Glasgow Subway Pre-and-During Modernisation

Glasgow, Scotland - Gap74 - Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 : goo

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West Street

Ok folks, I'm a long-time lurker who's finally outing himself, so to speak,to post some pics I've been meaning to scan for quite some time.

I must preface this posting with the fact that I'm afraid these are all the work of another that I'm scanning, but I only do so in the hope that at least a few of you go out and buy the book they're taken from (which is Glasgow Subway Album by a chap called George Watson, published by Adam Gordon. It's probably a bit of a minority interest subject, this, but I know at least a couple of you on this site will enjoy these!

The author was lucky enough to be working for the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive during the last years of the old underground, and he documented it in photos in the run up to its closure in May 1977 - although it actually closed a few days earlier than planned due to the general rundown nature of the system! He also captured a few interesting scenes during modernisation, although he was to leave his job before the system reopened - was that 1980 as I recall?

Anyways, on with the pics, and the first lot are interiors....

St Enoch - seems even the busier stations had only a single island platform then, with the stairs rising up and splitting into two

......as can be seen in this elevated view from the same position

Partick Cross Station - now, of course, Kelvin Hall. Being the last few months of service, very few ads are still on display. And for all the modernisation they did to the station itself in 1980, that little alley leading up to it is still dingy as hell!

Merkland St Station - the only station not retained in the modernisation, it was instead moved further west and integrated with Partick railway station. Apparently the cavern of the old station still exists - can't say I've ever noticed it on my many underground trips, anyone else?

The ticket office of Merkland Street station

Kelvinbridge

Hillhead - decidedly less talent on view here than there usually is these days. Oops, did I just type that out loud?

Copland Rd Station - now, of course, Ibrox. It looks to me from many of these photos that a lot of the stations were lit by natural light from above - if that's so, it's a shame they covered them all. Note the staff, who appear fairly cheery and less liable to strike at the drop of a hat than today's equivalent

Cessnock Station - and again, natural light looks to be present in this long passageway - I'm sure from my last trip there that it's totally covered now

Buchanan Street - looking both quieter and a lot smaller than the current one!

Bridge Street

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Flying Colours: It's not changed any!

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