Kirkcaldy Power Station

[cell]

Took a trip out to Kirkcaldy a few weeks back for a nosey around. One of the main reasons for visiting was to have a look at the power station, lucky for me the front door was open and I managed to get a look inside. Although the generation equipment has long gone the building is remarkably intact. Usual warnings apply, plenty of dodgy floors, unfenced drops and asbestos so it's not advised.

The following description is from Historic Scotland
2-storey, 5-bay, rectangular-plan, classically detailed former electricity generating station. Rusticated ashlar with polished dressings and channelled quoin strips; squared and snecked rubble to E, and brick to W and N. Base and eaves courses. Round and elliptical-arched windows. Keystones, voussoirs, stone mullions. Grey slate and asbestos. Cavetto-coped ashlar stacks with polygonal cans and ashlar-coped skews. INTERIOR: W gallery lined with enamel glazed polychrome bricks to S and E, latter also with 8-arch blind arcade. Mobile crane in situ. As early as 1896, Professor Kennedy (of Messrs Kennedy and Jenkins) proposed a joint venture between power and tramways for Kirkcaldy. In 1898 he was appointed consultant engineer by the newly formed Tramways and Electric Light Committee. The main contractors were J & P McLauchlan of Larbert, but building was hindered by the difficulty in obtaining sufficient stone from Grange Quarry at Burntisland as well as the necessity for digging engine beds to a depth of 10ft. Three boilers and five engines (2 at 80hp and 3 at 250hp) were supplied by Browett, Lindley & Co Ltd. Victoria Road Power Station first generated electricity on 15th December, 1902, and was formally opened on 28th February, 1903 when the power was officially switched on by Provost Tait at 3pm. Guests from this ceremony were then driven in carriages to Gallatown to inspect the new tramway depot, and returned to town on a tram. The first service tram was run on Monday 2nd March. In 1909 the gallery was extended and a store added, a cooling tower was built in 1912 and a new engine room in 1922. (Historic Scotland)

2 shots of the front


Round the back

4 shots of the turbine hall




Turbine hall detail


Boiler house

There’s been a murder!

[Lucky Poet]

Good stuff, Cell. A curious wee survival, remarkably intact.

[cell]

Thanks LP, don’t know how long it has left to go, not much you can do with it and I wouldn’t be surprised if certain bit spontaneously combusted sone now that there is nothing preventing you getting in.

[Doug]

Hi cell. great pictures..you would have thought the metal thieves would have stripped the place by now !!