The rictoria Terminal Buildings of the Great Indian Peninsula Rail way, at Bombay, the second city in the Indian empire, are believed to con stitute the most extensive structure of the kind in the world. The total length of the front or west facade is over r5oo feet. The style of architec ture adopted is a free treatment of Venetian Gothic with an Oriental feel ing. The main feature of the edifice is the large octagonal dome that crowns the grand central staircase of the administrative offices. It is of solid cut-stone masonry, pierced by eight lancet-shaped two-light windows of stained 1-.,,lass of ornate design. A colossal stone figure of Progress, 16/ feet in heig,tht, surmounts the apex of the dome, and the principal gables are crowned with groups of sculpture. Under a canopy, below the large clock of the central gable, is placed a beautiful statue of Her Majesty the queen-empress. The interior of the structure has been sk-ilfully arranged and artistically finished, colored polished marbles and granites being used in the halls, waiting-, and refreshment-rooms with pleasing effect. The entire work, to complete which required ten years, was executed by native workmen, under the supervision of F. W. Stevens, F. R. I., the architect, and the cost was twenty-seven lacs of rupees (nearly $19,000,000). The buildings (pi. 29, jig. 2) were opened in May, 1888.
The Xew Central at which has recently been opened for traffic, is one of the most imposing structures of modern times, both in dimension and in detail (fig-. I). It is a fire proof edifice of Heilbronn sandstone, and is a beautiful example of the Renaissance style of architecture. The great width of the building (721 y. feet) gives to it the effect of comparative lowness, but the artistic disposi tion of the entrances and pavilions and the sculptured adornments impart an impressive grandeur to the whole design. The central entrance to the station projects considerably in advance of the rest of the building-line, and by its distinct membering stands out conspicuously from the whole. This part of the structure contains the ticket-offices, telegraph-offices, and baggage and police departments. Corner pavilions and protruding portals of peculiar construction and the great round-arched windows enliven the aspect of the wings. The corner pavilion (to the left in the view) contains the so-called " imperial apartments," for the reception of royal travellers; on the opposite side are the meeting-hall and reception-rooms of the man agers of the different railway lines entering the depot. On the right and left of the main vestibule, lobbies with arched roofs lead to the waiting- and dining-rooms, the ladies' rooms, the imperial apartments, the meeting halls above mentioned, and the toilet-rooms. The main entrance-hall leads directly to the middle platform of the train-shed (pi. 5, fig. 1), which con sists of three naves, for the reception of the six railway lines, and is cov ered with an iron roof of three low-arched spans. This train-hall has a length of 6io feet and a width of 331 feet, and the height of the naves to the centre of the spans is 93 feet. In each wing- also is a vestibule lead ing to the middle platform of the great train-hall. The exterior of the wing vestibules resembles in style the architecture of the central entrance, only their arches are smaller. The building was erected by Engineer
Frantz from the plans of Inspector Eggert, who was in charcre The foun t, dation was begun in 1881, and the superstructure in r883. The cost of the building was about eight million five hundred thousand dollars; it is heated' by steam and lig-hted by electricity throughout.
The Tenn/nal .Passenger Station of Me Pennsylvania Railroaa' at Phila delphia (pi. 29, jig. 3) is a fine structure of red brick and terra-cotta. While of less imposing dimensions than the Frankfort station, above noticed, it is no less picturesque and effective in outline, the style of architecture approaching Gothic in sentiment. The interior arrangement of the build ing is well planned and answers the requirements of its intended use as the terminus of an elevated railway. The entrances, ticket-, telegraph-, and baggage-offices are on the ground-floor; the ladies' retiring-rooms, restau rant, and waiting--room are on the second floor, communicating with the train-hall. The latter is provided with two single- and three double-track sections, and is covered by an arched iron roof in two spans of graceful design. To meet the increasing demands of the passenger traffic, a large addition to the present station is projected.
Intermea'iate intermediate stations it is usnal to throw a roof, supported on pillars or otherwise, over the platform (151. 2S, . 6), for the better protection of passengers. Figures 7a and 76, show elevation and ground-plan of a small intermediate station. Figures 15a and 156 represent a specimen watchman's house in elevation and ground-plan in use on the Alteneck-Halzminden Railway.
Fre/A. rhl freight station commonly takes the form of a long building- with a platform or footway at the height of the floor of the cars, with doors on both sides, and a projecting roof for the protection of wagons. Platforms are arrang-ed along the entire length of the build ing for loading and unloading at any point (fig. 8) For stations where a large freight business is conducted, the plan of loading and unloading through the side-doors is found insufficient, and in such cases large covered areas lighted from above are made use of. The freight tracks, passag-es for the entrance and egress of vehicles, and platforms are here all protected, and the loading and unloading of freight may be effected under cover. The handling- of the freight is done either by hand or by steam or hydraulic power. A notable example is the freight station of the Pennsylvania Rail road at the Philadelphia terminus, where a number of hydraulic elevators are employed to lift the goods from the ground-floor of the structure to the level of the elevated roadway; by the same ineans, goods unloaded from the cars are lowered to the ground-floor of the building. As the freight stations must necessarily be used to some extent as depots or storehouses for goods, as well as for their reception in transit from wagons to rail, and vice versa,it is important in planning them that ample floor-space shonld be provided to serve this purpose. To avoid overcrowding, the manage ment of many railway corporations assume, directly or indirectly, the responsibility of delivering goods to their local destination.