Helensburgh Central
Helensburgh Central
Location type
Station
Names and dates
Helensburgh (1858-1953)
Helensburgh Central (1953-)
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 should be four, but one platform track is lifted. There is a circulating area, covered by a glass barrel ceiling. There is a ticket office and small shop within the circulating area. 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 early in the early 1900s (probably 1898). 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 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 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, 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 stationExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
Nearby stations Helensburgh Central Helensburgh Upper Craigendoran Pier Craigendoran Craigendoran Upper Rhu Faslane Platform Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] Greenock Princes Pier [1st] Fort Matilda Greenock Bridge Street Greenock Central Greenock West Cartsdyke Cardross | Other railway and industry locations Helensburgh Shed Helensburgh Gas Works Helensburgh Upper Goods Helensburgh Construction Camp Woodend Level Crossing Craigendoran West Signal Box Craigendoran West Yard Craigendoran Junction Tourist/other Colquhoun Square Helensburgh Pier Helensburgh Hill House Ardencaple Castle Craigendoran Old Ferry Pier |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Dates
| 28/05/1858 | Glasgow Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway Opened as single track from Cowlairs Junction to Bowling and Dalreoch Junction to Helensburgh. Due to a disagreement over station access charges between the company and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the first trains ran to Buchanan Street using the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and a connection at St Rollox with the Buchanan Street Extension (Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway) line. The disagreement was resolved a month later. |
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