Chester Station historic tour

[realaledrinker]

As part of the Chester Heritage Festival, "A tour of Chester Station, not just a whistle stop visit. Explore this station opened in 1848. Look at the historic features of this impressive station as its story is told."

18th June, 2pm. £5.00 Be quick to book if interested as limited places.

Chester Heritage Festival | Home

Chester Heritage Festival brings the city’s exciting and varied history to life through a series of unique events and experiences for all ages.

www.chesterheritagefestival.co.uk

'Stop, Look & Listen @ Chester Station'

 

[yorksrob]

I always find Chester station to be a superb jumble

 

[D6130]

I always find Chester station to be a superb jumble

....but alas in very poor condition

 

[John Luxton]

As part of the Chester Heritage Festival, "A tour of Chester Station, not just a whistle stop visit. Explore this station opened in 1848. Look at the historic features of this impressive station as its story is told."

18th June, 2pm. £5.00 Be quick to book if interested as limited places.

Chester Heritage Festival | Home

Chester Heritage Festival brings the city’s exciting and varied history to life through a series of unique events and experiences for all ages.

www.chesterheritagefestival.co.uk

'Stop, Look & Listen @ Chester Station'

Thanks for the heads up on that. Seem to have spent a fair bit of time at Chester station in the past year or so. Have booked myself on this.

 

[yorksrob]

....but alas in very poor condition

Probably needs some TLC

 

[John Luxton]

Probably needs some TLC

Its a bit frayed around the edges. I noticed the other day several sections of platform edging stones supported by timber and Acrow props! However, it it was modernised too much it would lose its charm and it is a listed building.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jun 2022 ==

Its a bit frayed around the edges. I noticed the other day several sections of platform edging stones supported by timber and Acrow props and the roof appears to have had issues! However, it it was modernised too much it would lose its charm and it is a listed building.

 

[yorksrob]

Its a bit frayed around the edges. I noticed the other day several sections of platform edging stones supported by timber and Acrow props! However, it it was modernised too much it would lose its charm and it is a listed building.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jun 2022 ==

Yes, a bit of tidying up, rather than destruction is required.

 

[jamesst]

Superb frontage to the station but a total and utter dilapidated mess inside

 

[John Luxton]

Superb frontage to the station but a total and utter dilapidated mess inside

Inside is interesting - full of character. Doesn't need that much work to it. Do we really want shiny tiles everywhere? I noticed in the last few weeks the LMR milage sign for Euston / Holyhead has disappeared. Whether it has fallen off or saved for posterity I don't know. It was definitely there in March but when I went to photograph it last week had noticed it had gone.

 

[northwichcat]

One thing that needs addressing is the separate canopy over platforms 5 and 6 with it's long gap between the main roof. If it's pouring with rain and you have to get from platforms 4/7 to 5/6 you get wet!

 

[John Luxton]

One thing that needs addressing is the separate canopy over platforms 5 and 6 with it's long gap between the main roof. If it's pouring with rain and you have to get from platforms 4/7 to 5/6 you get wet!

I have an unfortunate feeling that if the issue was addressed it might be just to remove it! Besides the gap is part of the station's history.

 

[D6130]

One thing that needs addressing is the separate canopy over platforms 5 and 6 with it's long gap between the main roof. If it's pouring with rain and you have to get from platforms 4/7 to 5/6 you get wet!

It was originally one long roof section, but the middle part was destroyed in the catastrophic collision, derailment and fire on 8th May 1972....which resulted in the destruction of class 24 loco no. 5028 and several DMU cars. Sorry, I can't do a link, but look it up on Wikipedia: 'Chester train crash 1972'.

 

[northwichcat]

Besides the gap is part of the station's history.

'Chester train crash 1972'.

A train crash is part of the station's history, not a bodged repair job that's remained in place for over 40 years. If a train crash brought down overhead wires on one platform it won't be left as a diesel train only platform, to mark part of the station's history!

 

[D6130]

A train crash is part of the station's history, not a bodged repair job that's remained in place for over 40 years. If a train crash brought down overhead wires on one platform it won't be left as a diesel train only platform, to mark part of the station's history!

Agreed....but BR were desperately short of money at the time and I believe that there were long term plans to rationalise and rebuild the station. Although the track and signalling rationalisation eventually came about in the 1980s, the demolition and rebuilding of the station was scuppered by it gaining listed building status and it's been left to quietly rot ever since....except for the extremely badly thought-out modernisation of the concourse area.

 

[Djgr]

Inside is interesting - full of character. Doesn't need that much work to it. Do we really want shiny tiles everywhere? I noticed in the last few weeks the LMR milage sign for Euston / Holyhead has disappeared. Whether it has fallen off or saved for posterity I don't know. It was definitely there in March but when I went to photograph it last week had noticed it had gone.

Yep. I like it. It has character.

 

[Vespa]

If you stand outside the front of the station look to your right, walk down the side of the station you will see a portal marked Queen's Hotel Mews leading to to redundant platforms that's been filled in and next to it is the site of a former WW2 military emplacement, since demolished now marked out in pavings with an information board next to it.

A very interesting diversion from the main station.

 

[John Luxton]

If you stand outside the front of the station look to your right, walk down the side of the station you will see a portal marked Queen's Hotel Mews leading to to redundant platforms that's been filled in and next to it is the site of a former WW2 military emplacement, since demolished now marked out in pavings with an information board next to it.

A very interesting diversion from the main station.

I have seen that but just presumed it was part of the hotel.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Superb frontage to the station but a total and utter dilapidated mess inside

The lifts and bridge glazing are an improvement, but most of the upgrades in the ATW years have deteriorated badly in only 15 years or so.
The word "barnacle" comes to mind.
The remaining roof and canopy were fully reglazed, but the gaps in the canopy remain.
P2 has no canopy at all, dating from when the overall roof over the GWR part of the station (old P1-3) was extracted.
The useless Post Office corridor to the sorting office on the far side of Brook St bridge is still there, after 20 years of disuse.
But some of the historic bits of the station have been well restored, but are hardly used or seen by passengers.

Worth remembering that BR's 1990 plan was to abandon the 1890s island platform and return the station to the original 1840s Cambridge-like layout of a single through platform (divided by a central scissors crossing) with bays at each end.
Today's unfunded plan is to build a new platform for Merseyrail on the goods lines, freeing up P7 for more through traffic.

 

[John Luxton]

Worth remembering that BR's 1990 plan was to abandon the 1890s island platform and return the station to the original 1840s Cambridge-like layout of a single through platform (divided by a central scissors crossing) with bays at each end.
Today's unfunded plan is to build a new platform for Merseyrail on the goods lines, freeing up P7 for more through traffic.

Would that arrangement create something of a bottleneck? The island platform and its bays appear well used.

Single sided stations are a bit of an historical oddity as I seem to recall - something the GWR favoured in broad gauge days but which seemed to quickly fall out of favour.

 

[northwichcat]

Would that arrangement create something of a bottleneck? The island platform and its bays appear well used.

Platform 7 is occasionally used by North Wales to Manchester services.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Would that arrangement create something of a bottleneck? The island platform and its bays appear well used.

Train frequencies have increased significantly since 1990.
There were no Liverpool (via Runcorn), Leeds or Cardiff* services, the Wrexham/Shrewsbury/Birmingham terminator was only 2-hourly, and Merseyrail was 2tph rather than the 4tph of today.

*there was a single Cardiff-Holyhead service via Crewe