Underground, Overground Glasgow Version

It Began With This

It was an fbb puzzle picture showing the crane hoist once used to lift stock off the rails and into the depot of the Glasgow Underground, now usually referred to as "The Subway". When fbb went a courting the future Mrs fbb, whose home was Glasgow, trains did indeed look like this.

Originally, they looked like this, ...

... seen below being admired by Glasgow glitterati, possibly as the service was launched. 

Later the cars had power doors, but, when fbb first started visiting, everything was tired and very gloomy ...

... and smelly!

The depot was on Broomloan Road, just round the corner from Govan Subway station which once looked like this.

In fact, Mrs fbb-to-be was amazed that anyone would willingly want to take a ride! But a youthful fbb was made of sterner stuff and plunged happily into the unwelcoming and toil-worn depths on several occasions.

The depot itself had no rail connection with the gloomy tracks and below we see a car arriving at shed level.

There was a shunting loco to move the stock around the depot ...

... but, as far as fbb knows, no depot tracks were electrified.

Here is the exterior of the depot.

Then along came Stratclyde PTE and a massive upgrade. The most obvious feature of the upgrade was shiny new trains ...

... in an orange livery which the PTE called "Strathclyde Red". Stations were progressively rebuilt and improved with lifts and escalators, brighter lighting, ticket gates and ticket machines, all the paraphernalia of a modern high capacity Metro system - but still built small. There was no upgrade to the diminutive size of the system which remained just a "circle" of double narrow gauge track.

Here, for example, is the present Govan Station.

Some dramatic change, not immediately obvious to the typical passenger were those that happened to the Broomloan depot.

It was rebuilt and connected by rail to the circular below ground tracks!

The connection can be seen curving in a cutting from the top right of the above aerial view.

Today's new trains...

... are longer!

So a new new depot was needed. Here it is with the blue/grey roof next to the old new depot.

The old old depot has been demolished (shame!) although it still materialises c/o Google Streetview.

Here is a simple track plan which explains the principle of the rail connected train park and maintenance shed.

But how, we hear you cry, have the PTE builders and engineers been able to squeeze a new depot with a "tail" into the close packed streets of Govan?

For that fascinating tale, and theo reason for its tail, you will have to "tune in" to tomorrow's blog.

Here is a clue!

More tomorrow.

Meanwhile At Peterville  ...

... something is happening!

But what? It is certainly overground not underrground; but why yellow?

Also more tomorrow - possibly!

Big Numbers 

YouTube creators always seem anxious to get you to "like" their videos and to "subscribe". This is because the author of the video makes money from advertising on their often substantial productions. The more who "like" and "subscribe", the more they will watch and thus the advertisers will record more viewers and pay more money.

The same principle applies to "followers" on a blog.

fbb has never been desirous of corrupting his blogging muse; so will not taint his "art" with commercial considerations. He is also very well aware that the concept of "page reads" can also be corrupted by "bots", voracious electronic gobblers that suck in stuff from the interwebnet and use it to feed the even more voracious data warehouses essential for current non-AI craze.

But, at some time yesterday, fbb's all-time page reads clicked through ..

6,000,000

... six million!

Not at all bad for an old bloke with a strange sense of humour and a collection of OO tank wagons!

 Next Underground Overground blog : Sat 10 Jan