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| Postcards of the Past |
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| London Railway Stations King's Cross |
| As you can see, so far we only have seven postcards of King's Cross, and of course we would love to have more. If you would like to contribute to this page, please contact us ! |
| No date for this postcard of Platform 10 at King's Cross - looks like the 1930s. |
| As with most major stations, King's Cross began with just 2 platforms, one for arrivals and one for departures. These are today's Platforms 1 and 8. |
| King's Cross was originally designed and built as the London Terminus of the Great Northern Railway on the site of a former smallpox hospital. The station was constructed in 1851/52, replacing a temporary station at Maiden Lane which had opened in 1850. The main part of the station - today's platforms 1 to 8 - was opened on 14 October 1852. The total cost of construction, including the purchase of the land, was about £190,000. King's Cross was connected with the Metropolitan Railway in 1863 and a suburban station opened in 1878. This latter was subsequently extended and then rebuilt. The present station concourse opened in 1973. In common with all the London Railway Termini, a hotel was essential, and the Great Northern Hotel opened in May 1854. |
According to legend, King's Cross is built on the site of Boudica's
final battle. Another legend suggests that her body is buried
under one of the platforms and there are passages under the
station which her ghost is supposed to haunt
final battle. Another legend suggests that her body is buried
under one of the platforms and there are passages under the
station which her ghost is supposed to haunt
King's Cross features in many books. I suppose the most well
known today are the "Harry Potter" books in which the Hogwarts
Express uses Platform 9 3/4 which is reached by passing
through a brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.
known today are the "Harry Potter" books in which the Hogwarts
Express uses Platform 9 3/4 which is reached by passing
through a brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.
An early literary reference comes in John Buchan's novel "The
Thirty-nine Steps" in which the hero Richard Hannay, suspected
of murder, just manages to avoid capture by boarding a train for
Scotland at King's Cross
Thirty-nine Steps" in which the hero Richard Hannay, suspected
of murder, just manages to avoid capture by boarding a train for
Scotland at King's Cross
| Everyone's favourite television rat, Roland, is said to live in the sewers beneath King's Cross. |
| King's Cross is used by Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in several of Conan Doyle's stories. |
| The area of King's Cross and the station itself are the setting for the Ealing Comedy "The Ladykillers" (1955) which stars Alec Guinness. |
| In 1934, a suitcase opened in the left luggage rooms was found to contain a couple of human legs. These were later associated with other body parts found at Brighton Station - follow this link to read more. |
| "Flying Scotsman" leaving Kings Cross for Edinburgh (Waverley). The longest non-stop run in the world - 392 1/4 miles in 8 1/4 hours". |
| No date for this one - probably 1930s when the streamlining of engines was at its height. |
| The Great Northern Hotel. |
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| Two old steam engines at King's Cross depot in the 1950s. |
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