The main entrance to Queen Street Station, photographed from George Square in the early 1960s. The partially-obscured iron and glass arched roof is the station's outstanding feature. It was completely hidden in 1969 by new offices.
Originally named Dundas Street Station, Queen Street Station opened in 1842 as the Glasgow terminus of the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway. A major obstacle was the Cowlairs Incline, a steep slope with a gradient of 1 in 46 which required early trains to be hauled from the station by means of a steam-driven winding cable.
The station was rebuilt and expanded by the North British Railway in 1878-1880 when electric lighting was introduced, one of the earliest examples of the use of electricity in Glasgow. Modernisation of platforms, track and signalling, and of the station forecourt, took place in the late 20th century.
Queen Street Low Level station, opened in 1886, had to be excavated without disturbing the main line traffic above. Open spaces at both ends provided escapes for the smoke from passing steam trains.
Reference: Glasgow City Archives, D-PL 2/1/1868
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
atmospheric pollution, British Railways, Dundas Street Station, Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, electric lighting, electricity, entrances, North British Railway, Queen Street Low Level Station, Queen Street Station, railway stations, streetscenes
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