Kelvin Hall

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Partick Central (1896-1959)
Kelvin Hall (1959-1964)

Opened on the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.

Description

This was an island platform station with a street level building on Benalder Street and platform building.

The platform level building had a very large canopy roof, which extended beyond the building to the foot of the stairs to street level. The building was similar to others on the line, but with the larger canopy, partially glazed. The platform level building was demolished in 1969.

There was a goods yard and mineral depot on the north side of the station, accessed from the east. To the east the line crossed the River Kelvin before continuing by Yorkhill Tunnel to Stobcross, there were sidings for Rank Hovis (Scotstoun Mills). To the west the line continued by the Merkland Tunnel under the Stobcross Railway to Partick West. There was a signal box at either end. No 1 was at the east end (north side of the line at the west mouth of Yorkhill Tunnel alongside a siding for Regent Mills) and No 2 at the west end (south side of the line by Castlebank Street). Both opened with the station in 1896.

A siding on the south side of the station was a reversing spur for a line which crossed the River Kelvin underneath the Kelvin Viaduct, of the North British Railway, to reach the Pointhouse Shipbuilding Yard.

The no 2 (west) box closed in 1956, replaced with a ground frame.

For the Scottish Industries Exhibition in September 1959 specials using restored locomotives were run from several locations to the station. (eg Largs).

The station closed to passengers in 1964. The line east from the station into Yorkhill Tunnel closed altogether in 1964. The no 1 (east) box remained until 1965. Trains reversing into the goods yard did so from alongside this box.

After closure to passengers grain continued to be delivered to Hovis and oil to the goods yard. The line was reduced to a single track served from the west. When the Clydeside Expressway opened it did not cut through the line but crossed over Merkland Street Tunnel allowing it to remain open.

The site closed to goods in 1978.

The station site remained fairly intact, without the platform building until 2007 when the street level building and platform were cleared, despite much opposition to the demolition of the building.

The site has been redeveloped for housing and a small portion of the island platform remains under the Benalder Street Bridge which had crossed both station and the River Kelvin.

During construction of the station the medieval Partick Bridge, at the south end of Partick Bridge Street, were cleared. A new bridge carrying Benalder Street was erected over both the railway and River Kelvin.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map




Dates

01/05/1896Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Maryhill Junction to Bellshaugh Junction to Clydebank Riverside, Partick West Junction to Stobcross and Bellshaugh Junction to Kirklee Junction opened for goods. Kelvinside, Partick Central opened to goods. Branch into the Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd] opened.
01/10/1896Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Line opened to passengers - Possil to Clydebank [CR] and Partick North Junction to Partick East Junction. Dumbarton East, Bowling [CR], Old Kilpatrick, Dalmuir [CR], Kilbowie Road, Clydebank [CR], Yoker [CR], Scotstoun West, Scotstoun East, Whiteinch [CR], Partick West, Crow Road, Partick Central stations opened.
15/06/1959Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Partick Central renamed Kelvin Hall.
05/10/1964Glasgow Central Railway
Partick Central to Rutherglen closed to passengers. Partick West, Glasgow Central Low Level, Glasgow Cross, Bridgeton Cross [CR], Dalmarnock and Rutherglen closed. Bridgeton Cross [CR] to Carmyle to Newton closed to passengers. Bridgeton Cross [CR], Parkhead Stadium, Tollcross and Carmyle closed. Partick Central (excluded) to Strathclyde Junction (excluded) closed to all traffic. Bridgeton Cross [CR] to Tollcross (excluded) closed to all traffic. (The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway also closes to passengers.)
23/10/1978Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Yoker Yard to Partick Central closed completely.

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways

The Vanished Railways of Old Western Dunbartonshire (Britains Railways/Old Photos)