Auld Glesga Trams & Buses

[tombro]

I'm probably wrong but I don't think there ever were trams running along St Vincent Street.

They did run along St Vincent Place/Lane at the back of my Great Granny's place in William Street but I think they then turned into Elmbank Street and travelled up to Sauchiehall Street. I can't remember any tram lines between that corner and where St Vincent Street joined Argyle Street/Dumbarton Road.

And, since we stood on that corner many times to catch the Number 9 bus to Drumchapel, I do know there were no tram lines coming down the hill from the east !

I was only ten at that time and I've been in Oz since 1961.

Tombro

[Josef]

...and here's me sitting with the 1954 City of Glasgow Corporation Transport Official Street and Transport Plan, too..

Looks like you're absolutely right, Tombro. There was a tram-free bit between Elmbank Street and Renfield Street. Which is the bit that I saw being resurfaced.

[glasgowken]

Aye Ken, but hawd the boat, I've just looked at the pics above & I'm seeing tram tracks being uprooted in the present day. Do you have maps or (and I hate to say it) evidence that most of the tracks in and around Glasgow were dug up back in the day?

No maps that I know of, but from what i've learned talking to folk who were around at the time. As I say majority of tracks, no doubt there are many short stretches left here and there

[gap74]

Looks like you're absolutely right, Tombro. There was a tram-free bit between Elmbank Street and Renfield Street. Which is the bit that I saw being resurfaced.

Maybe something to do with the gradient in the middle bit of St Vincent St?

Anyone know what the steepest gradient on the system was?

[Autolycus]

There's a map HERE and another here

http://www.semple.biz/hobbies/tramroutemap.htm

Looks like the route from St Vincent Street to and from the city centre was via Bothwell Street.

[tomgallacher506]

Saw this on another site:

Wouldn't be so disruptive in Glasgow I don't think. The tram rails are all pretty much intact under the tarmac. Strip a few layers down on most of the main routes and bob's yer auntie.

I'm rather surprised at this statement, I thought that all the tram tracks had been dug up & scrapped, I've certainly seen photos of this happening in Byres Rd. & Eglinton Toll. Can anyone shed any light on this?

The recent bad weather has exposed the old tram tracks along Maryhill Road

[stranger]

A nice set on Flickr of Glasgow transport in 1961

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom-hernon ... 091754073/

[dimairt]

Just picked up a copy of "Bygone Glasgow" by Martin Jenkins and Ian Stewart from the library. All the illustrations are in colour and accompanied by informative text from the authors.(I've excused their reference to the C*******k O****e since the book is so good)
Essential for all HG-ers.

Le durachd,

Eddy

[spaceshuttle]

Thankyou that site is amazing I need more time to go through it all but it brought back some great memories of the Johnstone to Glasgow bus then crossing Glasgow bridge for the tram on up to Springburn Road Them were the days.

[the researcher]

That's a point, I can't see it catching on.

Anybody see that Mythbusters episode where they ran a car on chip fat ? It worked great

I've got a pal that does it. He collect the used oil from his local Chinese(saving them on the disposal cost), filters the gubbins out, sticks in a glug of ethanol and off his goes. Works a treat and he pays about 20p a litre.

PK

a friend of mine that has a landrover discovery does the same and runs his 4x4 on recycled chip oil imagine how much he is saving with the price of diesel nowadays

[the researcher]

I'm sure you are correct HH for most of the tracks.

I previously transcribed this passage from Bill Patersons wonderful memoir:

Chapter 5 of Bill Paterson's new book " Tales from the Back Green" details the destruction of the tram lines:

"But in the end the smokeless zones cleared the fogs and the buses and cars scuppered the trams.Our Corporation scrapped them, sent them to museums and decided to rip up the tracks and that is why the monster was now outside our close.
It turned out to be a tracked vehicle about the same disposition as a Sherman tank. It had a long jib sticking out from the front tipped with a huge steel beak. The beak was only interested in digesting one thing: our tramlines and the big granite cobbles they were set in.

It was raised about twenty feet in the air and then allowed to crash down on to the cobbles with a ghastly teeth shattering kerrang that was probably heard in Sauchiehall Street. The jib then pulled the beak back and a whole section of cobbles and tramlines rose up like a giant jig-saw. It hung there for a few seconds then crashed back to earth and the cobbles would break up. The Troglodytes moved in and cut the rails with their spitting, rasping flares which flashed dazzling light all around the tenement walls. It chewed up the tracks and then moved on. Our street now had a gaping wound running right down its centre. They filled the scar with tarmac, painted white lines down the middle and handed Alexandra Parade over to the motor car."

Call me an old Luddite , but that makes me sad. BTW if you liked that extract , buy the book - it is a cracker.

Just had a look on the fife council library catalogue and they have several copies of this book so will need to request it, also had a look for any books about the subway and the only one they appear to have is glasgow undergound the final years by david h barzilay is this book worth getting out?

[the researcher]

Being a war baby, (2nd, not 1st!) I have loads of fond memories. One of my best laughs was my pall telling me about driving an old Austin 7 with wheels so narrow they could get caught in the tracks so you had to hope the tracks were going the way you wanted.

someone told me that tram lines were a danger to cyclists who rode racing bikes due to the thin wheels and they could get trapped in the tram lines and could cause the cyclist to crash as well

[Targer]

A good cyclist knew how to avoid that problem by always crossing over the tram lines/rails at an angle. As you say one could easily get caught in the line.

[Mori]

British Pathe.com


Glasgow's last tram, Scotland.

MS Glasgow's last tram entering the depot for last time. Various shots parade of trams dating back to 1894, some are led by horses. The parade passes through crowded streets in Glasgow. Some people run forward and put coins on the tram lines for the trams to run over (to bring good life).

[glasgowken]

Just had a look on the fife council library catalogue and they have several copies of this book so will need to request it, also had a look for any books about the subway and the only one they appear to have is glasgow undergound the final years by david h barzilay is this book worth getting out?

Do you mean this one ?
It certainly is worth getting. Only a slim publication but full of great photos, none of which have shown up in other books.