of platform 2 is a cove roof set, which must be one of Birmingham District sets 1-30 which were built in 1904-07. These were also four vehicles coupled Brake Third - Third/Second Composite - First/Second/Third Composite - Brake Second or maybe Brake Second - Second/Third Composite - First/Second/Third Composite - Brake Third. Again, the number of the Second/Third Composite is almost legible in the enlargement. Possibly these numbers could be matched against known vehicle numbers for each set, and the sets identified. A possible date for this photo would be about 1905/06 maybe could be later)'.

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