Jump to content
 

Singer Factory private Station Glasgow


DCB
 Share

Recommended Posts

Has anyone considered modelling a station like the Singer Factory private station at Glasgow?

I found a picture of it in North British Album by A.A.Maclean with four long trains waiting to leave, 3 V1s and an Ivatt 4MT flying pig.

It looked just like a model, apparently minimal buildings grass grown platforms and no canopies that I could see, it seemed to cater just for the workforce.

It was a terminus and had at least 4 if not 5 platform faces with sidings alongside.

Could be a good excuse for more than one company's trains on a Minories style layout perhaps.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think that picture may be the same as one in “An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways” by Smith and Anderson. If it is, there is more information in the caption in that book.

 

There was a through station here on the original line of the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh. When the Singer sewing machine factory expanded northwards, the mainline was diverted round it in 1907, but a stub of the original line was kept and the through station converted to the terminus you are describing. As you say, it was used only for workers' trains for Singer. At one time, there were up to 15 trains each way per day.

 

The caption says that there were six tracks there in 1960, when they were all electrified as part of the Glasgow northside electrification scheme. The terminal station closed, as a result of a rundown of the Singer factory, in 1969. Singer station, the newer through station on the diversion, is still open.

 

The picture in “An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways” appears to have been cropped after the caption was written, as the caption describes things not visible in the picture. Something in what it says would add to the operation of a model. In addition to the 2-6-2 tanks and the Ivatt mogul, there was also a Glen on a train in the station. However, in contrast to the tanks' and mogul's eastbound trains, this train was a westbound for Dumbarton and beyond. It would be propelled back out of the station on to the main line, then head west over the diversion line.

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi everyone,

 

Around twenty years ago I worked for a year adjacent to the singer factory site (next to the current station), and there was almost nothing to suggest what had been there in the past.  It's quite amazing to see the aerial photo of the site.

 

It would make an interesting subject to model though, I imagine, quite a lot of compression would be needed.

 

One quick question: is that Bowling oil terminal in the distance (toward the right hand side)?

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I wonder if the lack of detail is for strategic reasons - a vulnerable asset in time of war.

In the same vein, the Nobel explosives site at Ardeer is just an empty space on certain OS maps, even the railway shown on the map stops at the site boundary!

Edited by jasp
additional informatioi
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

You may have more luck with old-maps site as they have maps of various scales up to recent versions. This link may, with luck, take you to a large scale 1967 map. https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/243242/674441/12/100954 

Edit: the link doesn't work too well. You need to zoom out using the - button until a map appears, then follow the railway line in a sort of ESE direction until you reach the Singer complex.

Edited by Nick Holliday
Link doesn't work well
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, jasp said:

I wonder if the lack of detail is for strategic reasons - a vulnerable asset in time of war.

In the same vein, the Nobel explosives site at Ardeer is just an empty space on certain OS maps, even the railway shown on the map stops at the site boundary!

 

I think it is just different dates for the maps. One dates from before the building of the tank farm

 

Richard

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Quite a few similar stations were built during both World Wars, usually in conjunction with munitions manufacture, which required vast work-forces. Examples include Cold Meece/ Swynnerton (between Stone and Stafford) and Lando, Pembrey, which had both a main-line halt, and a connection from the main line to a larger station within the site.

Other sites which have had dedicated stations include British Steel, Redcar, and the BP oil refinery at Llandarcy.

One of the oddest survivors was the service that ran from Derby and Stoke, via Crewe station, to a platform within Crewe Works; it was intended for workshop staff who had been displaced when the North Staffs works at Stoke shut. That was in the early 1920s, but the train still ran in the early 1980s....I tried staying on once, but was asked to leave.

Link to post
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, jasp said:

I wonder if the lack of detail is for strategic reasons - a vulnerable asset in time of war.

In the same vein, the Nobel explosives site at Ardeer is just an empty space on certain OS maps, even the railway shown on the map stops at the site boundary!

 

9 hours ago, RLWP said:

 

I think it is just different dates for the maps. One dates from before the building of the tank farm

 

Richard

There was certainly a policy of the Ordnance Survey not to show military facilities - it was withdrawn perhaps 10 years ago, in recognition of the fact that things like Google Earth made it a totally useless security measure.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...