It’s been a while since my last trip, and it was very good to see the old place again before demolition gets too far along.
For those who don’t know (where have you been?) Inverkip is a large oil-fired power station on the Firth of Clyde, built just before the oil crisis of the ’70s it was always a bit of a white elephant and only briefly reached full capacity during the miner’s strikes.
First visit, while waiting for dawn, was to the control room:
Some rooms alongside the control room:
With dawn, up to the top of the boiler houses and working downwards.
Down to the boiler level:
Next, the turbine house:
Finally, some dismantling – these are giant valves from one of the turbines.
All images:
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How did you get to visit? It would be great to have a look before it goes.
Dear Mr Ben Cooper, I too have a great fondness for Inverkip power station and am dismayed that it is to be demolished not having remotely covered it’s construction cost in generation.
I too have been inside and it is a wonderfully spectacular place, however your pictures do it the justice it deserves and I am pleased that they will serve as a record of a remarkably beautiful oddity from the 1970’s.
Regards, CBLex (formerly!)
Thank you – once it’s all gone, I was planning to do a book on it’s life. I’ve got some fascinating pictures from the construction as well 😉
Hello, How many pics do you have of the construction?, I’d be fascinated to see them. Ive been in contact with Scottish power, Turley Associates (suposedly supervising the redevelopment – sound like a quango to me!), and Glasgow library none of whom were able (or willing) to supply any info other than what is available on the net. RCHAMS have a nice collection of B/W photos which I have not seen, I bought a couple of aerial photos a while back from them which are now on their site.
Book sounds good!
Regards,
Chris
Hello, I’ve just added a post with all the pictures I have – enjoy 😉
http://www.catchingphotons.co.uk/blog/?p=496
I now live in Adelaide S.A,,but worked in Inverkip
for ten years until it closed,I still work in oil&gas now in the desert,,I still maintain it was the BEST bunch of blokes I ever worked with,just a pity there,s no web site to get in touch,I happen to still keep in touch with John Mclean (no relation)and email frequently,John still lives up in the “Gunsight” as it was called ….
Happy Days indeed
Hi Jim
Yes I find the station fascinating too, difficult to get a straight answer out of people who worked there how long it really run for, one site on the net says around 2000 hrs for unit 1&2 and 78 hrs for unit 3, Did you know Tom Gourlay assistant shift charge and Graham Campbell unit operator?
Hi Ronnie,the names are familiar,but mostly I remember the guys in maintenance,Danny Dominick,
Archie Campbell,Dan Docherty,Jimmy Nesbitt,Steve(Wheech) Mcghee,Ron Miller,both Johnny Allen,s,Alan Fyfe,Big Gordon in the store,was back in Scotland 2009/2004 and managed to catch up with a lot of the guys through at Torness,Ian Bowman,
Joe Saunders etc: still keep in touch with Donald Scott and like I said,John&Anne Mclean hope you and family are well….Cheers
Best two years of my life.
1984/5.
Worked with Tom Gourlay. He went on to Longannet in 1987 or 1988. I went to Hunterston B in december 1987.
Hi there, I’m Robyn. Recently we visited inverkip and were saddened to find that the turbine hall was cleared and half torn down, the No.3 boiler is exposed after years of being hidden with the dehumidifier running avoiding rust or serious decay. We entered Inverkip in April 2010 and were lucky enough as to see with our own eyes how amazing and exciting it really was, we have a strong connection with this place and it’s a sad day to see it go.. I would like to share my pictures with anyone wanting a look at them.. Thanx Robyn.
Hi Robyn, have you have a look at http://www.28dayslater.co.uk – that’s a great place to share pictures 😉
is this abandoned ? easy ish to get in ?
It was abandoned, it was quite easy to get in, it was demolished several years ago…
Hi Jim McLean here
Was back to Sunny Rothesay this summer and stayed at Wemyss Bay with John & Anne Mclean , of course couldn’t help but have a nosy around the old site, nothing left, all the memories that came flooding back……………sad, I stayed in Wemyss Bay in the 80’s and it was such a vibrant place, what with the station and the IBM going flat out, and NOW even the bloody pubs shut !!! Great Times