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Sideshoots - associated subjects => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: grahame on September 22, 2021, 11:24:44



Title: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 22, 2021, 11:24:44
From my mailbox ...

Quote
Notable Platforms

Hi,

As an expert in Website Management, I take great pride in helping clients with great looking design, increase traffic and revenue through their website and other notable platforms.

I was reviewing your website and admire what your company is doing. There are a few other things you could do to take your strategy to the next level, such as using tools that allow you to better target your audience based on time and date.

Do you have time for a call to discuss some of these basic tactics? I simply want to talk more, provide some advice and learn more about your business.

If this sounds good to you, please reply for more information. Thanks for your time!


Kind Regards,
Rachel Cowan

OK - I thought she was emailing me about some platforms that are really worth a special mention.  I give you:
* Wemyss Bay for its beauty
* Pilning for the latent opportunity it offers
* Gloucester for its length
* Penryn for its novelty
* Birmingham New Street for the unwelcoming cavern in which the platforms are situated.
* Dilton Marsh for its potential
* Arnos Grove for the centre turn back example that could be replicated at Chippenham
* Waterloo for its superiority as a connectional and travel hub above all others
* Melksham for it's shear darned usefulness for the people near where I live


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: CyclingSid on September 22, 2021, 18:44:26
Cold callers don't always get such considered responses.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: broadgage on September 22, 2021, 18:47:51
Not forgetting platform nine and three quarters at kings cross, little used but important for some special services.

And Waterloo East, with the rare though not quite unique lettered rather than numbered platforms.

And Nunhead, reputed to be the highest above sea level in London, and with views across much of London. Also has a view of the former broadgage towers.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Phil on September 22, 2021, 19:21:53
Can't believe nobody's yet mentioned Elton John's platforms.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: johnneyw on September 22, 2021, 19:53:58
The concept of a "Platform 0", such as at Cardiff Central, which to my sense of logic suggests no platform at all.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Bmblbzzz on September 22, 2021, 21:05:00
Elton John immediately followed by "no platform at all" has my mind singing Bowie's Queen Bitch. If you know the song, you'll understand way, but whether you do or don't, just be thankful you can't hear me!


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Clan Line on September 22, 2021, 21:11:15
I hear there is a lot of "no platforms" at our universities now !


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 22, 2021, 21:50:42
Let's try some more

North Workington for the speed of construction
Harrington if you have the hump
Wimbledon Staff Halt if you're feeling short
Malvern Link because it's so normal that it's notable for that


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: RichT54 on September 22, 2021, 23:07:04
Sandhurst - for having completed extending the platforms in March 2020, but still not having any longer trains stopping at them!


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: JayMac on September 23, 2021, 08:25:55
Blackpool Central for having the greatest number of platforms to close at once. Fourteen, in November 1964.
Yeovil Pen Mill for its single loop line with platforms either side.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: PrestburyRoad on September 23, 2021, 08:55:13
Cheltenham Spa before the platforms were extended after bay platforms were removed, for having platforms too short for full-length trains - long trains had to pull up twice (I wonder how many passengers were confused by his arrangement).


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: rower40 on September 23, 2021, 08:57:08
Derby platform 7 for being signposted as such, but not being passed for passenger trains.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 23, 2021, 09:00:22
Derby platform 7 for being signposted as such, but not being passed for passenger trains.

Platform 2 at Bristol Temple Meads ... and are their signs at Salisbury for Platform 5?


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Red Squirrel on September 23, 2021, 12:31:35
I'd nominate Platform 2 at Montpelier, for being completely intact but almost completely invisible.
Or Platform 14 at Bristol Temple Meads, from where the little-known Pigmoles Express departs (hauled by No 5051 Pigmoles Hall)


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 23, 2021, 15:14:18
I thought I was missing something
Quote
5051 Earl Bathurst. Originally built as Drysllwyn Castle
but then remembered that we're in the lighter side!


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: onthecushions on September 23, 2021, 18:39:07

The winner by a mile must be the combined ManVic platform 11 which was continuous with ManExch platform 3, some 682m.

The obvious termination point for HS2 except that the Exchange portion is now "virtual"

Lancastrian...

OTC


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: JayMac on September 23, 2021, 23:29:10
The winner by a mile must be the combined ManVic platform 11 which was continuous with ManExch platform 3, some 682m.

The longest platforms currently in public use in the UK are some 792m in length.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Andy on September 24, 2021, 19:52:38
Falmouth Town Platform: 60 years ago, if you'd been standing on it, you'd have been going either towards Truro or Newquay. Today, you'd be going towards Truro or Falmouth Docks.   


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: bobm on September 24, 2021, 20:02:50
Still get a buzz arriving or departing from “the Royal platform” - number one at Paddington. 


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Trowres on September 25, 2021, 01:10:09
Launceston (current) and Wilderswil; both having what in common?


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Lee on September 25, 2021, 02:03:11
Launceston (current) and Wilderswil; both having what in common?

Both have running rails embedded in the platform.

Launceston - https://visittamarvalley.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/LauncestonSteamRailway8.jpeg

Wilderswil - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bods/2828731904/


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 25, 2021, 03:18:30
Falmouth Town Platform: 60 years ago, if you'd been standing on it, you'd have been going either towards Truro or Newquay. Today, you'd be going towards Truro or Falmouth Docks.   

Hasn't it been open only for 50 years?  You could not have stood in it 60 years ago.  From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falmouth_Town_railway_station)

Quote
7 December 1970   Opened as Falmouth
5 May 1975   Renamed The Dell
15 May 1989   Renamed Falmouth Town


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Andy on September 25, 2021, 08:18:16
Falmouth Town Platform: 60 years ago, if you'd been standing on it, you'd have been going either towards Truro or Newquay. Today, you'd be going towards Truro or Falmouth Docks.   

