Location type

Station

Names and dates

Helensburgh (1858-1953)
Helensburgh Central (1953-)

Station code: HLC National Rail ScotRail
Where: Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Opened on the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway.
Open on the Glasgow to Helensburgh.

Description

This is a three platform terminus with a glazed roof. (It was four, but one platform's track is lifted.) There is a circulating area, covered by a glazed barrel ceiling with a small shop. The ticket office is by the main entrance off East Princes Street. At this entry is a two storey building facing the street, with a private lane on its west side. There is also a passageway entrance from the carpark to the north. The station is located in the centre of the town, close to the sea but one block inland from it.

The original station was somewhat smaller, rebuilding being around 1890. The original station was described in the Ordnance Survey Name Book thus

A large brick building situated Princes St, it is the Terminus of the Glasgow - Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway.

On the north side of the station site were carriage sidings, a small goods yard and a locomotive shed. All now gone, replaced with a two storey carpark. The goods and passenger stations were originally confined to the area which is now the passenger station, but progressively expanded north.

A siding served the Helensburgh Gas Works, across Princes Street from the station.

Steamers called at Helensburgh Pier, a third of a mile away, which was new in 1860. These ceased with the opening of the combined station and pier at Craigendoran Pier in 1882.

The signal box was replaced several times. The original, just east of Charlotte Street, was replaced in 1898 with another just to the east. This was during the major reconstruction. This box was replaced in 1960, during electrification, with a modern structure just to the east of the Grant Street footbridge. That box closed in 1984 when the line was singled from Helensburgh Central to Craigendoran, the box there taking over. All the boxes at Helensburgh were on the north side of the line.

Local

The station is not far from Helensburgh Pier, a block away to the south and a little west, and the West Bay beach and its Esplanade, a promenade which stretches west for half a mile. To the east the flywheel of the PS Comet [I] can be found displayed in a small area of park overlooking the sea

About a mile uphill, and past Helensburgh Upper station, which is much closer but with far fewer trains, can be found the Helensburgh Hill House designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. (Much closer is another one of his works, the Mackintosh Club .)

Tags

Terminus station

External links

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

Facilities

Gaelic name: Baile Eilidh Meadhain

Nearby stations Helensburgh Upper Craigendoran Pier Craigendoran Craigendoran Upper Rhu Faslane Platform Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] Greenock Princes Pier [1st] Fort Matilda Greenock Cathcart Street [1st] Greenock Central Greenock West Cartsdyke Cardross Gourock	Helensburgh Shed Helensburgh Gas Works Helensburgh Upper Goods Helensburgh Construction Camp Woodend Level Crossing Craigendoran West Signal Box Craigendoran West Yard Craigendoran Junction Ardencaple Level Crossing Tourist/other Colquhoun Square Helensburgh Pier Helensburgh Hill House Ardencaple Castle Craigendoran Old Ferry Pier Woodhead Dam
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.