THE TRAMWAY AND RAILWAY WORLD. March 10,
1910
GLASGOW TRAMWAY DEVELOPMENT.
Newlandfield: A New Depot.
see plan
We propose to note here some new developments
in connection with the Glasgow tramway system, as well as some
results of recent experience. The most important new work now in
progress is the construction
of a new depot at Newlandsfield, Pollokshaws. We are indebted to
Mr. James Dalrymple, the general manager of Glasgow Corporation
Tramways for the following description of the Newlandsfield depot.
The Corporation of Glasgow have almost continuously been adding
to their stock of cars, which are all built in the tramway department
workshops. This increase has, from time to time, necessitated extensions
to the older car sheds where this was possible. The total number
of cars in stock at May 31 last was 776. The total in stock at
present is 801, and the department have still 50 new cars to build.
This will bring their stock a year hence up to 851.
In 1896 the Corporation took over the operation of the tramways in
Govan, which were being run under lease by the Glasgow Tramways Company.
As part of the arrangement, the Corporation took over an old horse-car
shed and stable in the burgh of Pollokshaws. This car shed was made
suitable for electric cars in 1901, but the capacity was small, and
it was not possible to extend the depot. New ground was therefore
purchased close at hand, and a new depot, which is situated about
2 and 3/4 miles from the centre of the city, is being erected. The
area covered by the depot is 12,000 square yards, and accommodation
is being provided for 180 cars. Inspection pits are being made for
dealing with the whole of the cars, and, as is the case in all other
depots of the Corporation, platforms running the whole length of
the car pits are suspended from the roof principals at a height of
9 ft. above the level of the rails. These platforms are for washing
and cleaning the cars with top roofs. In a few months the Corporation
will be running about 500 cars with top roofs, so that it has been
necessary to provide these platforms in every depot.
The men in Glasgow make great use of their halls at the various
depots, and at Newlandsfield a recreation and concert hall
has been built which will seat about 400 persons. The necessary
stage and retiring rooms, etc., are all being fitted out in the
most up-to-date fashion.
An efficient heating system is also being provided for the halls
and offices, the water being heated in calori-fiers by steam from
a boiler and conveyed in pipes from the calorihers to the radiators.
The steam heating system supplies hot water for washing the
cars, the hot water pipes being carried round the whole building.
Taps are fitted at all the most convenient points for drawing off
water. As the hot water is in constant circulation, no cold water
accumulates except in the short lengths of down pipe between the
main and the taps.
A glance at the plan will show that the men are provided with
a kitchen, where there is a hot plate heated by fire or steam.
Next the kitchen is a small recreation room, also bathroom
and lavatory accommodation. The cleaners' store is fitted up
in the most improved method, as is also the general store for
car parts, and the fitters' shop.
The special track work is being supplied by Hadfield's Steel
Foundry Company. The rails for the depot have been supplied
by K. White and Company, of Widnes.
The whole cost of the depot, including the ground, will amount
to about £35,000. Several points in connection with recent
practice are of special interest.In connection with the permanent
way, the wooden cross-sleeper construction which has been used
on several extensions within the past two or three years has proved
very successful. Although the sleepers are bedded in the concrete,
there is a certain amount of elasticity in the wood which results
in the cars running more smoothly. On extensions which are still
being carried out the sleeper construction is uniformly employed.
An experiment is now being made with the continuous rail joint. It
promises well, but it has not been long enough in use to enable the
tramway authorities in Glasgow to pronounce definitely upon it. A
prolonged trial has been given to the Thermit welding of the joints
of old track, but this method of lengthening the life of joints which
were partially worn out has not proved so successful as had been
hoped. This possibly is mainly due to the car traffic being resumed
too soon after the welds were made. The Thermit welding of new track
has been on the whole more successful, and in that case, of course,
the track lies unused for some time after the welding has been done.
The Coplawhill car works are now more extensive than ever,
and all possible construction and repair work is carried on
there. The place and its equipment have previously been described
in these pages, but a few new features may be mentioned. A
large strip of vacant land adjoining the works has been brought
into use as a permanent way store. Here are kept rails, sleepers,
paving blocks, and all other things required, and scrapped
material is stowed till it can be disposed of. An electrically-equipped
tramway track runs into this yard, so that materials can be
conveyed to and from it with the minimum of trouble.
An important recent addition to the works is a large, airy, and well-lighted
paint shop, which takes the place of a smaller one. The new shop
has six tracks, and can accommodate 30 cars at a time. In the ordinary
way 12 cars are dealt with by retouching per week. Out of the total
number of electric cars in use 80 bodies were bought from car-builders,
the rest having been constructed at these works. The painting department
regard it as a testimony to the excellence of the materials which
they use that while the whole of the 80 bodies referred to have had
to be completely repainted, none of the car bodies built and painted
in these works have required more than touching up. In this, as in
many other departments of the works, the men are employed on the
piece-work system.
The truck, wheel, and electric equipment repair shops are thoroughly
organised and efficient. Each car is brought in once in six weeks
for overhaul. A recent important addition here is a large wheel-turning
lathe, by Tangyes. This machine can do as much work as the two older
lathes in the shop put together. The speed of rotation of the tyres
of the wheels which are being trued can be varied from 6 ft. per
minute to 52 ft. per minute. This is effected partly by varying the
speed of the electrical driving motor by means of resistances, and
partly by a mechanical change-speed gear. This gear provides for
six different speeds of the lathe without altering the speed of the
motor. The motor, which is by the Phcenix Dynamo Company, is of 36
H.P., and is driven by the 500-volt continuous current used for the
tramways.
The work of constructing and fitting roof covers for the cars is
now far advanced. One lot of no covers is just being finished, and
a start is being made with another lot of 50. Before long there will
be very few open-top cars in Glasgow. In the wet climate of the west
of Scotland the benefit of the roof covers both to the public and
the tramway revenue is very marked.
The ticket boxes on the cars have proved such a success that two
boxes at each end of the car have had to be fitted, instead of one.
The passengers deposit their tickets in these boxes as they leave
the cars, and a great deal of litter and the cleaning of it up are
avoided. Moreover, as much money is received from selling the old
tickets as waste paper as pays for the capital charges on and maintenance
of the boxes.
It will be noted from the weekly traffic returns
that the period of falling tramway revenue in Glasgow appears to
be over, and that, as in some other towns, the passenger receipts
are again beginning to be on the up grade. The predicted revival
in trade is evidently beginning to make itself felt.
