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London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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LMS Route: Hampton in Arden to Whitacre
Coleshill (Maxstoke) Station: mrcm175
View showing the very short platform and the up signal which
was operated by the station staff circa 1905. The photograph illustrates
perfectly the evolution in platforms during the first fifty years of railways
in Britain. Railway coaches were initially based on the horse-drawn coaches of
the time, being boarded by passengers from ground level climbing steps with
passenger luggage stored on top of the carriage roof whilst travelling.
Initially railway platforms were built to suit such vehicles being constructed
to a height approximately the same as the top of the rail - similar to the
platform seen opposite the booking office. Later, as the railway coach
developed to be more robust and longer requiring a more substantial underframe,
platforms were raised in height to make access for passengers more easier. Even
the height seen above was lower than that adopted in the 20th century to
accommodate bogies.
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