Sunday 23 September 2012

Christchurch Railway Station Diary - 2012-09-22

This series of shots lets us recall when this used to be a full size railway yard and trains used to pull up at this platform. That last happened around 20 years ago.
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As you can see the demolition is taking shape along the back of the building – the side that faced the railway tracks. This leaves the street frontage to be removed at a later time when possibly the road may have to be partially closed. The work is proceeding in fits and starts, with the big long reach excavator hired in to demolish the clock tower being virtually idle this week. Of interest here is the exposure of the floor directly above the old men’s toilets in the left of the picture. I’m unsure what happens when they break through the floor and have to remove the toilets, do they have to plug the sewer pipes? Interesting also to see the windows facing rearward on the top floor at the front. The more central parts had skylights and light wells in them as referred to in an earlier post.
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Looking through those street-facing windows from behind.
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Looking inside one of the foyers through to the old booking hall area.
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A slightly older view from trackside- in the left the painted surfaces (looking like they were just done yesterday) are on the inside of the light well, hence how tidy it all looks.