Glasgow Great Buchanan Street

[Hunslet 102]

Glasgow Great Queen Street 

 

Having got some great information from members on the forum about the type of locomotives and stock that would be found in Glasgow Queen Street in the early 70s, and having always been a fan of the BR blue/grey era, I decided to do a fictitious layout, using my already partly built Irish themed layout based on Belfast Great Victoria Street, the original that closed in 1976, hence the Great in the name!

Obviously, a lot of modellers licence will be in use, but hopefully a feel of the time can be created!

The terminus station is in rebuild mode, the overall roof not surviving a relocation move! 

Below are a couple of photos of blue/grey stock from the early 70s. More photos and updates will follow, although if it is anything like my Irish themed thread, it will be somewhat sporadic! 
 

 

 

A Class 27 heads the recently introduced push/pull service from Glasgow to Edinburgh, passing a Class 40 with Mk1 stock heading to Glasgow from Aberdeen.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Hunslet 102

[Hunslet 102]

It’s the early 1970s and a North British Class 29 trundle’s into Great High Street goods yard with a short freight.

Both locomotive and yard are in their final year of existence and will soon be confined to history.

 

 

In the foreground, a Class 24 has been shunting some empty wagons for its own departure very shortly.

 

 

 

Loose coupled freight was also coming to an end!

 

Andy

[Hunslet 102]

A Class 27 is at the head of MK1 coaching stock with a service to Fort William, passing a Class 101 DMU with a service from Stirling.

In the background is an invacar production factory.

 

 

The cameraman managed to get a front and tail end view without trespassing on the line!

 

 

And a side view of the same trains from the safety of the meadow!

 

[Hunslet 102]

A Class 40 powers past the terrace houses with a service to Aberdeen.

A Class 25 heads in the opposite direction with a service from Dundee and is about to pass the Class 24 with a parcels service for Great Queen Street.

 

 

 

All services are seen passing the church and more terrace houses in the foreground. 
This area of the layout is still in build mode, with the back scene pretty much complete with occupied and derelict housing, while in front of the church and houses, footpaths etc are required, while a bus depot opposite the church is also planned.

 

[saxokid]

3 hours ago, Hunslet 102 said:

A Class 40 powers past the terrace houses with a service to Aberdeen.

A Class 25 heads in the opposite direction with a service from Dundee and is about to pass the Class 24 with a parcels service for Great Queen Street.

 

 

 

All services are seen passing the church and more terrace houses in the foreground. 
This area of the layout is still in build mode, with the back scene pretty much complete with occupied and derelict housing, while in front of the church and houses, footpaths etc are required, while a bus depot opposite the church is also planned.

 

Nice work here Hunslet 102👍

[Hunslet 102]

Thank you for your comment on the layout saxokid, much appreciated 

[saxokid]

5 hours ago, Hunslet 102 said:

Thank you for your comment on the layout saxokid, much appreciated 

Very welcome,look forward to more updates soon👍

[Clive martin]

Captures a place and time very well indeed ,although i have never been to Glasgow,i can just hear those sulzers and english electrics passing the terrace houses,its great to see the class 27 push pull set a train that is not often seen in model form look forward to seeing more of your layout!

[Hunslet 102]

9 hours ago, Clive martin said:

Captures a place and time very well indeed ,although i have never been to Glasgow,i can just hear those sulzers and english electrics passing the terrace houses,its great to see the class 27 push pull set a train that is not often seen in model form look forward to seeing more of your layout!

Thanks Clive for your encouraging comments, much appreciated and thanks to everyone who has liked the various photos so far.

 

[Hunslet 102]

What might have been 

 

It’s 1971, and British Rail has decided that the main commuter line from Glasgow Great Queen Street to Edinburgh needed upgrading, to replace the ageing dmu fleet.

A push/pull locomotive operation was decided upon, and suitable test trains started appearing for evaluation.

Already established Class 37s and 27s were put through their paces, but some engineers cast their eyes across the water to Northern Ireland, where a push/pull operation involving the NIR DL Hunslet class had proved very successful on the Belfast to Dublin route since introduction in 1970. This push/pull operation involved 2 locomotives with 8 mk2 coaches, but also operated with 1 locomotive and 5 or 6 coaches with a driving trailer coach at one end.

The Hunslet locomotives of NIR had been built by BREL in Doncaster, the work subbed to them from Hunslet. They also shared the same EE engine type as the Class 20, which was proving to be the most successful and reliable of the early type 1 locomotives.

