Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 590392
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/590392
The original station here was planned by Miller and became operational in 1846. It was rationalised to the design of Charles Jopp by North British Railway engineer James Bell from 1866–74 creating the present basic east– west platforms. In the late 1890s the station underwent major re-design, to basically as now (2006), by Blyth and Westland, engineers. Notable features include the two-storey central block and booking hall (now demolished), about 225 ft long by 160 ft wide, designed by Raithby, the firm’s staff architect, 1112 acres of ridge and valley roof, the entry and exit ramps from Waverley Bridge with their distinctive cast-iron facades, the parcels office, four footbridges, including the one from Market Street to the steps to Princes Street. The roof is carried on steel lattice girders up to 149 ft long, on cast-iron columns, with fluted shafts and highly ornamented capitals and octagonal bases, cast on end by the Widnes Foundry Co. The walls and booking office block were built by G. & R. Cousin. The steelwork was by Arrol’s Bridge & Roof Co. Ltd. The resident engineers were J. T. Harrison (roof) and J. S. Pirie (whole works).
R Paxton and S Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.