On 13 Jan, 21:14, lonelytraveller
wrote:
On 13 Jan, 16:56, MIG wrote: On 13 Jan, 16:49, MIG wrote:
On 13 Jan, 16:32, lonelytraveller wrote:
When it was first planned, Liverpool Street Central Line station was
to have direct-to-platform lifts (which is why the platforms are so
far apart), but just before it was built the plans were changed to use
escalators instead (these are probably the middle set of escalators,
each in their own shaft). However, they kept one of the lift shafts in
the plans, built it, but fitted it out with a spiral staircase.

Where is that spiral staircase?
Does it still exist?
I had a feeling I'd used one there, but it could be a figment of my

imagination.
I've found this pictuhttp://www.ltmcollection.org/images/...76/9865076.jpg
which seems to show some sort of stairs, but I can't work out how that
fits into the modern layout, or what it actually represents

There were always escalators at that end, but that exit wasn't always
open. *There used to be single escalators, each in its own passage.

Rereading that bit, the escalators I was talking about were heading
northish, ie in the line direction towards Bethnal Green. *I am sure
that they merely led to an exit nearer the Liverpool Street ticket
barriers, and nothing to do with Broad Street.

That's the middle set of escalators, until the 90s that side of
liverpool street mainline station didn't begin until much further
north, roughly where the northern ticket hall for the central line is
now (which is why that ticket hall is in that position). Here's a
photograph of the exterior before the 90s:http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/...ndon,%20Liverp...
and the same view afterwards (at night) from a very similar point:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:L...tion_exterior_...

I think this is roughly where the bus station is now, above the arcade
below, but further west than the platforms. So it looks as if the
taxis went down the side of the station, as at Paddington, rather than
the station starting further back.

Broad Street is on the viaduct on the left.



I don't remember any direct exit from the Underground to Broad Street.

Here's a picture of the entrance at the surface:http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/s.../index50.shtml
Here's what it looked like from the inside:http://www.ltmcollection.org/images/...70/9865070.jpg
and also (from the other direction):http://www.ltmcollection.org/images/best/72/9865072.jpg
I don't know how it fits together at platform level.

The main Underground ticket hall is not that different from how it
was, in that you went in facing south and then straight on towards the
circle line clockwise platform, from which you could take a bridge
over to the anticlockwise and also to the exit on the opposite side of
Liverpool Street.

You turned right and right again, as now, to go down the main Central
Line escalators.

This was also the main Broad Street exit as well. I'd forgotten that
there must have been a subway linking down the road to Broad Street,
but this would have been just below the surface and not related to
anything at the Central Line platform level.

I am sure that the escalators at the north end of the Central were
just for peak access to the main Liverpool Street platforms. The
picture you have found shows an Underground exit at the front of Broad
Street, just to the West of the main Underground ticket hall.
Escalators at the north end of the Central Line wouldn't have got you
any nearer to this.

In article
,
(MIG) wrote:


I think this is roughly where the bus station is now, above the arcade
below, but further west than the platforms. So it looks as if the
taxis went down the side of the station, as at Paddington, rather than
the station starting further back.

Broad Street is on the viaduct on the left.

....

The main Underground ticket hall is not that different from how it
was, in that you went in facing south and then straight on towards the
circle line clockwise platform, from which you could take a bridge
over to the anticlockwise and also to the exit on the opposite side of
Liverpool Street.

You turned right and right again, as now, to go down the main Central
Line escalators.

This was also the main Broad Street exit as well. I'd forgotten that
there must have been a subway linking down the road to Broad Street,
but this would have been just below the surface and not related to
anything at the Central Line platform level.

I am sure that the escalators at the north end of the Central were
just for peak access to the main Liverpool Street platforms. The
picture you have found shows an Underground exit at the front of Broad
Street, just to the West of the main Underground ticket hall.
Escalators at the north end of the Central Line wouldn't have got
you any nearer to this.

The taxis went in and out as in one of the photos,
http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/...,%20Liverpool%
20Street%20Station%201920's.jpg, roughly where the escalators are now.

So, instead of direct cycle access to the platforms from the street, you
now have to get up a few steps and down a substantial staircase (or
escalator), or else go on a detour equivalent to the frontage of Broad St
station and back walking through the Broadgate shopping centre, instead.

This great planning success was for the London terminal at the time still
the principal one for services to Britain's premier cycling city,
Cambridge. Pillocks!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

On 14 Jan, 04:35, wrote:
There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

That makes sense. It would have to be at that (ie south) end of the
Central Line platforms. Presumably the passage leading to it was
tucked behind where the main escalators still are.

Do you know when it was last in use?

On Jan 14, 7:22*am, MIG wrote:
On 14 Jan, 04:35, wrote:

There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

That makes sense. *It would have to be at that (ie south) end of the
Central Line platforms. *Presumably the passage leading to it was
tucked behind where the main escalators still are.

Do you know when it was last in use?

And further to that, the 1983 picture showed an Underground exit in
the street at the front of Broad Street. By then, that would have led
to a subway to where the main Underground ticket hall is now.

Did the lift shaft lead into that subway, or was there an exit right
inside Broad Street Station itself?

On 14 Jan, 04:35, wrote:
There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

Ah, thanks. Do you think they might reopen those tunnels if the
Crossrail plan goes ahead unchanged?

On 14 Jan, 04:35, wrote:
There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

Do you happen to know where the spiral staircase was, and what
happened to it?

On 14 Jan, 20:16, lonelytraveller
wrote:
On 14 Jan, 04:35, wrote:

There was an exit at the extreme rear end of the EB Central Line
plaform. You went up stairs then turned right into a corridor which
lead due north to reach the lifts lower landing. At top level these
lifts allowed access directly onto the concourse of Broad Street BR
station. All this was still there disused until the Broadgate Centre
was built in the mid-1980s.

Do you happen to know where the spiral staircase was, and what
happened to it?

The is a "lift shaft" type area located between the platforms towards
the middle. It's now a pump room (the pump was prone to fail not so
long ago, causing flooding on the platform). As others have said, the
escalator shaft towards Broad Street was located at the west end of
the platforms, up some stairs and along a passage, coming out where
the bus station now is.

Do you happen to know where the spiral staircase was, and what
happened to it?

The is a "lift shaft" type area located between the platforms towards
the middle. It's now a pump room (the pump was prone to fail not so
long ago, causing flooding on the platform). As others have said, the
escalator shaft towards Broad Street was located at the west end of
the platforms, up some stairs and along a passage, coming out where
the bus station now is.

So I assume its been capped now at the ticket hall level, so that they
can have that newer set of escalators to the north?
But is the shaft completely blocked up, or can you still get to it
from a newer staircase, as, perhaps, an emergency escape?

What is it pumping out? (obviously water, but where is it coming from
in such heavy quantities to cause flooding - does the walbrook pass by
there?)

On 15 Jan, 08:47, lonelytraveller
wrote:

So I assume its been capped now at the ticket hall level, so that they
can have that newer set of escalators to the north?
But is the shaft completely blocked up, or can you still get to it
from a newer staircase, as, perhaps, an emergency escape?


I must admit, I never actually looked up - mainly due to the smell
inside. It was always more a case of, open door, take a deep breath,
go in, reset the pump and get out before breathing again ;-)

What is it pumping out? (obviously water, but where is it coming from
in such heavy quantities to cause flooding - does the walbrook pass by
there?)

It's the lowest sump of the station. It wasn't down to the quantity of
water being pumped out that caused the flooding, it was the pump
repeatedly breaking down due to being life expired.