My best guess is, from feet to platform, 8ft. Still enough to break an ankle, let alone the risk of landing awkwardly & falling over the edge of the platform onto the live rail. No thanks, but thanks for the explanation.
Update, update; my apologies for doubting those who thought the triangular structure was a vent shaft. From the end of the platform at the Liverpool end you can just see the hole under the shaft. Another question has been resolved; the matter of the canopy on the Liverpool bound platform. Here's a picture from the book "Railway Stations of Wirral" which just shows the edge of the canopy. There's no evidence of any supports from the girders, but the place where the brackets supporting the canopy have been removed can be seen clearly in the last picture. BTW, having looked at the heights involved, I have serious doubts about anyone "flumping" from the girders.
Could the vent be put in to reduce the draft from the "new" high speed trains as they arrived/departed from the station? Just trying to think of another station at the end of a tunnel for comparison.
i said in a previous post about green lane being a terminus during steam days, on arrival i suppose they would run round their train staight away, but while they wait to make the return to liverpool they would have to stand so a vent would be ideal at this end of the station
needed to change this for years. so now i have. ha
I think Rentaclown is right here. If you look at the picture, you can see that the vent is just before the end of the later platform extension, so would be about where a loco would be standing. Incidentally, on the same picture you can just see where the Green Lane crossing intrudes into the tunnel. @diggingdeeper; It's really too near the open air of the station to need that. Also, unlike the London Underground, where the trains fit the tube closely, here, there's plenty of space around a train.
Found this a while ago (well, I think it was Pinzgauer who spotted it). On the attached map,(1909)at the South end of The station just by Chamberlain St. & over the tracks is a rectangle with the letters Tk in, which we think stands for Tank. You need to enlarge the pic. to see it clearly. Maybe this was to re-fill the water tanks of the steam locos.
Last edited by chriskay; 29th Jul 20083:59pm. Reason: oops, forgot the link
Its probably a daft idea, but could that triangular structure have at one time supported a water tank? Someone has suggested that it is at the right end for a steam engine to vent it's steam, is that not also the end where they put the water in? Has anyone tried looking at later map of area? I am off to central library next week, I could poke around in the reference bit - looking for ordnance of my area anyway.
Don't think it would have supported a water tank. It's immediately above the hole in the tunnel, so surely a vent. Also, if it was for a tank, it's much taller than necessary. I think the water tank was at the other end (see my previous post).
Its odd that it has the brick detail at the top - the lip. Then again it would seem designers in the past were eager to embellish even the most mundanely functioning building (e.g. Mersey tunnel ventilation buildings).
Yes, the three rows of corbelled brickwork; nicely done. I guess the date would be in the 1890's, before the line was electrified. As for the ventilation buildings, I think they're beautiful. The architect, Herbert Rowse, specified a most unusual brick size; 10"x 2 1/2" and all the designs are done using that brick in various ways. They are absolutely of their period; Art Deco, early 1930's. He also designed the sculptures over the tunnel entrances, all different, the original toll booths ( one remains preserved at the Georges Dock building)& all the other marvellous tunnel features.
