The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-11
LARGEST RAILWAY TERMINAL

duct and cross streets, restoring the orig
inal thoroughiares for use by the city;
to tear down and remove the old train
shed with its extensive terminal building
for office and general station use: to
erect the present magnificent structure,
in which are housed the principal offices
of the company and the various con-
courses, waiting rooms. ETC., of the ter
minal; to lay down the 80. miles of track
III the yard and station, and to do all OF
this without interfering with the regular
operation of the trains running into and
out of the station.
The new terminal station will have four
separate levels. At the grade OF Forty
second street will be the gallery, hciuw
that the great concourses on the level of
the Al tracks that will handle the through
express trains. on the third level will be
q tracks for the suburban trains, end
below these, running east and west below,
, Forty-thrd and Forty-fifth streets, Will
be subways for handling the inbound and
outbound baggage.
Great attention was paid to the problem
of separating the inbound and outbound
traffic, so a sto insure that the passen-
unbroken stream from street to train or
from train to street. As part of this plan,
it was decided to abolish stairways and
substitute inclined planes or ramps as
they are called, which, after much expert
menta tion were built on grade of feet
rise to every hundred feet of length. To
avoid congestion no less than IL separate
entrances to the station have been pro-
vided. The passenger purchases his ticket
in the express concourse, and passing 10
the next counter, turns over his ticket
and baggage cheCAs to the transfer COM
pany, who send them by pneumatic tubes
to the baggage room where the tr'suks
are checked and the trunk checks sent
back. Passing through gates on the side
of the concourse opposite the ticket Of
fees the passenger walks down on an
easy incline to the express passenger plat
forms, which are at the same level as the
floor OF the ears. and there boards his
train. The handling of baggage into and
out OF the train is entirely separated
from the passengers. the incoming bag
gage being unloaded beyond where the
passengers leave the train, and the out
going baggage being brought up to the
baggage cars at the front of the train.
from the subways. In agreement with
the principle CT complete segregation of
the various classes of passengers, there
are two large waiting rooms adjoining
the Forty second street entrances, one FOR
through long distance passengers, ard
another Immediately below it for subur-
ban service; eacn being on the level of
the track which it serves. Everything
ticket offices, entrances, and exits 20 the
express and suburban service-wil be en-
tirely distinct and separate, each having
it's own concourse, it's own information
bureau, its own baggage checking places,
parcel room, and other facilities for trav-
ell The concourse for inbound trains can
comfortably hold 5000 people: that for out
bound trains. 5000. The waiting room
will accommodate about 5000 more, and
altogether this great station can take care
of nearly 10000 people, without subjecting
them to uncomfortable crowding. II is
estimated that 10000 outbound passengers
can pass through the terminal in an hour,
which is double the maximum carrying
power of any passenger station existing
TODAY. -
The great train capacity of the station,
estimated at maximum of 200 trains an
hour. is due to the introduction of the
loop system, both for express and suptr-
han service. Instead of trains coming in,
djscharging passengers and backing out,
they will continue. when empty. around
a loop under the southerly front OF the
station, and then will run over to the yard
at one side of the station yard. where
they will be cleaned and made ready tor
the next trip. 1t may be mentioned mere
that not only has electricity rendered pos
sible this underground and entirely en-
closed station. but it has cut out a large
amount of switching.