They call it Leeds City...

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Thu 19 Mar, 2009 12:49 am

Trojan wrote: I seem to remember when I was a kid, that what is now the station was "Leeds New" which at the time struck me as odd as it was pretty delapidated, whilst the bit which adjoins the Queens Hotel (and looked new) was "Leeds City". there was 2 parts to Leeds City at that time.City north and City south.The newly refubished concourse with Mcdonalds,Witherspoons etc.is the north concourse,the area beyond the current barrier was city South.'over the bridge for Scarboro 'was a well used shout by thestation staff.When leeds Central closed in the sixties the north platforms were made into the PCD(parcels concentration Depot and passenger traffic centered on the south side.Railtrack had many critics but in my opinion they made a cracking job of the north concourse which had been a car park for yonks.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 19 Mar, 2009 10:20 am

Central finally closed in 1967 - and yes indeed the beautiful concourse at the present station is magnificent and what a mercy it was rescued from the indignity of being a car park. The darlk coloured door on the right of the exit to City Square/Aire Street had an illuminated display above, now painted over, which said :- GENTLEMEN Toilet bath and dressing roomsImagine having a BATH in a railway station these days !!

railnut · Post by **railnut** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 3:47 pm

BLAKEY wrote: Central finally closed in 1967 - and yes indeed the beautiful concourse at the present station is magnificent and what a mercy it was rescued from the indignity of being a car park. The darlk coloured door on the right of the exit to City Square/Aire Street had an illuminated display above, now painted over, which said :- GENTLEMEN Toilet bath and dressing roomsImagine having a BATH in a railway station these days !! I heard it said that when demolishing the station in the 60's the north concourse was also to be demolished. Th is until someone realised that the roof was an integral part of the Queens Hotel structure. Hence we have what we have.

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 7:02 pm

Leeds used to have four railway stations. Marsh Lane still lies unused, you can make out where the platforms were. It was still in use during the war because my dad was posted overseas from there.If you wander round the back of Crown Point Shopping centre, you'll find the cutting that used to connect the Midland Station, that occupied that site, to the network.

Post by **cnosni** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 7:59 pm

Martyn wrote: Leeds used to have four railway stations. Marsh Lane still lies unused, you can make out where the platforms were. It was still in use during the war because my dad was posted overseas from there.If you wander round the back of Crown Point Shopping centre, you'll find the cutting that used to connect the Midland Station, that occupied that site, to the network. The platforns you refer to were for non passenger use.There was a station on the old concrete yard behind this though.this was in the 19th century and served Leeds to Selby.When the viaduct was built the need for this station ceased and it closed

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 9:48 pm

railnut wrote: BLAKEY wrote: Central finally closed in 1967 - and yes indeed the beautiful concourse at the present station is magnificent and what a mercy it was rescued from the indignity of being a car park. The darlk coloured door on the right of the exit to City Square/Aire Street had an illuminated display above, now painted over, which said :- GENTLEMEN Toilet bath and dressing roomsImagine having a BATH in a railway station these days !! I heard it said that when demolishing the station in the 60's the north concourse was also to be demolished. Th is until someone realised that the roof was an integral part of the Queens Hotel structure. Hence we have what we have. My word - three cheers for the Queens Hotel then I say !! To have demolished that beautiful concourse would have been an absolute crime, and the restoration after the dreadful "car park era" has been most splendidly carried out. I remember as a little lad living in Ilkley that the trains via Guiseley left from the platforms (1 upwards) which stood where the present cafes and othe shops stand.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 10:34 pm

BLAKEY wrote: My word - three cheers for the Queens Hotel then I say !! To have demolished that beautiful concourse would have been an absolute crime, and the restoration after the dreadful "car park era" has been most splendidly carried out. I remember as a little lad living in Ilkley that the trains via Guiseley left from the platforms (1 upwards) which stood where the present cafes and othe shops stand. The concourse and that part of the City Station was presumably built by the LMS to accomodate trains on the Midland main line. I always think of it - the way it used to be anyway - with the trains segregated by doors as being more like an American Railway station than a British one. Plus of course there's the wonderful art deco. There used to be a buffet in there too. After the grouping in 1922 the LMS was heavily dominated by the Midland, which was very heavily influenced by American business methods. The rest of the station the "old part" was shared by the former LNWR and NER. Trains to and from Manchester in one direction and York and the North East in the other. I remember as an 11 year old catching the "North Briton" train to York from Leeds City to York.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 31 Mar, 2009 10:47 pm

I have on the 1863 Godfrey Central station and wellington station, then by 1905 new station comes in giving three stations, today "new" is the only one and pretty old.....

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 01 Apr, 2009 9:58 am

Trojan wrote: The concourse and that part of the City Station was presumably built by the LMS to accomodate trains on the Midland main line. I always think of it - the way it used to be anyway - with the trains segregated by doors as being more like an American Railway station than a British one. Plus of course there's the wonderful art deco. There used to be a buffet in there too. After the grouping in 1922 the LMS was heavily dominated by the Midland, which was very heavily influenced by American business methods. The rest of the station the "old part" was shared by the former LNWR and NER. Trains to and from Manchester in one direction and York and the North East in the other. I remember as an 11 year old catching the "North Briton" train to York from Leeds City to York. Ah - memories, memories, and very happy ones too. I shall never forget the wonderful "art deco" buffet which was quite large. It was directly opposite the platforms. As you walked into the central wide entrance from New Station Street (now covered by the tourist bureau) you had W.H.Smith's bookstall on your right and the buffet was next to that. It was a busy buffet, and always seemed to be staffed singlehandedly by a very harrassed but efficient and obliging lady. She was quite tall, perhaps in her forties, slim and with a flushed face - the latter no doubt caused by her being in practically constant closeness to the huge water boiler. She seemed able to dispense tea by the gallon, change every ten shilling and pound note presented, conjur up sandwiches and cakes, and clear the odd table with total and absorbed concentration. I always admired her and appreciated her splendid service - I hope other customers and her employers did, but I doubt it - she was one of those real "characters" who so enrich our memories. Thank you Trojan for reminding me of her buffet - not that I forget it for long when I'm often in the station still.

Si · Post by Si » Wed 01 Apr, 2009 10:28 am

The Parksider wrote: I have on the 1863 Godfrey Central station and wellington station, then by 1905 new station comes in giving three stations, today "new" is the only one and pretty old..... Is that the large scale map, Parksider? I've got a copy, and it seems odd how much blank space there is on it.