London's New Coach Station Nearly Ready
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110R more than a year now those 12 engaged in the coaching business, as well as the public generally, have been interestedly awaiting completion of the majestic King's Cross Motor Coach Station which is being erected opposite the L.N.E.R. and L.M.S. rail termini in London, for the purpose of catering for long-distance as well as suburban motor-coach traffic. It is a remarkable product of private enterprise.
Now that the shell of the edifice is completed and stairways and partitions are being fitted, it is possible to see the new station in its proper perspective. It covers an area of about 45,000 sq. ft., having a frontage of 130 ft. on Easton Road, and extending between two side roads 340 ft. rearward, so that it occupies an island site,
The building covers the entire site, and for ordinary coaching purposes it is intended that the vehicles shall enter at one side and leave from the other_ As regards the ground floor, therefore, which will provide the main coach-loading and unloading space, there will be no obstruction to entrance or exit at the sides, except from the main supporting pillars, which divide the floor into six large bays and one small one.
On the assumption that two coaches abreast may occupy each bay, thus leaving ample room for passengers, there is provision for 13 coaches to leave at one time, whilst behind them three rows of coaches may be drawn up. This means that on the ground floor alone about 50 vehicles may be dealt with at one time.
A ramp having a gradient of 1 in fli leads down to a well-lit concrete-floor basement, where vehicles not immediately required can be parked. There is room for about 50 of them, and the underground amenities include a washing bay, a small coachwork repair shop, and an engineer's shop-for dealing with running .repairs. A vertical flue, measuring about 4 ft. square, extends upwards through the building to the roof and connects with a herringbone arrangement of air ducts under the basement floor, these being linked to grids near the base of each of the main pillars. A powerful fan in the flue exhausts air through the grids, so changing the atmosphere in the basement eight times every hour. Fresh air from second-floor height passes in by means of grids located near the basement cell
lug. There is ample electric lighting and this, as well as the other floors, are equipped with fire sprinklers. Passengers enter by a wide doorway from Euston Road, and large booking offices and waiting rooms are being fitted up on the ground floor. Glass partitions give passengers a full view of the vehicles, whilst excluding any noise from the departure bays.
It is intended to erect large departure indicators on the pillars which divide the bays, so that passengers know exactly where to go for their respective vehicles. High-frequency suburban services, in which passengers generally have no heavy luggage, are to be catered for by the bay nearest to the waiting rooms. Above these, on a mezzanine floor, are to be offices for the staff and a restaurant
In case the coaching business should develop to such an extent that accom
modation for even 100 vehicles might prove inadequate, provision has been made for the erection of a ramp at the south or rear end of the building, by which vehicles could gain access to the first floor. This floor is built to carry a load of 8 tons to the square yard, and could easily be employed for coach parking. There is also provision for a fullsize commercial-vehicle lift to be in stalled instead of, or as well as, a ramp. Separate lifts and stairways are provided for the upper floors, and will be made use of according to the way in which these floors are employed. At present there is only one upper storey, above which is a flat roof with central skylights, but three or more floors can easily be added when necessary. Already the station is in regular use, and by Easter many of the amenities for the comfort and convenience of passengers will be installed.