The carvings at the Queens Hotel 'arch' over New Station Street.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 4:40 pm

Johnny39 wrote: After a bit of searching on the web I think the Crucifixion shield is, and I'm not being funny, Kings Cross. I think it is based on a painting/engraving by an artist from the middle ages called Albrecht Durer, a German or Austrian, who seemed to specialise in portraiture and church paintings.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 6:54 pm

Bruno wrote: Could the crucifixion shield be Canterbury? No, I don't think so. Having checked Canterbury's coat of arms I can say its nothing like this.Also I'm totally convinced that all the shields have an LNER link, and Canterbury was not on the LNER.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 6:55 pm

Johnny39 wrote: After a bit of searching on the web I think the Crucifixion shield is, and I'm not being funny, Kings Cross. That's not a bad shout actually - and I think its quite feasible. King's Cross was the main London Terminus and HQ of the LNER. thanks for that.

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 8:44 pm

Hi drapesy. Most of the shields do have an LNER connection, but not Shrewsbury, Birmingham, or Stoke-on-Trent, which were served by the LMS - as was Leeds. Shrewsbury and Birmingham were also GWR served, but as Leeds wasn't served by that railway, we can discount it.The Queens was built as part of the Leeds City Station rebuild in the mid 1930s as a joint effort by the LNER and LMS, so the shields presumably cover cities served by one or both of these railways.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 9:24 pm

jim wrote: Hi drapesy. Most of the shields do have an LNER connection, but not Shrewsbury, Birmingham, or Stoke-on-Trent, which were served by the LMS - as was Leeds. Shrewsbury and Birmingham were also GWR served, but as Leeds wasn't served by that railway, we can discount it.The Queens was built as part of the Leeds City Station rebuild in the mid 1930s as a joint effort by the LNER and LMS, so the shields presumably cover cities served by one or both of these railways. Thanks for that- my knowledge of Railways is not as good as it might be! I must admit I assumed that the shields were all LNER related as both the shields that are attached to the wall of the Queens Hotel are of the LNER. Very curious.

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 10:57 pm

Found B1 for you drapesy, it is the civic coat of arms of the burgh of Ayr in Scotland. It strikes me that the places represented on pillar 1 are on the lines running west from Leeds via the LNWR and L&Y, those on pillar 2 (so far) are on lines running north - the Settle and Carlisle's Scottish extension via the CR and GSWR, and those on pillar 3 are on lines running south of Manchester and Stockport via LNWR lines. Both of these railways became part of the LMS in 1923, and as the coats of arms of such cities as York, Hull, Durham, Newcastle and Berwick, or Lincoln and Peterborough do not figure on the pillars I suspect that the LNER is not represented.

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 11:05 pm

Just as an afterthought, it seems strange that there is no sign of the coats of arms of any of the cities due south of Leeds which were served by the Midland Railway, also part of the LMS. Where are Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, and St Albans? Perhaps there are further fine carvings to be found elsewhere in the station precinct.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 01 Aug, 2012 11:45 pm

jim wrote: Found B1 for you drapesy, it is the civic coat of arms of the burgh of Ayr in Scotland. It strikes me that the places represented on pillar 1 are on the lines running west from Leeds via the LNWR and L&Y, those on pillar 2 (so far) are on lines running north - the Settle and Carlisle's Scottish extension via the CR and GSWR, and those on pillar 3 are on lines running south of Manchester and Stockport via LNWR lines. Both of these railways became part of the LMS in 1923, and as the coats of arms of such cities as York, Hull, Durham, Newcastle and Berwick, or Lincoln and Peterborough do not figure on the pillars I suspect that the LNER is not represented. Fantastic - thanks for that JimHere's another version.http://www.flickr.com/photos/29910068@N05/4345321436/(copy and paste whole line into address bar above to get it to work)You wouldn't believe how many Scottish towns I tried on wikipedia - but I never thought of Ayr!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 02 Aug, 2012 12:02 am

This link will bring up drapesy's above without the need to copy and paste. http://tinyurl.com/d6lc8nuI hope you do not mind me adding that drapesy.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 02 Aug, 2012 12:09 am

I was wondering if the crests depicted were like a twinned kind of thing? If the station had a Leeds crest destination, then they got one back when the new Queens Hotel was built. A sort of reciprocated gesture by the architect? Perhaps the cities had regional importance, or head offices for the rail company? That would take a bit of working out on google search I guess.Here's the GER Liverpool station City crests. It seems it was a popular thing to do by the big rail companies. That's another one to guess if anyone fancies a challenge