Having enjoyed browsing this forum for some time, I thought I'd take the plunge and join...
I was brought up in Lincoln and I've often wondered why Central station (as it was until St Mark's closed in the 1980s) was so large. For easy reference here's an aerial map of the station as it is to-day:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=53.2259932&lo ... =0&m=a&v=2
My recollection of it around 1960 is that it was then even larger, with three bay roads facing east, north of the through roads (I suppose that was the "up" side but I'm not sure), although only one was regularly used in passenger service - by the Grantham trains until that line was closed.
I'm not sure how many through platform roads there were then, whether there were four or five (as well as the two "through" roads which survive as the photo shows). Memory is fallible, of course, but I
think the northernmost through road (now platform 5) was then numbered 4, and I'm pretty sure there was a - rarely-used - platform 8. There were certainly no bays anywhere else on the station.
It certainly seems to have been a lavish provision for the traffic offering. I imagine it was built by the GN & GE joint, not I think a particularly prosperous concern - so the question I'm hoping someone here will know the answer to is this: why so large a station for a relatively small city?
Lincoln Central station
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soupdragon
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As far as i can see from various books, Lincoln was a very important centre for not only the GNR but also the Midland, Great Central and Great Eastern Railways. Vast amounts of freight were shipped via Lincoln, the sidings beside Brayford Pool were large and the River Witham itself played its part.
May I recommend "The Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham" by AJ Ludlam (Oakwood Press) which gives a comprehensive rundown of the whole area.
I found particularly fascinating the account of the visit of Barnum and Baileys Traveling Circus to Lincoln in August 1898
Hope this is of some help
May I recommend "The Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham" by AJ Ludlam (Oakwood Press) which gives a comprehensive rundown of the whole area.
I found particularly fascinating the account of the visit of Barnum and Baileys Traveling Circus to Lincoln in August 1898
Hope this is of some help
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Pyewipe Junction
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Hello Swanpool and greetings from another Lincolnian!
I started 'spotting in 1958 and remember that Lincoln Central had eight platforms, although platform 1 was by then used only as a parcels dock. Platforms 2,3 and 4 were used by trains to Grimsby, Boston, Skegness and Grantham. I don't think any service had a particular platform, as I remember catching the 6.30 or thereabouts to Grantham from platform 2, although I seem to remember Grimsby trains usually departing from platform 2 and Grantham ones from platform 4. These were, in fact, 'bay platforms' and so handled arrivals as well as departures.
Platform 5 was the only up (E-W and N-S) through platform, additionally handling arrivals from Sheffield and Retford (and Shirebrook/Chesterfield up to 1955/1951 respectively).
Platform 6 was the main down through platform and also the departure platform for services to Doncaster, Retford/Sheffield and Shirebrook/Chesterfield. Platform 7 was the overflow platform for number 6 and was used a lot on summer Saturdays.
Platform 8 was interesting. It was used as an occasional terminating platform (especially late at night as it had a separate exit next to the Great Northern Hotel (a pub, not a hotel!) which meant the rest of the station could be closed for the night), but the only services I can remember using it regularly were the March to Doncaster locals (V2 plus four ex-LNER coaches anyone?) and these were withdrawn in 1959.
Don't forget also that Central had even more services before nationalisation: Grimsby - Leicester via the LD&EC and GC and also Lincoln to Nottingham Victoria by the same route. But you are right, by BR days it was too large and poorly laid out, with only one through up platform (5).
Which is why belatedly a lot of money is being spent on rejigging the layout.
I started 'spotting in 1958 and remember that Lincoln Central had eight platforms, although platform 1 was by then used only as a parcels dock. Platforms 2,3 and 4 were used by trains to Grimsby, Boston, Skegness and Grantham. I don't think any service had a particular platform, as I remember catching the 6.30 or thereabouts to Grantham from platform 2, although I seem to remember Grimsby trains usually departing from platform 2 and Grantham ones from platform 4. These were, in fact, 'bay platforms' and so handled arrivals as well as departures.
Platform 5 was the only up (E-W and N-S) through platform, additionally handling arrivals from Sheffield and Retford (and Shirebrook/Chesterfield up to 1955/1951 respectively).
Platform 6 was the main down through platform and also the departure platform for services to Doncaster, Retford/Sheffield and Shirebrook/Chesterfield. Platform 7 was the overflow platform for number 6 and was used a lot on summer Saturdays.
Platform 8 was interesting. It was used as an occasional terminating platform (especially late at night as it had a separate exit next to the Great Northern Hotel (a pub, not a hotel!) which meant the rest of the station could be closed for the night), but the only services I can remember using it regularly were the March to Doncaster locals (V2 plus four ex-LNER coaches anyone?) and these were withdrawn in 1959.
Don't forget also that Central had even more services before nationalisation: Grimsby - Leicester via the LD&EC and GC and also Lincoln to Nottingham Victoria by the same route. But you are right, by BR days it was too large and poorly laid out, with only one through up platform (5).
Which is why belatedly a lot of money is being spent on rejigging the layout.
Many thanks, PJ.
I daresay we were on the station together of a Saturday morning, hissing and booing Ourebi (the station pilot) as a "crate"! The highlight was the down Harwich boat train, which IIRC was often hauled by Boadicea or Oliver Cromwell - no proper LNER Pacific ever deigned to visit Lincoln Central...
The closest they ever got was the loop line on a Sunday when the ECML was diverted over the GN&GE joint - I used to see them, too tantalisingly far away for their numbers to be "spotted", from Carholme golf course which my parents would drag me round "caddying"... and I have fond memories of Pyewipe Junction itself, one day I cycled towards it down a lane from Skellingthorpe and was rewarded with the sight of some K4s awaiting scrapping - why they were stored there God only knows.
None of which explains why the station was built with three through down platform roads in the first place.
I daresay we were on the station together of a Saturday morning, hissing and booing Ourebi (the station pilot) as a "crate"! The highlight was the down Harwich boat train, which IIRC was often hauled by Boadicea or Oliver Cromwell - no proper LNER Pacific ever deigned to visit Lincoln Central...
The closest they ever got was the loop line on a Sunday when the ECML was diverted over the GN&GE joint - I used to see them, too tantalisingly far away for their numbers to be "spotted", from Carholme golf course which my parents would drag me round "caddying"... and I have fond memories of Pyewipe Junction itself, one day I cycled towards it down a lane from Skellingthorpe and was rewarded with the sight of some K4s awaiting scrapping - why they were stored there God only knows.
None of which explains why the station was built with three through down platform roads in the first place.