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A Birmingham to London train hauled by a Bury 2-2-0 locomotive arrives at Coventry's original L&B station. Osborne’s London & Birmingham Railway Guide includes this engraving of the original Coventry station, looking northwards across the double track, with the three city centre church spires in the distance and a London-bound train entering the station with an unbraked first-class carriage behind the loco. The front of the station faced the road, so this view in fact shows the side of the building, with two doors at the upper level. These, together with the two sets of staircases to rail level, are believed to have been there so as to segregate first and second-class passengers. As this view shows, early railway practice was based on contemporary stage coach travel with the platform consisting of a slightly raised hardstanding. This was accessed from the station building located on Warwick Road via the two flights of steps seen descending from the terraced area located to the side of the station building. As stated in the caption to 'lnwrcov553' this side elevation of the station is incorrectly portrayed as there were three windows in the main buildings ground floor and the door was lower alongside another window on the lower ground floor. Not readily discernable in this view was the fact there was an extension to the rear although one of the two windows which existed is portrayed. See image 'lnwrcov615' for details of the rear structure. The station was inadequate from the outset and within two years a new station was built immediately to the right of this structure. Whilst the original station building on Warwick Road remained in use to be used for accommodation of the station master and other senior personnel the structure at rail level was demolished and later used for parcels and other goods dispatched by express train.
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