London Euston Station - 50th Anniversary

[Ron Ron Ron]

Missed it by a week.

 

Last week saw the 50th anniversary of opening of the redeveloped (1968) Euston Station.

 

Some wonderful photos in this Blog......

 

 

https://www.hydeparknow.uk/2018/10/14/euston-station-anniversary-special/

 

 

 

 

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[Pete the Elaner]

Some interesting photos there.

It looked nice before its rebuild, but I can't imagine it could have half the number of passengers using the place today.

I can see why the Doric Arch had to be moved: it is halfway down where platforms 8-11 are today, but surely rebuilding it at the entrance may have been possible, but I guess there was less building protection back then.

[APOLLO]

Love the Kangaroo escaping !!!!, a pity the Arch and Great Hall had to go though.

 

I have mixed emotions re Euston - I visited on many weekends in the early 70's, my sister lived in London and having just started work I visited (and shed bashed) London often. The last train to get home at a decent time was the 19.05, I loved the huge, clicking Solari indicator - scanning it for my home town. I never lingered at Euston, not one minute, it was too modern and antiseptic for me even back then (though I loved the 'leckys up to Crewe) - It was Kings Cross / Paddington for me (Deltics & Westerners) !!

 

I had the misfortune to go there a while ago - still a horrible station, nowhere to sit, trains announced at last minute and a subsequent mad panic rush to the platform - not for us though with reserved seats. Nice to get on the 21.10 to Wigan, see the "OFF" signal followed by "RA" - Out of London homeward bound at 100+mph. !!

 

Brit15

[luckymucklebackit]

There was an excellent article in the 1967 "Locospotters Annual" with comparative plans and diagrams showing before and after.  When was the inset track at the station throat done away with?

 

Jim

[Zomboid]

I had the misfortune to go there a while ago - still a horrible station, nowhere to sit, trains announced at last minute and a subsequent mad panic rush to the platform - not for us though with reserved seats. Nice to get on the 21.10 to Wigan, see the "OFF" signal followed by "RA" - Out of London homeward bound at 100+mph. !!

 

Brit15

The last minute announcements are an annoyance, but of the London termini that I use with any regularity it is well equipped with seating (check the balcony). I suspect it's actually the last minute platform announcements that make it seem otherwise. If they'd announce them 5 minutes earlier then you'd be sitting on the train rather than anxiously hanging around by the boards...

 

I rather like Euston in a 60s modern kind of way. But then my favourite WCML stations are Stafford and Coventry, both examples of the same era (the booking hall at Coventry is a particularly good space, like a glass & concrete Surbiton, but not quite as good as that). I think Wolverhampton is from the same era, but that's a dump.

[jjb1970]

I think Euston is very maligned. The floor is lovely (if you've never done so before then have a look at the marble used), the roof is noticed by very few but is very nicely done and it is a very logically laid out and easy to use station with all of the platforms in a straight line and with easy access from the main concourse. As a passenger I find it probably the best of the large London termini station to use.

[Pete the Elaner]

I think Euston is very maligned. The floor is lovely (if you've never done so before then have a look at the marble used), the roof is noticed by very few but is very nicely done and it is a very logically laid out and easy to use station with all of the platforms in a straight line and with easy access from the main concourse. As a passenger I find it probably the best of the large London termini station to use.

Me too.

From a practical perspective, its biggest flaw is the entrance at Euston Square being the wrong end of the platforms. It seems that the Metropolitan Railway & LNWR did not like each other. It would have been nice is this had been re-designed in the 1960s too.

[Zomboid]

As a passenger I find it probably the best of the large London termini station to use.

It's not as good as Waterloo, IMO. But it's easily better than any of the other London stations.

[Ron Ron Ron]

....From a practical perspective, its biggest flaw is the entrance at Euston Square being the wrong end of the platforms. It seems that the Metropolitan Railway & LNWR did not like each other.

It would have been nice is this had been re-designed in the 1960s too.

 

 

That's about to be finally sorted out with the HS2 Euston re-build.

[Oldddudders]

I think the present Euston, which has, in fairness, improved since Privatisation with additions like the balcony already referred to, was a compromise in the late '60s because property developer plans fell through. I was told the whole story about 30 years ago by a BR Property Board chap, but the detail has evaporated since. Since he and I were working on redesigning East Croydon, which few would now regard as a shining example of modern station design, but needed to keep within a fixed sum, I could empathise with the Euston team of the time. 

[bennyboy]

Missed it by a week.

 

Last week saw the 50th anniversary of opening of the redeveloped (1968) Euston Station.

 

Some wonderful photos in this Blog......

 

 

https://www.hydeparknow.uk/2018/10/14/euston-station-anniversary-special/

 

 

 

 

.

 

What I find curious about the 1909 picture is that a lot of the track in the station throat is embedded in stone setts as if it's a dockyard or a goods yard!