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Lime street station / Colored foil |
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| In the early days of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Liverpool terminus was located
at
Crown Street, in
Edge Hill, officially opened in
1830.
Construction of a purpose-built station began in October
1833, the
land being purchased from Liverpool Corporation for
£9000. A tunnel was constructed between Edge Hill and the new station
(starting in 1832,
prior to station construction), and the station was opened to the public
in August of 1836,
although construction was not completed until the following year. Because
of the steep incline between Lime Street and Edge Hill, trains were
stopped at Edge Hill, their locomotives removed, and the passenger
carriages taken down by gravity, descent controlled by brakemen. The
return journey was achieved by using a stationary engine to haul the
carriages up with rope. Within six years, the rapid growth of the railways meant that the original station needed to be extended, and a plan was made to erect an iron roof similar to that found at Euston station in London, ridge roofs supported by iron columns; however, Richard Turner and William Fairburn submitted a design for a single curved roof, which won the approval of the station committee. The work cost £15,000, and was completed in 1849. The station was one of the first to send mail by train. A second roof was added in the 1880s. The North Western Hotel designed by Alfred Waterhouse, was built in front of the station - this still stands, having been converted to accommodation for students of Liverpool John Moores University. Lime Street was part of the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1959. In 1966, the station saw the launch of the first InterCity service. Lime Street was voted the equal worst of the 20 busiest UK train stations in a 2007 poll.[1]
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