Station platforms on gradient?

[Pete 75C]

Just wondering how common this is?

I have a layout scenario in mind where a low level branch needs to climb a slight gradient to connect with the main line. The main line and branch platforms are side by side at slightly different levels with the branch line climbing to connect to the main line just beyond the station.

I'm not talking toy train gradients here. The gradient will be quite gentle. I'm just wondering how many (if any) platforms are built on a noticeable gradient?

Noticeable in that *if* there was a wall behind the platform, you'd be able to see the gradient of the platform against the wall, see diagram.

I don't want to model a prototype, if any exists, just confirmation that something similar *may* have existed? If not, I'll have a rethink. Thanks, Pete.

 

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

As far as I know the Board of Trade insisted that platforms should be on genler gradients usually I in 270 or less.  On deposited plans of proposed railways it's easy to see where the proposed stations are by the gradient changes.

 

Jamie

[avonside1563]

There are instances of platforms on gradients steeper than 1 in 270, for instance the station at Furnace Sidings on the P&BR.

[big jim]

Wrexham general has a platform that goes to wrexham central that is on a gradient, and slightly lower than the mainline platforms, in fact the line continues curving sharply and passes under the mainline about 300 yards beyond the end of the mainline platforms

[PhilH]

On the Mid Hants Railway, pretty much everything is on a gradient, the only bit of level track in the whole 10 and a bit miles from Alresford to Alton is about 300 yds at Butts Junction.

 

Medstead Station is on 1 in 200 for about 300yds through the station, then on to 1 in 60. Ropley Station is on 1 in 250 for 300 yds (both downhill facing Alresford).

[Donw]

They did this to a bridge in order to reduce the gradient through a station

 

However Upper Lydbrook was on quite a gradient details were in the Ian Pope Book. Part of the line is a cycle way but not through the station site.

Don

[Joseph_Pestell]

The other posters are right that Board of Trade set a figure (1 in 264 IIRC) as the maximum grade through a platform.

 

But, as ever, there are exceptions (and a lot of them in this case). The steepest that I can remember using personally would be the Widened Lines platform at Kings Cross.

 

I think that the rule has been relaxed in recent times to adjust to modern brake capacity. The northward extension at Farringdon is on quite a gradient.

[Tequila Sunrise]

I think there are restrictions on platforms where the crew have to change ends to reverse the direction of travel. That was (I think) true of Newstead, when the Robin Hood Line stage one was opened - they built a section of level track beyond the platform to allow the crew to change ends before the unit was brought back into the platform to load up for the return journey to Nottingham

[jamie92208]

I think there are restrictions on platforms where the crew have to change ends to reverse the direction of travel. That was (I think) true of Newstead, when the Robin Hood Line stage one was opened - they built a section of level track beyond the platform to allow the crew to change ends before the unit was brought back into the platform to load up for the return journey to Nottingham

There were similar problems at Newcraighall I believe.

 

Jamie

[Pete 75C]

Wow, that's great guys. Thanks for all the replies. Looks like I have an excuse! Many thanks, Pete.

[Nick Holliday]

As a possible rather extreme example, I attach an entry from Wikepedia, regarding Rudgwick on the Horsham to Guildford Railway:

 

Rudgwick station opened in November 1865, one month after the rest of the stations on the line, due to objections made by the Board of Trade's Colonel Yolland following the obligatory inspection of the line on 2 May in that year.

Yolland objected to the station being on a 1 in 80 gradient, which he considered dangerously steep as it might, in his opinion, result in trains calling at the station running away back down the slope. (In 1865 continuous brakes for railway trains did not yet exist.) He refused to authorise the opening of the station to traffic until the incline had been reduced to a 1 in 130. The works required were complex as the embankment leading into the station included a partly built bridge carrying the line over the River Arun, which had to be raised by 10 feet (3 m).

The railway company had no choice but to carry out the remedial works as it was contractually obliged to provide the station as the local landowner had sold the railway his land subject to this condition. The solution was to raise the partly built embankments, leaving the brick arch which was under construction as a flying buttress to a new plate girder bridge which the LBSCR now set about building. The result of these works was a "bridge over a bridge".