NIR for their part were also looking to improve their service between Belfast and L’Derry, but with capital at a premium, they needed a cheaper alternative. Casting their eyes over to Eastfield depot in Glasgow, they realised that the recently getting withdrawn Class 29 locomotives could be a cheaper alternative that would meet their needs.

Agreement was thus reached, that NIR would send a Hunslet and driving trailer to Eastfield for trial and Eastfield would send a Class 29 in the opposite direction.

Below, are some rare photos of the respective trial trains on different metals.
 

 

 

The Class 29 in Belfast on trial passing Adelaide station, with an NIR Hunslet in push/pull mode heading in the opposite direction.

 

 

 

The trials on the Great Queen Street to Edinburgh line see the NIR Hunslet with Mk2 BR stock passing a Class 27 in push/pull mode going in the opposite direction.

 

Unfortunately, despite the Hunslet and Class 29 performing well in their trials, neither option was taken up. Costs prohibited NIR from pursuing the Class 29 option, and the whole class ended up being scrapped with none preserved. The Hunslet option was only rejected by BR as they did not want to have another small batch of locomotives, and thus went with the Class 27 option.

[Hunslet 102]

First up, those that have looked in on the thread will notice a change of name! Having recently devoured the book Glasgow Stations, as recommended by Legend of this parish, I realised that the terminus station on my current layout was more akin to Buchanan Street rather than Queen Street! Well, I think so anyway!

The station on the layout unfortunately did not survive a move of location in the loft, so a rebuild is a must and on the cards. I am thinking of redoing the platforms with balsa wood, replacing the existing Hornby platforms that were overlaid with card.

Anyway, below are some photos of classes 25,27,40 and 101 in the platform areas.
 

Classes 25 and 27 with the damage on platforms 2 and 3!

 

 

Same scene with the damage on platform 4

 

 

The throat of the station with more damage in evidence!

 

 

A bird’s eye view! Class 25 in platform 4  with a service to Dundee. Class 27 in platform 3 waiting to leave with the push/pull to Edinburgh. Class 40 in platform 2 waiting to follow the push/pull set with a service to Aberdeen and a 101 DMU, heading to platform 1, out of sight under the bridge with a service from Stirling.

[Legend]

Looking good Hunslet . Glad you enjoyed “Glasgow Stations” . 

[Hunslet 102]

 

 

2 hours ago, Legend said:

Looking good Hunslet . Glad you enjoyed “Glasgow Stations” . 

Thanks Legend. Yes the book is excellent, a great read and well recommended 

Buchanan Street has many similarities to Belfast Great Victoria Street, with the cramped location and the adjacent goods yard, with both stations and goods yards being completely obliterated within 10 years of each other.

I have been trying to get my head round the exact location of Buchanan Street station from map plan in the book. Am I right in thinking it was around the Charing Cross end, where the motorway cuts through the city?

[flubrush]

31 minutes ago, Hunslet 102 said:

 

I have been trying to get my head round the exact location of Buchanan Street station from map plan in the book. Am I right in thinking it was around the Charing Cross end, where the motorway cuts through the city?

 

Basically,  at the top of Buchanan Street,  and quite close to Queen Street station.  It was a short walk between the two stations.

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.9&lat=55.86566&lon=-4.25100&layers=168&b=1

 

Jim.

[Legend]

36 minutes ago, Hunslet 102 said:

 

 

Thanks Legend. Yes the book is excellent, a great read and well recommended 

Buchanan Street has many similarities to Belfast Great Victoria Street, with the cramped location and the adjacent goods yard, with both stations and goods yards being completely obliterated within 10 years of each other.

I have been trying to get my head round the exact location of Buchanan Street station from map plan in the book. Am I right in thinking it was around the Charing Cross end, where the motorway cuts through the city?

No it was further East . Literally in these days it was at the top of Buchanan Street . I think the station is where Buchanan St Bus Station is now and the goods yard roughly where The Caledonian University ( was the Glasgow college of Technology when I studied there) is now . Just to the West of the Uni was Buchanan House which was built on site of the goods yard - it was the headquarters for the Scottish Region . i don’t know what it is now . I don’t think it’s railway owned anymore . I remember while at college you could look out the back and see the original tunnel going north east towards St Rollox.  I think it was under the road called Dobbies Loan . I’m just old enough to vaguely remember the station . For me the stars of the show were always Central Station and St Enochs 

[25kV]

This link has an aerial photo of the area in which Buchanan Street station used to be (with Queen Street visible on the right) plus a map with the end of the B. St. goods station visible at the top.  Street layouts have changed substantially, but with a map you might be able to locate the site:

https://oldglasgow.tumblr.com/post/73861128512/the-buchanan-street-enigma-the-top-bit-of

