NA Scan Results and Questions

[Andy873]

I finally got copies of two drawings showing the plans of Padiham station yesterday, 18 December and thought I'd share my initial findings and hopefully have some questions answered.

These copies are from the National Archives, and the originals are undated but must be from between 1871 and 1874 for reasons I won't go into.

The first drawing shows the ground level building, what's interesting is that the 3rd class passengers bought their tickets from a window in the general waiting room, while 1st and 2nd class got them from a separate window in the corridor. Upstairs was for the SM and family, and given the date, they even have their own internal WC! The drawing is headed "New Station - Padiahm" and marked as drawing No. 6.

The second drawing covers the two platform buildings, and is labelled "Proposed Station Padiham" and is drawing No.3. It also mentions that the contract drawing needs to include the foundations for the buildings, so this is not quite the finished design. That said, from what I already knew, the internal layout is more or less bob on. The exceptions to the final buildings was the Porter's room is in the Blackburn bound building not the Burnley bound building. Also the SM's office is not where it was around 1910.

The speed of the NA was pretty good, I ordered a page check 17 November, which came back successful, ordered the copies and got them 18 December, so all things considering, quite fast. Total cost just over £25. I need now to ask about copyright and if I can share these copies.

Both drawings are from the Architects department of the Engineer's office of the L&Y.

Questions:

Am I right assuming these are not the final drawings?, they don't seem to be signed off with someone's name?

Both platform buildings have a blue cross through the 1st class Gentlemen's waiting room - does this mean the L&Y are not happy with them?

Only the general waiting rooms show seating? nothing in the 1st or 2nd class rooms?

 

[Rescars]

Questions:

1. Am I right assuming these are not the final drawings?, they don't seem to be signed off with someone's name?

2. Both platform buildings have a blue cross through the 1st class Gentlemen's waiting room - does this mean the L&Y are not happy with them?

3. Only the general waiting rooms show seating? nothing in the 1st or 2nd class rooms?

1. I have no knowledge of L&Y practice in this regard. Was it normal for final drawings to be signed off by an appropriate official?

2. Does this depend on the nature of the blue crosses? If freehand perhaps it is as you suggest. If the crosses appear to be inserted by a draughtsman, could they have an alternative meaning - more detailed drawings of these rooms perhaps?

3. Does this suggest that the general waiting rooms had seating integrated into the structure as part of the fixtures and fittings, whilst the 1st or 2nd class waiting rooms were left bare on completion by the builders and then furnished subsequently - with freestanding furniture perhaps?

 

[Andy873]

@Rescars - Some great questions here:

Was it normal for final drawings to be signed off by an appropriate official?

I can see on all of the drawings I have in my collection they are certainly signed by someone, presumably the draughtsman. I honestly don't know the answer to that one.

2. Does this depend on the nature of the blue crosses? If freehand perhaps it is as you suggest. If the crosses appear to be inserted by a draughtsman, could they have an alternative meaning - more detailed drawings of these rooms perhaps?

The blue crosses shown on both 1st class gents waiting rooms are drawn freehand, so that suggests someone more senior has looked over the drawings and for some reason isn't quite happy with these rooms.

3. Does this suggest that the general waiting rooms had seating integrated into the structure as part of the fixtures and fittings, whilst the 1st or 2nd class waiting rooms were left bare on completion by the builders and then furnished subsequently - with freestanding furniture perhaps?

I would say yes to both of these, the general waiting rooms had wooden bench seating along the inside of the rooms. Looks like the 1st and 2nd class passengers got more comfy free standing chairs.

Back to the drawings, and my conclusions - It's been a few days now since I started this topic as I wanted more time to really study them...

1. Drawing No. 6 of the ground floor building. This is absolutely spot on with what was built in every detail. Only one thing was bothering me, the location of the ramp up to the down platform. My L&Y society book about the line shows a photo from the top of the ramp looking down, in it I can see a door and a window, but the plans show them the other way around, that is, window to the left, door to the right.

Now I remembered (in the same book) a photo of Great Harwood from the road, this photo was horizontally flipped, the entrance door was shown on the left, in fact it was on the right. Armed with this I flipped the photo from the top of the ramp and bingo! everything matches up - just shows, you can't always believe what you see.

So drawing No. 6 was adopted and a copy of it would have had the words "Contract Drawing No. x" on it.

2. Drawing No. 3 - Both platforms are almost a mirror image of each other, both are 83 feet long. In reality the up building was only around 50 feet long, this was an obvious fact to me which I completely missed. It's clear that this drawing was a "work in progress" one. This one was not adopted.

Other conclusions - Both of these drawings have the number 256 on them which suggests they are part of a set of drawings. It's quite possible some of the others were alternative designs for the buildings? Both of these are stamped by BR.

Was the cost (£25) worth it? In my opinion yes. The service from the NA (although it took one month from start to finish) was excellent and the scans are research quality and in colour.