Queen Street, Glasgow

Well, here’s a nice station with a good vibe. What’s so good about it? It’s got an overall roof and its neatly hemmed in within Glasgow city centre. Walking round its northern boundary, where the road overbridge allows you a peak of the edge of the roof at the station throat and just before the tracks plunge into a tunnel, it reminded me of Liverpool Lime Street. It’s the south facing façade, however, that gives Queen Street its special attraction. Its all glass but set at a jaunty angle. Along with the train shed roof, that makes for a very light and airy concourse. I found it quite uplifting.

I had been here once before, taking an Edinburgh train in 1972 and just having enough time to photograph English Electric Type Four No. 261 at the head of an Aberdeen express. Last week and over half a century later, this service was in the hands of the HSTs, now enjoying their well-deserved swan song years and clinging on at the two extremities of the UK network.