Provan Gas Works

Location type

Works

Name and dates

Provan Gas Works (1904-1958)

Description

This gasworks, in the north east of Glasgow at Provanmill, was built between 1900 and 1904 for Glasgow Corporation Gas Dept. The engineer was William Foulis and contractor Robert McAlpine & Sons.

It was served by branches from the former Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, Blochairn Steel Works Branch (Caledonian Railway) and City of Glasgow Union Railway. A headhunt in the west of the works Provan Gas Works Headshunt gave access to most of the works. The retorts, and coal store, were in the middle of the site and by-products plant in the north.

The site had a standard gauge network, with its own locomotives to operate it, and a 2ft 6in network with further locomotives. In addition there were electric locomotives, (at least) one being provided by the Electric Loco & Foundry Co of Gateshead.

The gas works closed in 1958, although two large gasometers remained in use in the south of the site, one particularly famous for its one-time 'Glasgow Smiles Better' logo, featuring Roger Hargreaves' Mr Happy which greeted arrivals to Glasgow from the east via the M8 motorway. A third remained in use at the north end.

Tags

Gas works

Aliases

Provan Gasworks

Chronology Dates

  /  /1899Provan Gas Works
Agreement made between the Caledonian Railway and Glasgow Corporation for access to Provan Gas Works. (Connections from Germiston Junction High, incoming, and Blackhill Junction, outgoing.)
  /  /1903Provan Gas Works
Caledonian Railway's Provan Gas Works branch authorised.