Glasgow Subway Pre-and-During Modernisation

Second Road: 11th Nov 2008 - 19:04 GMT

Wow, what photos! I really know nothing about Glasgow, but at least now I know a lot about their train-system! Er, or what their train-system used to be like :-D

greyeyedeve: 11th Nov 2008 - 19:11 GMT

thanks for the link - I have fond memories of the 'clockwork orange' and its really interesting to see what it like before it was modernised.

Plum Blossom: 11th Nov 2008 - 19:12 GMT

Even though the stations are grubby, there's a certain charm to the trains themselves.

Eleanor: 11th Nov 2008 - 19:41 GMT

These have a wonderful almost pre-war look to them, nice work.

Ravennoir: 11th Nov 2008 - 21:33 GMT

ahhhhh clockwork orange:P

not enough decay for my liking but the pictures is nice:P

Felix Connie: 11th Nov 2008 - 21:39 GMT

see, the camera man is distracting them while the woman in the background steals that little kid

tiny pink stars: 11th Nov 2008 - 21:49 GMT

Wonderful... I love the feeling of seeing familiar places looking so different.

Puffpastry: 11th Nov 2008 - 21:50 GMT

These are really cool! The red of the trains sort of impacts the whole tunnel...makes it gritty-warm instead of gritty-cold. Very neat.

Peter: 12th Nov 2008 - 00:20 GMT

WOW. entries like this tend to be some of my very favorite on this site... good work!

after reading Glasgow Subway, i see that this modernization took place from 1977-1980, so that helped put a date on these photos, which i was curious about.

that wiki link is a pretty good read, actually... helps put the imagery in this post into good perspective.

once again, well done! i think i can speak for us all when i say wed love to see more!

Avioris: 12th Nov 2008 - 14:16 GMT

Wonderful that you posted these. Such, almost documentary, pictures are hard to come by and are pretty interesting

Ender: 20th Nov 2008 - 14:26 GMT

This is simply marvelous. Thank you for sharing these photos. Contrary to what someone said above, the Clockwork Orange doesn't look much like this anymore, though I can just barely recall riding it in this state as a child. Anyway, a nice glimpse from the past. Thank you again!

M . F. G - Alness: 29th Nov 2008 - 17:03 GMT

I travelled this wonderful subway system, which is over 100 years old now, every day to school, from the age of 5 from the south of the city to the west. I loved it and my favourite part was the smell. I think it may have been the creosote in the tunnels, if I'm right, and it was the only perfume I used to want to wear when I grew up.Not that I ever did.
Thankyou

Varinki: 14th Dec 2008 - 04:46 GMT

The Glasgow Subway was opened in 1896 and the equipment dated from that time. It was cable operated until 1935 when it was converted to electricity. Also there were no turnouts on the line and a crane was used to move the equipment on and off the network. Oh and those small rails on the wall in the first photo power the lights on the train.

maureen robertson: 9th Jan 2009 - 04:34 GMT

40 years ago as a 15yr old my friend and I used to jump on the subway at Merkland street and cross the river to Govan to go to the pictures. We weren't allowed to, Govan being a foreign country and considered far too rough. The beauty of it was the subway was so fast and direct that there was no chance of getting caught. We'd come back to Merkland Street and get big bags of chips at the Merkland St chippie. What memories. I'll never forget the subway smell or the rattly old coaches with dim lighting. I live in Australia now but I sometimes still dream about the subway and running down the stairs when we heard the subway rumbling in the tunnels. I also well remember sitting in the Indian Restaurant under the Central Bridge or Govan pictures and feeling the vibration from the subway underneath

dubdoc: 9th Jan 2009 - 12:58 GMT

Is there any available information in the book these images came from regarding the photography? I'm just curious as to how wide the lens was that some of these were taken with. There is some interesting distortion in some of the shots, but they don't quite look fisheye. Anywho, just curious if this information might be around somewhere.

Nicholas: 12th Feb 2009 - 00:53 GMT

Wow, amazing pictures. Thanks a lot. I've never noticed the Merkland Chamber before. I think i'll head that way soon and go back and forth until i can see/hear it. Quite a spooky thought that its still there, Completely deserted.

Myke: 12th Feb 2009 - 12:49 GMT

It's been a while since I visited Citynoise and I'm glad I happened to catch this posting. I'm only in my 20s so my first experience on the clockwork orange was in the '90s. Very interesting photos, thank you for sharing them with us!

AshleyAutherley: 12th Feb 2009 - 13:36 GMT

I think the first picture looks very scary. The stop looks like its very dark before the train comes, I think the trains lights it up. Also those trains have only two carts which I think is kind of weird because our train in New York have more and larger carts then that. Also i think the carts are very short of small because people would have to duck in oder to enter the train.

Serhio: 17th Feb 2009 - 14:44 GMT

Terrible photos! It looks like dark dull vault. Moscow metro is the best and most beautiful in the world. Moscow metro stations are palaces in comparison with this awful basement.

