Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Marlburian]

I suspect that this may already have been discussed in this very long thread (and, as a newcomer I hope I may be forgiven for not ploughing through it), but was solar paneling every considered for that massive roof?

I am impressed with the new station, but I too have experienced the cold winds blowing through it. I'm not at all sure how this could have been prevented.

[SandTEngineer]

I am impressed with the new station, but I too have experienced the cold winds blowing through it. I'm not at all sure how this could have been prevented.

In my over 50 years of using Reading (General) station, I don't think that has ever changed.  It was always a drafty and cold place

[Reading General]

Reading (General) station

 
Can someone change the thread title to the correct station title for the older generation?

[paul7575]

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the ‘transfer deck’ is reasonably open in order to stop it being treated as an enclosed building with respect to ventilation, fire fighting arrangements, smoke clearance, emergency exits, etc etc.

Paul

[eightonedee]

By coincidence I used Utrecht Station (as a passenger) for the first time last week.

The last time I was there was in 2004, when I walked under the station using a public subway. I could not see what was above, but could see from the subway that I was passing under a reasonably modern 15 platform station, and thinking to myself "it would be nice if we had something like that in Reading".

Well, I can confirm that we do now! Utrecht also has a structure over the middle of the station, a little wider than Reading's new overbridge, but the extensive platform ends are as exposed and draughty as Reading's. The escalators are also reminiscent of those at home. Two of those on my journey between trains were out of action, so I missed the connection I was going for. This was not however a problem for me last week as my onward destination was Amsterdam, and there appears to be a train about every 10 minutes between the two.

[CyclingSid]

About the only place draftier than Reading station is the bus stop outside where you catch the bus to the hospital.

[onthecushions]

As 2/3 of our weather traditionally comes from the South West, most main line  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations must be windy. We could have wind breaks on platforms but either wouldn't see our train coming or would walk into the glass. There are plenty of warm spaces to hide from the weather on the main platforms.

What we shouldn't have is a flooded transfer deck. While it must have ventilation louvres, they should have had droplet eliminators to prevent moisture entrainment.

It's just a pity there wasn't more roofing particularly over the escalators, and an eastern footbridge; customer amenity wasn't top of the designers agenda.

I still rather like it.

OTC

[bobm]

Noticed a new sight at Reading yesterday - as a transfer attached to a concrete block I am not sure you can describe it as a heritage sign - but there are a number around the station.

[onthecushions]

Pity they couldn't use the right font - gill sans medium.

Tacky.

OTC

https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/totem-br-w-reading-general-h-f-ex-gwr-station-padd-2009nov-0335.html

[eightonedee]

Agree OTC

Will they put separate "Reading South 1949-1961, Reading Southern 1961-1965", on a malachite green background on Platforms 4 to 6?

[bobm]

I was wondering about that - but did not have time to walk down and look.

[Marlburian]

I wonder if the signage might confuse some people? Probably not, though back in the 1970s Head Office in London put some overseas visitors with limited English on the train at Paddington and, not being up to date with nomenclature,  told them to get off at Reading General, only for them to see only "Reading" signs. So they stayed on the train and ended up in Bristol. Lots of phone calls, and somehow they got on a train back.

At much the same period I was building a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) model railway and wanted to know the typeface for station name-boards and, as a press officer myself, rang a counterpart in, presumably, the British Rail (Western Region) press office. Somewhere I may still have the remnants of the Letraset sheet I used.

[onthecushions]

Agree OTC

Will they put separate "Reading South 1949-1961, Reading Southern 1961-1965", on a malachite green background on Platforms 4 to 6?

https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/totem-br-s-ff-reading-southern-from-former-south-e-2019mar-0192.html

The green totem cost twice the brown one.

Electrification pays!

OTC

[Sixty3Closure]

Agree OTC

Will they put separate "Reading South 1949-1961, Reading Southern 1961-1965", on a malachite green background on Platforms 4 to 6?

https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/totem-br-s-ff-reading-southern-from-former-south-e-2019mar-0192.html

The green totem cost twice the brown one.

Electrification pays!

OTC

Interesting site. Has anyone used it? Do they publish estimates on the lots nearer the time? I'm not particularly across railway memorabilia and looking at the previous sales there's obviously a premium for certain objects or themes but I have no idea what the logic behind it is.

[grahame]

I'm curious about the history of the General name. Not just in Reading but everywhere.

How did it originate? Was it only used by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (and subsequent ex-GWR stations)? What was its meaning? Did it signify one station for goods and passengers as opposed to separate facilities? Or was it an equivalent of Central? When was it first and last used? Did it actually add any specific information to the place name?

I have split this thread - the post above now has a life of its own in its own thread at http://www.passenger.chat/23913