Trivia: Stations on triangluar junctions (such as Earlestown)?

[BeccaOnATrain]

So I was on me way to Wales this morning from Manchester and one of stops I passed were Earlestown. I noticed it called at Earlestown and then went south.. I was originally very confused as it looked like Earlestown was situated further west of the 3-way junction.. though I soon figured out afterwards it's because Earlestown has platforms on the spur of the line as well as on the main line too.. and what appears to be a big triangular patch of greenery in the middle seperating the platforms!

Just wondering if there are any other stations similar to that where the platforms are on a different line at a junction like this?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The only other triangular station on the network is Shipley, which like Earlestown has two platforms on two sides and a third side with just one.

Ambergate used to be a triangle but now only has a single platform on the Matlock branch.

 

[railwaytrack]

So I was on me way to Wales this morning from Manchester and one of stops I passed were Earlestown. I noticed it called at Earlestown and then went south.. I was originally very confused as it looked like Earlestown was situated further west of the 3-way junction.. though I soon figured out afterwards it's because Earlestown has platforms on the spur of the line as well as on the main line too.. and what appears to be a big triangular patch of greenery in the middle seperating the platforms!

Just wondering if there are any other stations similar to that where the platforms are on a different line at a junction like this?

View attachment 113948

Earlstown and Shipley are the only two stations like this.

 

[Chris Butler]

I know it's off topic, but didn't Mangotsfield used to be another example ?

 

[snowball]

I know it's off topic, but didn't Mangotsfield used to be another example ?

Looking on the old 1:25000 mapping on SABRE Maps, Mangotsfield appears to have been at the junction of two arms of a triangular junction, but the triangle was bigger than those at Earlestown and Shipley, and the station was not very near the third arm.

 

[BeccaOnATrain]

Earlstown and Shipley are the only two stations like this.

The only other triangular station on the network is Shipley, which like Earlestown has two platforms on two sides and a third side with just one.

Ambergate used to be a triangle but now only has a single platform on the Matlock branch.

Looks like I've got to add Shipley to my list of stations to visit.

It seems a very unusual layout. But practical still! Don't need two stations..

 

[AMD]

For historical purposes Forres was once a triangular station, albeit this station has been demolished and replaced with a new one a few years ago.
Interestingly no map I can find shows the east to south platform, however this photo confirms that it did exist - https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/26/534/

 

[rower40]

Was Ambergate once such a station?
Edited to add...
D'OH. Read the rest of the thread.
Whoops sorry.

 

[lachlan]

For historical purposes Forres was once a triangular station, albeit this station has been demolished and replaced with a new one a few years ago.
Interestingly no map I can find shows the east to south platform, however this photo confirms that it did exist - https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/26/534/

Was away to mention Forres.

Someone has compiled a list of triangular stations, also mentioning uncertainty on the east-south Forres platform: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/stations/trivia.shtm#triangle

 

[clagmonster]

Was there ever a platform on the Glossop - Hadfield - Woodhead side of the triangle at Dinting?

 

[Peter0124]

Rutherglen station is situated on a triangular junction, though there is only platforms on one part of the curve. So may not answer your question fully however there did used to be platforms on the mainline I believe in the 1960s/70s before the current Argyle Line platforms opened.

 

[Western Sunset]

Queensbury (on the former Halifax to Bradford line via Ovenden) was another example.

 

[pdeaves]

Was there ever a platform on the Glossop - Hadfield - Woodhead side of the triangle at Dinting?

'Sort of'. Explanation in link here:

Was away to mention Forres.

Someone has compiled a list of triangular stations, also mentioning uncertainty on the east-south Forres platform: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/stations/trivia.shtm#triangle

 

[30907]

Looks like I've got to add Shipley to my list of stations to visit.

It seems a very unusual layout.

It is - and, unusually, it only became triangular in the mid 70s, thus bucking the trend.

 

[pdeaves]

It is - and, unusually, it only became triangular in the mid 70s, thus bucking the trend.

Yes, 1979 for a single platform on the northern side. A parallel platform was added even later (1990s?).

 

[hexagon789]

Rutherglen station is situated on a triangular junction, though there is only platforms on one part of the curve. So may not answer your question fully however there did used to be platforms on the mainline I believe in the 1960s/70s before the current Argyle Line platforms opened.

Rutherglen used to have 12 platforms

 

[Peter0124]

Rutherglen used to have 12 platforms

Really? How

 

[cadder toad]

Rutherglen... 5 on east-west main lines, 2 on east-north, 2 on west north and then 3 terminating from the north within the triangle. Busy place, in the 1890's there was a 10 minute service via the north lines to Glasgow Central Low Level. Clockface departures to various destinations in the west and north of Glasgow. I think the 4 terminating platforms were still in use at the end of steam in 1964 - a handful of peak hours workings.
Edited following hexagon789's post (next)

 

[hexagon789]

Really? How

2 West to North
3 Bays in the triangle
2 North to East
5 on the Main Line

 

[0161]

I'm curious to know how Perth would fit into this…

 

[norbitonflyer]

When I first travelled through Shipley trains from Skipton towards Leeds had to reverse south of the triangle because there was no platform on the north side.

 

[wilbers]

When I first travelled through Shipley trains from Skipton towards Leeds had to reverse south of the triangle because there was no platform on the north side.

Did they all do that, or were there some that didn't stop at Shipley at all?

 

[Parallel]

Has Dinting ever been a fully 'triangular' station? i.e. a platform on the line that runs from Glossop to Hadfield?

 

[pdeaves]

Has Dinting ever been a fully 'triangular' station? i.e. a platform on the line that runs from Glossop to Hadfield?

No, see post 13.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I'm curious to know how Perth would fit into this…

No third side at Perth, junction to the south of the station and platforms for routes heading north and to the east.

I think the 4 terminating platforms were still in use at the end of steam in 1964 - a handful of peak hours workings.

I cannot definitively vouch for all 4 terminating platforms but my train did terminate in one of them on my only steam era trip on the Central Low Level line, and I suspect they were all still there then.

 

[MadMac]

No third side at Perth, junction to the south of the station and platforms for routes heading north and to the east.


I cannot definitively vouch for all 4 terminating platforms but my train did terminate in one of them on my only steam era trip on the Central Low Level line, and I suspect they were all still there then.

There were still DMUs being stabled in the Rutherglen bays in the early 70s.

Wasn't there some recent talk of building a platform on the Rose Street Curve in Inverness?

 

[lachlan]

There were still DMUs being stabled there in the early 70s.

Wasn't there some recent talk of building a platform on the Rose Street Curve in Inverness?

I was sure there was, but can't find any mention of it now. I remember seeing a mockup of a complete rebuild with the present station completely replaced by a new one with through platforms.

A refurbishment of Inverness (but no changes to the platforms) was announced in 2017ish but hasn't happened.

 

[30907]

Did they all do that, or were there some that didn't stop at Shipley at all?

Down trains ran past Bingley Junction and reversed into the Bradford platform. Introduced with the post-Beeching rationalisation of services and closure of all the smaller stations.

The S and C services (so the loco-hauled ones) didn't call and never had, and maybe one or two others.

The present platform 1 (Up from Skipton) came with Leeds NW electrification.

 

[507020]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned that Accrington was a triangle, with platforms on the Bury line in addition to the existing ones.

 

[Killingworth]

When the Dore & Chinley Railway was being planned it was suggested that Dore & Totley station should be repositioned on the 'railway triangle.' A quick look at the gradients and tight curvatures put paid to that idea very quickly.