Platform access

[Sol]

In the 1940's to say 1970's. how did passengers using wheelchairs, get from one platform to another as normally stairs are not viable by ones self - even not perfect having someone control the wheelchair  & elevators probably weren't  installed in that period of time ?

And nowadays passengers use Gophers as well.

 

TIA

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Sol
signature

[Wickham Green too]

Barrow crossings existed at most stations - at the start of that period at least - and a member of staff ( who also existed at most stations - at the start of that period at least ) would see them across.

[Sol]

Thanks, I was aware of that for smaller stations bit not sure on big stations ( & of course, on my layout the two platforms are different lengths - the second one came after some track changes)

 

[LBRJ]

Larger (or maybe just the large ones) often had a goods lift that could, and was, used for wheelchair traffic.

[Sol]

Thank you , food for thought - I may have to enclose/add to the normal overpass that has steps.

[Michael Hodgson]

It wasn't just wheelchairs.  Luggage etc often had to be taken to/from the far platform, so unless there was a level crossing, barrow crossings were common.

 

Here ar Hitchin we had a barrow crossing (protected by block repeaters for all four lines to tell staff when it was safe to cross) as well as freight lifts to the underpass between the platforms (now replaced by passenger lifts)

[Stoke West]

5 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

It wasn't just wheelchairs.  Luggage etc often had to be taken to/from the far platform, so unless there was a level crossing, barrow crossings were common.

 

Here ar Hitchin we had a barrow crossing (protected by block repeaters for all four lines to tell staff when it was safe to cross) as well as freight lifts to the underpass between the platforms (now replaced by passenger lifts)

Bristol Temple Meads had a barrow crossing at the London end and the platforms were not in line , was mainly used by Royal Mail even tho they had their own bag conveyor to platforms

[Wheatley]

8 hours ago, LBRJ said:

Larger (or maybe just the large ones) often had a goods lift that could, and was, used for wheelchair traffic.

The goods lift was the only disabled access at Leeds until the station was rebuilt in 1999-2002. The current 'Access for All' initiative is a very modern phenomenon.  

Edited December 11, 2023 by Wheatley

[phil_sutters]

This rather grainy photo shows a barrow crossing a barrow crossing at Hereford, a moderately large station by the look of the track layout. 

If, on an exhibition layout, you have a dodgy connection and some paths through your station don't work, just park a trolley across the track. It looks as this one has got stuck.

Edited December 11, 2023 by phil_sutters

[doilum]

Selby is in the process of having a new footbridge with lift installed. The existing arrangement is for disabled people to pre-book assistance across the barrow crossing. Back in the day there were plenty of staff available to assist.

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, phil_sutters said:

This rather grainy photo shows a barrow crossing a barrow crossing at Hereford, ...

Anyone got a picture of a barrow crossing a barrow crossing at Barrow ? 😎

[The Stationmaster]

8 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Anyone got a picture of a barrow crossing a barrow crossing at Barrow ? 😎

To which an immediate riposte might be which barrow crossing do you mean at which Barrow station?  I can't find a photo of the barrow crossing at Barrow-Upon-Soar but here is a picture which shows the barrow crossing at the old Barrow Central station before it was rebuilt (mainly as a consequence of the Luftwaffe's unfortunate efforts at the redevelopment of the town).

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barrow_Central_railway_station.jpg

[adb968008]

Some stations still have crossings at platform ends, usually with a red edged sign with a white light that goes out when a train is approaching, obviously staff only use.

 

Example here at Exeter..

Edited December 11, 2023 by adb968008

[DaveF]

Older ladies using the barrow crossing under supervision at Loughborough Midland about 1955.

 

 

Loughborough Midland crossing the line - not allowed now! c1955 JBWImageU05

 

David

[Porkscratching]

49 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Older ladies using the barrow crossing under supervision at Loughborough Midland about 1955.

 

 

Loughborough Midland crossing the line - not allowed now! c1955 JBWImageU05

 

David

Miss Marple mown down by a Jube on the Derby freight horror... 😜

[phil_sutters]

Not such a busy line - only a couple of hundred yards to the buffers, where the line then ended, just before the promenade.

 

[Stoke West]

3 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Some stations still have crossings at platform ends, usually with a red edged sign with a white light that goes out when a train is approaching, obviously staff only use.

 

Example here at Exeter..

At St Davids pre MAS there were no lights but a bell would ring when " vehicles or train " was approaching from Central

[Barcaldinegoods]

Barrow crossing at Burley-in-Wharfedale in the 1970s (not my picture).

 

The only use I recall was ladies pushing prams across it, the only other access to the Ilkley platform was via the footbridge back then.

 

The station lost its staff in the late 1960s but step free access wasn't put in until many years later so use of the crossing was unsupervised.    

 

I assume the gaslight at the extreme end of the picture was to illuminate the crossing.  

[Reorte]

Interesting signal there - why that rather than a more conventional bracket?

[Jeremy Cumberland]

17 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Interesting signal there - why that rather than a more conventional bracket?

It's just past the footbridge, which is where the photo is taken from. The signal needs to be sighted under the bridge.

[Stoke West]

12 hours ago, Barcaldinegoods said:

Barrow crossing at Burley-in-Wharfedale in the 1970s (not my picture).

 

The only use I recall was ladies pushing prams across it, the only other access to the Ilkley platform was via the footbridge back then.

 

The station lost its staff in the late 1960s but step free access wasn't put in until many years later so use of the crossing was unsupervised.    

 

I assume the gaslight at the extreme end of the picture was to illuminate the crossing.  

Non of the Settle to Carlisle stations had a footbridge except Appleby so all passengers had to use foot/barrow crossings , Giggleswick has a foot crossing only , there must be stations only accessable by foot crossing , Stogumber on the WSR being one .

[Stoke West]

15 hours ago, DaveF said:

Older ladies using the barrow crossing under supervision at Loughborough Midland about 1955.

 

 

Loughborough Midland crossing the line - not allowed now! c1955 JBWImageU05

 

David

You can tell its ex Midland Railway by that van in the dock

[Jeremy Cumberland]

25 minutes ago, Stoke West said:

Non of the Settle to Carlisle stations had a footbridge except Appleby so all passengers had to use foot/barrow crossings , Giggleswick has a foot crossing only , there must be stations only accessable by foot crossing , Stogumber on the WSR being one .

Dovey Junction is only accessible by foot crossing. Battersby is only accessible by crossing, but I think it can be used by vehicles.

 

I think quite a few stations remain with only foot/barrow crossing access to the far platform.

[Halvarras]

Truro had a stretcher trolley (I'm sure it wasn't unique in that) and in the late 1960s I recall it being used to wheel a patient over the barrow crossing onto the up platform so that he/she could be inserted into a Mark 1 CK via the hinged inward opening window of the middle Second Class compartment (yes, these windows really were occasionally used for their intended purpose!)

[Stoke West]

13 minutes ago, Halvarras said:

Truro had a stretcher trolley (I'm sure it wasn't unique in that) and in the late 1960s I recall it being used to wheel a patient over the barrow crossing onto the up platform so that he/she could be inserted into a Mark 1 CK via the hinged inward opening window of the middle Second Class compartment (yes, these windows really were occasionally used for their intended purpose!)

Those compartments tended to be a bit draughty