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George Townsend Andrews

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George Townsend Andrews (1804 - 1855) was an English architect, born in Exeter. He is particularly noted for his railway buildings designed for George Hudson's railways especially the York and North Midland Railway. Andrews architect's practice in York did not confine itself to railway work, its other buildings included headquarters for two York based banks and a number of churches.

He won a Society of Arts premium in 1824 and was also Sheriff of York in 1846-47, during George Hudson's third term as mayor. He died in 1855, aged 51.

G.T. Andrews railway work

Andrews designed all the buildings (not just the stations) for the Y&NM from the middle of 1839 until the work dried up in 1849 following the downfall of George Hudson. Having designed the new York station jointly for the Y&NM and the Great North of England Railway, he went on to design buildings for the GNE as far north as Northallerton. He designed all the buildings for the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway and the Yorkshire buildings of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway.

The Y&NM opened its first section from a temporary station outside the walls of York in May 1839 but Hudson wanted to bring the railway into the heart of York which meant a breach in the city walls. Andrews provided the favoured design for the requisite entry in the form of a Tudor arch. The new station was laid out to a plan of Robert Stephenson and was a development of his plan for Euston station making allowances for York's status as a junction. Andrews designed the station buildings. They comprised two separate trainsheds, joined at each end, producing a hipped appearance, which became one of Andrew's trademarks. Each shed was (like Euston) of 40 ft span and the roof was supported by wrought iron 'Euston trusses', giving a more slender airy construction than contemporary wooden station roofs. The train sheds were clad with slate on wooden planking, with the portion adjacent to the apex being glazed. The main station facilities were ranged along the departure platform with a central booking office flanked by the waiting rooms for each class (and a separate waiting room for ladies); provision was also made for parcels traffic, left luggage, the station master and the maintenance of lamps. On the first floor was the Y&NM boardroom and offices. Adjacent to the arrivals platform were 1st and 2nd class refreshment rooms and a bar with bedrooms above.

Due to delays in agreeing the building design with the GNE the station was incomplete when services started running to London, it finally opened on 4 January 1841.

The station at York embodied many of the features Andrews was to use in his other medium and large stations for the Y&NM, in particular the hipped roof supported by 'Euston trusses' but with one modification, the glazed portion of the roof was raised and given louvered sides to allow egress of smoke and steam; locomotives were originally not expected to enter York station but later that roof too was modified. Other features characteristic of Andrew's buildings include marked overhanging eaves and chimney stacks with an arch over the apex of the roof.

G.T. Andrews stations

Stations with an overall roof are denoted thus: Station Name

Y&NM Main Line 1839

GNE Main Line 1839

York to Scarborough, Y&NM 1845

Rillington Junction to Whitby, Y&NM 1845 - 1847

  • Marishes Road, closed 1965
  • Kirby, closed 1858
  • Pickering, roof removed 1952, closed 1965, re-opened (NYMR) 1973, replacement GT Andrews design roof expected by 2010.

Seamer to Hull, Y&NM, 1846 - 1847

York to Market Weighton, Y&NM 1847

References

  • Fawcett, Bill (2001). A History of North Eastern Railway Architecture Volume 1: The Pioneers. The North Eastern Railway Association. ISBN 1-873513-34-8.
  • Bairstow, Martin (1995). Railways In East Yorkshire Volume Two. Martin Bairstow. ISBN 1-871944-12-0.
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