Hasn't it been open only for 50 years?  You could not have stood in it 60 years ago.  From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falmouth_Town_railway_station)

Quote
7 December 1970   Opened as Falmouth
5 May 1975   Renamed The Dell
15 May 1989   Renamed Falmouth Town

A large part of the platform at Falmouth Town came from Perranporth Beach Halt, which was still in use 60 years ago....


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: JayMac on September 26, 2021, 00:34:11
The longest platforms currently in public use in the UK are some 792m in length.

I was expecting someone to ask "Huh?" with this post.

Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Electric train on September 26, 2021, 07:26:59
Paddington's Platform 13 for functionality and ease of access



Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 26, 2021, 07:44:04
Paddington's Platform 13 for functionality and ease of access

 ;D ;D

Platform 14 at Bristol Temple Meads ... for the wonderful meeting facilities there, the refreshments in a whole different style to you'll normally find on a platform, and the ability to sit with your laptop and / or colleagues and work in peace without even the sound of dmus ticking over just outside.



Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 26, 2021, 07:52:58
... work in peace without even the sound of dmus ticking over just outside ...

My spell checker is too futuristic for its own good - kept changing dmus to emus in the post above. If only ... but away from the London 'burbs and London to Cardiff line express services, we don't have any electric trains in the South West (or South Wales) yet.

You will find local and regional electric trains/trams in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Newcastle, Blackpool, Edinburgh ... how about a bit of levelling up??

Correction - the Seaton Tramway is electric ...


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: Bmblbzzz on September 26, 2021, 09:50:16
... work in peace without even the sound of dmus ticking over just outside ...

My spell checker is too futuristic for its own good - kept changing dmus to emus in the post above. If only ... [/i]
There have been emus in Bristol, briefly, about fifty years ago (and not at the zoo): https://youtu.be/0r8afyJjOsM


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: johnneyw on September 26, 2021, 14:21:22
The longest platforms currently in public use in the UK are some 792m in length.

I was expecting someone to ask "Huh?" with this post.

Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal.

That's noticeably longer than Gloucester's which I thought was the longest although I gather Colchester also was in the contest.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: stuving on September 26, 2021, 16:19:02
The longest platforms currently in public use in the UK are some 792m in length.

I was expecting someone to ask "Huh?" with this post.

Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal.

That's noticeably longer than Gloucester's which I thought was the longest although I gather Colchester also was in the contest.

I think it's inevitable you'll be talking to your inner Joad at some point on this question. What do you mean by platform, and which length matters?

If the length is what's usable by passengers to board a train, then the Folkestone Shuttle facility has obvious problems. It's only been built for and is only used by vehicles, so for a start you should exclude the ends past the ramps that vehicles can't get to. And probably not even then.

Colchester is an absolute cheat. It's not one platform, it's a through platform and a bay end to end. So it fails the "could you put one train that long in it" test.

That leaves Gloucester, Cambridge, and Edinburgh (Waverley). All have one or more through platforms with a full crossover in the middle so each half can be used separately. Only Gloucester has a length quoted by NR for both platforms used as one, but I don't believe that number as it equals the sum of the two bits used separately. The other two are only listed as two platforms with a length each.

Since platform edges have now been rebuilt to new standards, and are not considered as usable without coping and yellow lines (and knobbly strips), this overall length of that part can be measured as the overall length. NR's operational length will be less, as a result of signalling rules. On the basis of the total fit for passenger use, Gloucester wins with at least 595 m, followed by Edinburgh with 546 m and Cambridge with 538 m. But of course other definitions are available, if you prefer.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: JayMac on September 26, 2021, 18:47:41
Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal is 792m from first to last ramp end. Unused by public portions not included in that measurement.

As regards not being being used by public foot passengers does that mean that staff platforms, parcels platforms, Motorail platforms etc. aren't/weren't platforms?


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: stuving on September 26, 2021, 19:46:11
Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal is 792m from first to last ramp end. Unused by public portions not included in that measurement.

As regards not being being used by public foot passengers does that mean that staff platforms, parcels platforms, Motorail platforms etc. aren't/weren't platforms?

That would be an act of choice on your part. No definition is guaranteed to be the only correct one.


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: grahame on September 26, 2021, 20:02:47
No definition is guaranteed to be the only correct one.

Agreed - though I do know some people who only think there are two ways - their way, and the wrong way ... but this takes us off topic.   I could name some of them, but none of them is conspicuous by their presence on the forum  :D


Title: Re: Notable Platforms
Post by: eightonedee on September 26, 2021, 21:54:15
I have found it difficult to think of nominations. When I am using an unfamiliar station I usually find out the platform I need, follow the directions to it, but by the time I am on the train I have forgotten entirely the number of the platform from which I have just departed.

None of the stations I use regularly (Goring, Reading or Guildford) has a platform I would nominate as notable, nor any of the stations I pass through between them. At Paddington it's the roof not the platforms that are notable.

As it appears that there's flexibility in the nominations, can I nominate the ex-Eurostar platforms at Waterloo? OK again its partly the roof, but I though they did a good job shoehorning them in, and it was such a shame they went unused for so many years after St Pancras opened.

The other possible source of nominations, put into play so that those more familiar with them can actually nominate their best platforms, are those three fine grand northern stations York, Newcastle Central and Carlisle Citadel. I don't know Hull Paragon, but from what I have seen on TV it might also generate one too. 



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