King's Cross (was Re: Assyria and Wizardly Geography)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 99192

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Liz Muir" <rowen_lm at y...> 
wrote:

Rowen:
> What I was referring to was an interview I once heard with JKR.  In 
> the movies, and in real life, King's Cross station doesn't match up 
> with the description in the books.  (I made a point of going there 
on 
> my trip to England.)  IIRC, in the books, there is a wooden (or 
> brick) barrier between the platforms 9 and 10.  In the actual 
> station, the two platforms are the sidewalk on opposite sides of 
the 
> central railway track, making it very difficult to find any barrier 
> between them. :)
> 

Geoff:
Your posts have triggered off this line of thought.

I was last in Kings Cross last year and knew the station well when I 
lived in London. The station is divided into two sections, the 
mainline part and the suburban area. The main station has eight 
platforms (1-8) and there are currently three suburban platforms (9-
11). Platforms 9 and 10 do not share a  common platform but have two 
tracks between them. There is a substantial brick barrier and various 
offices etc. between 8 and 9.

The main line train shed is in two sections, so there is another 
brick wall between (I think) platforms 4 and 5. Having just taken a 
close look at the DVD (which I've never really dome before), the 
opening shot shows Harry and Hagrid walking east (ie towards platform 
1) along the bridge which connects platforms 1 and 8. The terminal 
ends are to the left of them. Harry is then seen walking along 
platform 4 when he speaks to the guard and moved through to platform 
5, the other side of the barrier when he overhears Molly Weasley.

As a lifelong railway enthusiast, I always get very cross when films 
are sloppy over details like this.

If you want a map of KX, try:

www.networkrailstations.co.uk/pdfs/maps/king.pdf

I remember actually being in the station around the time of the 
release of PS and there were Hogwrats Express banners and platform 
numbers mounted on platform 9, the most easterly of the suburban 
plstforms.