Richard: 5th Mar 2009 - 20:34 GMT

Just back from my first visit to Glasgow, and I took a few trips on the 'Clockwork Orange' while I was there. The trains are great, like shrunken versions of London tubes (and built by the same company). Would have loved to have travelled on it in the last days before modernisation - am I right in thinking the trains were about 80 years old by then? There's still a bit of a smell which reminds me of London Undergrounds 'drain' (Waterloo & City line). Great pics!

robbie: 24th Mar 2009 - 22:04 GMT

moved away from govan a long time ago butthe photo,s brought back the feeling and the great smell of the subway

Alison: 3rd Apr 2009 - 10:13 GMT

Wow, these photos are beautiful.

I live just opposite Cessnock station and I take the tube almost every day. I suspect the photo of the long passageway at Cessnock is a different entrance to the one currently used. The current entrance/exit is situated under a tenement block, so was presumably always covered over; however, at the far end of the platform there is a mysterious doorway which is sometimes open. I think it leads up to that passageway. I'm always tempted to explore, but I'm slightly too chicken...

Eric: 14th Apr 2009 - 11:34 GMT

ITS FAST,and brill way to get around any city beats trams,Glasgow is sitting on a goldmine of disused tunnels and rail lines that could be expanded onto,cities would die for that,

Peter: 14th Apr 2009 - 13:03 GMT

disused rail lines, you say? anyone got any photos of that sort of thing?

James: 24th May 2009 - 07:10 GMT

Takes me back to when I was a kid. Lived in Kinning Park in the late 60's and used to go to St Enoch's shopping with my mother.

Josie Harken "Canada": 9th Jun 2009 - 01:52 GMT

Great photos. Used to love standing at the entrance of a subway station just to get a whiff of that wonderful smell. Does anyone have any photos of old station toilets? Remember the beautiful one at the Central Station? No, I'm not weird, the architecture in those places were magnificent. It's only after your gone from your hometown that you appreciate this sort of stuff. No, not toilets, any architecture.

john brannan: 21st Jun 2009 - 11:16 GMT

i used to dog school all day on those old underground trains. used to walk from possilpark to cowcaddens to get on it then ride it till nearly home time. the they closed it for few years. when it did re open it just was not the same, the noise and smells were all gone. the old photos bring back memories thanks for that as i now stay in north wale and miss glasgow a bit.

Alexis: 28th Jun 2009 - 21:34 GMT

I've been hunting for photos of the old Glasgow Subway on the net for ages ! I'm 40 yrs old , and my Mum used to take me on the Subway, before it closed in the early 70's. I cant really remember what it looked like, all I remember is it being darker & my Mum dragging me on to the platforms crying & screaming because the extremely loud noise of the old trains approaching terrified me and standing in the small island platforms, I used to think I'd get pushed onto the track! I still use the subway often , but,now I stand at the bottom of the stairs , until the train has stopped ! My Mum knows I blame her for the great fear I have to this day of using the Glasgow Subway ! Great photos , loved them !

Jen: 2nd Jul 2009 - 17:30 GMT

The remains of the Merkland station are a blink and you miss it event but on rare occasions you can catch a glimpse of the frame work of the old platform. I found this picture of what it looks like these days on flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickrphotos/313364737/in/set-72157594406395293/

I have to say I'd quite like it if Cessnock got it's natural light back!
It's wonderful to see how it was, thanks for sharing these pictures!

Cathie: 13th Jul 2009 - 19:19 GMT

Can someone tell me if the entrance to Bridge Street underground as moved over the years. I'm convinced that when I got off at Bridge St from school, I had a short walk down the road to where I lived in Eglinton Street. I was in Glasgow recently and the entrance seems to be situated on a corner now. Is my memory playing tricks on me? I'm convinced it isn't...can someone solve the mystery.

brian: 28th Aug 2009 - 11:47 GMT

With regards Merkland st station chamber, it is in fact still there. Heading towards Govan the chamber is just visible from the inner circle platform about 50 metres in. it is easier to see when the tunnel lighting is on (not a usual occurance during the day) The chamber itself is now just a big empty cavern, The original fittings are now in the Transport Museum. I work for the Subway and when I walk through the chamber it brings back memories of my last journey just before modernisation as Merkland St was the final stop. To Cathie, Bridge st station is still in the same place although the front door has moved. Bridge St also now has a electricity sub station which probably throwing you a wee bit.

Calum: 27th Sep 2009 - 23:14 GMT

I used to live acrosS the road from cessnock too. And shut up russian person nae wan asked for your opinion.

Radar: 15th Oct 2009 - 22:55 GMT

As Jen has posted the Merkland Street station chamber is still present. A group called Hidden Glasgow had the chance to go down and see the remains of the old Merkland Street station and walk the tunnels 2 or 3 years ago. The link to the photo in Jen's post allows you to see some of the other pics that Dazzababes took that day.