 

I don't know if the platform actually ended up on a significant gradient, but it does show something about how the inspectors thought about the subject.

[Pete 75C]

Just had a chance to Google some old images of Upwey Junction:

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/u/upwey_junction/index.shtml

and that is pretty much exactly what I'm after.

Jim, I'm struggling a little to find any images of Wrexham General that show what you mean, but on paper, that sounds exactly right too.

Thanks.

[big jim]

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3440504

 

the platform in the picture is the one to wrexham central, only slightly lower than the main platforms in the background but on an incline all the same

 

some good pics here too

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/wrexham_exchange/index.shtml

[APOLLO]

Kings Cross Hotel Curve platform. 1 in 52 I seem to recall.

 

[big jim]

going back to wrexham there are good pics here too.....

 

 

http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Wrexham/

 

the 6th pic down shows where the line from the "exchange" platform passes back under the mainline at 90 degrees (just behind the yellow trailer)

[Donw]

As a possible rather extreme example, I attach an entry from Wikepedia, regarding Rudgwick on the Horsham to Guildford Railway:

 

Rudgwick station opened in November 1865, one month after the rest of the stations on the line, due to objections made by the Board of Trade's Colonel Yolland following the obligatory inspection of the line on 2 May in that year.

Yolland objected to the station being on a 1 in 80 gradient, which he considered dangerously steep as it might, in his opinion, result in trains calling at the station running away back down the slope. (In 1865 continuous brakes for railway trains did not yet exist.) He refused to authorise the opening of the station to traffic until the incline had been reduced to a 1 in 130. The works required were complex as the embankment leading into the station included a partly built bridge carrying the line over the River Arun, which had to be raised by 10 feet (3 m).

The railway company had no choice but to carry out the remedial works as it was contractually obliged to provide the station as the local landowner had sold the railway his land subject to this condition. The solution was to raise the partly built embankments, leaving the brick arch which was under construction as a flying buttress to a new plate girder bridge which the LBSCR now set about building. The result of these works was a "bridge over a bridge".

 

I don't know if the platform actually ended up on a significant gradient, but it does show something about how the inspectors thought about the subject.

See picture above Don

[Pete 75C]

Some good stuff here, many thanks to all. I was only looking for a single prototypical excuse and now I have several!

[Oldddudders]

Somehow uphill platforms seem less of an issue than downhill - I mean the driver can stop safely with little hassle. Downhill may be another matter - did the OP sign the route between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge? Stopping at Hildenborough on the down line seemed a bit of a challenge at times.

[Pete 75C]

No I didn't sign Sevenoaks - Tonbridge, The lack of a downhill gradient never used to stop me sliding through Warnham station during leaf season though... 3 times in a single week if I remember correctly... I was starting to get something of a reputation for failing to stop there...

[coachmann]

Oldham Central, where I commuted from to Manchester each day 1958-9, was on a steepish gradient and locos used to puff almost to a stop (like they do in cowboy films). In the Manchester direction, the locos would give half a dozen puffs to get doing then freewheel through two tunnels down to Werneth Station. The adjacent Oldham Clegg Street Station was the same and the difference between the running lines and the level Clegg Street sidings was very noticeable. In fact the gradient was such that by the time a train left the other end of the station it passed benieth those sidings!

[Donw]

The BOT inspector may have been right about Rudgwick Station just north of it was a tunnel towards Baynards Station it is reputed that a loco went into the tunnel with a train and due to the wet greasy rails came sliding back out still in forward gear! So stopping could be a real problem.

Don

[Debs.]

Holywell Town Station was as steep as they come!

[PGC]

I know it's not a mainline station, but Beddgelert Station on the Welsh Highland Railway is on a gradient of 1:47.

 

Although they seem to manage it easily, I'm told the Garrets are really stretched when they start a train under difficult conditions such as rain etc.

 

Phil

[avonside1563]

There is often a restriction on stations with a gradient of more than 1 in 264 that the train cannot be left without a loco unless all the passengers have detrained. For Multiple units if the driver was changing ends the same would apply.

[Tequila Sunrise]

1 in 264 - what a nice round number!