At the through station at Newcastle upon Tyne the platforms are enclosed within the first of the great iron and glass train sheds. It was built for the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway in 1845-50 to designs by the great Newcastle architect John Dobson, who invented a new method of making curved roof ribs by means of passing the wrought iron between bevelled rollers. The train shed is also curved along its length, with a radius of 800 feet (243 metres) determined by the railway lines that snake through the very congested hillside site. The result is utilitarian but extremely graceful, with barely a reference to the forms of traditional architecture (though a mighty classical building was also provided to house the offices and waiting rooms, facing on to the street). Passengers cross the tracks by a footbridge within the train shed.
Transportation - Rail
Links: www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk
By: kjfitz
