Lack of clearance between tracks

[rebmcr]

There's a similar set up at Hillsborough on the Sheffield Supertram, presumably for the same reason. The points for the junction towards Malin Bridge are in the segregated section just after the end of the platform, then there's interlaced track from there the 30 yards or so to the actual turning which is in the middle of a busy junction.

The north end of Moseley Street in Manchester had Metrolink learn the hard way why it's not a good idea to have a set of points embedded in a road junction, especially where hundreds of buses a day were turning a tight corner into their station!

 

[Trog]

and I suspect the roof columns would have to be removed too...

Second thing that crossed my mind, after grotty looking Pan11 track.

 

[Ploughman]

There was a photo of this in the PWSS's office at Carlisle - three "bogies" on two tracks.

I seem to remember a stretch of sub 1500 6ft around Monkwearmouth on the Newcastle - Sunderland line.

 

[krus_aragon]

I read somewhere the Liverpool and Manchester was originally built like that, so that when a large load needed to be carried, the train could be run on the middle pair of rails.

Correct. This arrangement was short-lived, as while it allowed very wide loads to be carried, it meant turning the busy double line into a single line. Spacing the lines out to six feet allowed the carriage of moderately wide loads
in both directions.

 

[Holly]

But even then they couldn't pass on adjacent lines, and I suspect the roof columns would have to be removed too...

Agreed.
It would be easier to build two completely new platforms with stairs and lifts.

If indeed there is space for two more platforms within the existing Crewe station.
Without double-decking that is. I seem to recall the West side of the station is pretty sparsely developed. Near the avoiding tunnel lines.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Second thing that crossed my mind, after grotty looking Pan11 track.

PW-centric as ever

 

[QueensCurve]

Agreed.
It would be easier to build two completely new platforms with stairs and lifts.

If indeed there is space for two more platforms within the existing Crewe station.
Without double-decking that is. I seem to recall the West side of the station is pretty sparsely developed. Near the avoiding tunnel lines.

There is the old P1 adjacent to P12 (old P2).