Naturally it crosses the boundary of two OS maps...

https://maps.nls.uk/view/82891761

Edited August 6, 2023 by 25kV

[Legend]

10 minutes ago, 25kV said:

This link has an aerial photo of the area in which Buchanan Street station used to be (with Queen Street visible on the right) plus a map with the end of the station visible at the top.  Street layouts have changed substantially, but with a map you might be able to locate the site:

https://oldglasgow.tumblr.com/post/73861128512/the-buchanan-street-enigma-the-top-bit-of

I find that pretty confusing to be honest .  If you look at a modern map or google maps Buchanan St station was on the site of Buchanan Bus Station and Caledonian University . In fact you can still trace the line from St Rollox . Straight line goes under motorway and comes out in line with Caledonian University . Buchanan House I was referring to is shown as headquarters of Transport Scotland , so it is still transport related , 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Legend

[Hunslet 102]

38 minutes ago, flubrush said:

 

Basically,  at the top of Buchanan Street,  and quite close to Queen Street station.  It was a short walk between the two stations.

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.9&lat=55.86566&lon=-4.25100&layers=168&b=1

 

Jim.

Thanks for the map link Jim, didn’t realise the stations were that close 

[Hunslet 102]

35 minutes ago, Legend said:

No it was further East . Literally in these days it was at the top of Buchanan Street . I think the station is where Buchanan St Bus Station is now and the goods yard roughly where The Caledonian University ( was the Glasgow college of Technology when I studied there) is now . Just to the West of the Uni was Buchanan House which was built on site of the goods yard - it was the headquarters for the Scottish Region . i don’t know what it is now . I don’t think it’s railway owned anymore . I remember while at college you could look out the back and see the original tunnel going north east towards St Rollox.  I think it was under the road called Dobbies Loan . I’m just old enough to vaguely remember the station . For me the stars of the show were always Central Station and St Enochs 

Thanks Legend. That gives me a better idea of the exact location. My daughter went to Caley University, so I can pinpoint and visualise the area of the station. That area has changed a fair bit in the 30 odd years I have been here, and the station had gone 25 years before that!

 I certainly would never have thought the station was around that area!

[Hunslet 102]

28 minutes ago, 25kV said:

This link has an aerial photo of the area in which Buchanan Street station used to be (with Queen Street visible on the right) plus a map with the end of the B. St. goods station visible at the top.  Street layouts have changed substantially, but with a map you might be able to locate the site:

https://oldglasgow.tumblr.com/post/73861128512/the-buchanan-street-enigma-the-top-bit-of

Naturally it crosses the boundary of two OS maps...

https://maps.nls.uk/view/82891761

Thanks for the link 25kV, I think I will need to digest it a few times to get my head round it! As you say, the area and roads have changed dramatically.

[melmerby]

The Passenger Station was on the corner of Garscadden Street

[Legend]

15 minutes ago, Hunslet 102 said:

Thanks Legend. That gives me a better idea of the exact location. My daughter went to Caley University, so I can pinpoint and visualise the area of the station. That area has changed a fair bit in the 30 odd years I have been here, and the station had gone 25 years before that!

 I certainly would never have thought the station was around that area!

All the best people go to Caley University , although it wasn’t called that in my day ! 

[Hunslet 102]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

The Passenger Station was on the corner of Garscadden Street

Thanks melmerby, pinpoints the location perfectly, with the roof and lines into Queen Street clearly visible.

[pH]

3 hours ago, Legend said:

I remember while at college you could look out the back and see the original tunnel going north east towards St Rollox.  I think it was under the road called Dobbies Loan . I’m just old enough to vaguely remember the station . For me the stars of the show were always Central Station and St Enochs 

Dobbies Loan passed over the line on a bridge. The tunnel started further away from the platforms. See the second picture.

 

I think Buchanan Street was under appreciated. A guaranteed two A4s each day, amongst a real mixture of Standards, ex-LMS and ex-LNER engines. (On my first ‘spotting’ visit, I saw 60529 and 60096.)

 

And the departure of steam locos was a bit more spectacular than from Central or St. Enoch’s.

Black Five 4-6-0 45499, 12 April 1965

 

BR Caprotti Standard 5 4-6-0 73149, 23 August 1966

Edited August 6, 2023 by pH
Add captions

[Hunslet 102]

Thanks ph, great photos, all soon swept away after the second pic