Aldgate terminating platforms.

[adamskiodp]

Hello folks, and a Merry Christmas

Does anyone know if the terminating platforms (Metropolitan Line) at Aldgate have always been so, or did they ever go beyond and continue eastwards? Carte Metro seems to suggest they’ve always been terminating.

 

[Dstock7080]

I believe the centre platforms have always has been a terminus, the alignment wouldn't allow trains to run east, only west towards Tower Hill.

 

[Snow1964]

Some alterations to buildings happened in 1926 at Aldgate, but I don’t know if the centre platforms could be used towards Tower prior to that.

Found an Old map which suggests initially only the centre platforms continued (but this map was around the time the line was being extended towards Tower Hill as temporary hoardings are marked)

https://urbanformation.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/insurance_plan_of_city_of_london_vol._iii_sheet_71_bl_150238.jpg

 

[etr221]

OS large scale map of 1894 https://maps.nls.uk/view/101201598 shows the centre tracks (but not the outside tracks, as now) connecting at Minories Junction, for trains through to the south side of the Circle. I assume part of 1926 changes was to reverse track/platform usage at Aldgate.

 

[edwin_m]

The change could alternatively have been made in the 1930s, when the triangle was re-modelled to improve operations, including the re-location of Aldgate East eastwards to its current site.

 

[Harsig]

OS large scale map of 1894 https://maps.nls.uk/view/101201598 shows the centre tracks (but not the outside tracks, as now) connecting at Minories Junction, for trains through to the south side of the Circle. I assume part of 1926 changes was to reverse track/platform usage at Aldgate.

This 1914 update to the map ( https://maps.nls.uk/view/103313324 ) shows that the centre platforms are the terminal platforms. I would therefore suggest the change in arrangements was made either in connection with electrification of the line in 1905 or with the resignalling which followed shortly thereafter (1906/1909).

 

[rebmcr]

Could an S8 even fit in a terminating Platform 1 (the easternmost, closest to the Aldgate East tracks)?

 

[Dstock7080]

Could an S8 even fit in a terminating Platform 1 (the easternmost, closest to the Aldgate East tracks)?

They can, and run to the reversing berths at Tower Hill.

 

[mr_moo]

I'm not sure it fully answers the question but here's the fabulous Jago Hazzard's Aldgate video:

 

[Taunton]

Aldgate was one of the key 4-platform stations, like Edgware Road, around the Circle in steam days (before 1905) where locos could be quickly serviced and have water refreshed, due to condensing the water in the tanks would become hot, it could be discharged and fresh water taken.

There may have been loco sidings in the blank space on the south-east side of Aldgate, which the bus station was later built over. One thing about large scale OS maps of the era is they cannot be relied on to show railway pointwork etc accurately; they are not a signalling diagram. Some maps do, and others don't; it seems it depended on the precision of the individual surveyor what they recorded.

 

[adamskiodp]

Thank you all for the interesting replies

Happy New Year