Methil coal fired powerstation, Fife.
We (Me Brickman and Cuban bloodhound) had just had a hectic day and a half over at Inverkip on the west coast, and the second part of our plan was to get some shut eye in the Decomissioned powerstation on the east coast. Now, we knew security had being heightened, and we knew the access which barely a handfull of people used in the past, had used, was now removed. It wasnt promising from the start, but there are certain places that need that extra effort, Methil, on paper ticked every single box an explorer could think of...
Pretty much shattered, we grasped the fact we had to get in there, and kitted up, but the cold air and adrenaline soon gets your mind on the ball. A daunting figure on the skyline lay there, it looked like a Prison with slihoutted walkways and high intensity spotlights. It took about an hour to successfully get in after lugging it up, and was definately one of the most rewarding things i have done since i started exploring...
Methil was constructed in 1965, in the booming era of men in white coats. It served as a coal slurry burning powerstation, up until the 80's when the fife pits where being exhausted, and thus the washeries which supplied the slurry. The two sister stations on either side of Scotland (Barony and methil) where utalized to burn of the coal bings, or slag heaps on the Fife pits, and later, the rest of Scotland. Like all Coal fired powerstations, coal was fed by Merry-go-round trains. Once the Bings had being cleared, the relitively small methil was made redundant. Having served its purpose well, it was mothballed in 2000 as a Strategic reserve.
The plant used 2 English electric 57MWe steam turbines, somewhat of an oddity, as English Electric focused on the Railway and auronautics industry.
Methil is scheduled for demolition this year, and apparently all hazerdous waste has being removed, but i can tell you in confidence, it hasnt...
The plant used 2 English electric 57MWe steam turbines, somewhat of an oddity, as English Electric focused on the Railway and auronautics industry.
Methil is scheduled for demolition this year, and apparently all hazerdous waste has being removed, but i can tell you in confidence, it hasnt...
Back to it...
You really can't beat waking up at sunrise, i will bang on about it for ever, but its a completely different world. We opened the doors to the Turbine hall after our sleep in admin, and what lay in front of us was staggering. Lit up like the day the place was concieved, two PINK turbines lay stretched out in an aladins cave...
Quite a few have being shot on film, damn im becoming old!
Fuel injected pitbull, well thats what we discusssed.
The majority of controls in Methil are wheel operated, even the overhead crane!
After spending x amount of time in the main hall, we began on the rest of this quirky place.
Behind of the control room, and hall, and between both of the Boilers...
mega industry fo sho
For Turbine 1, Mirrlees watson co. Glasgow.
some poor sod had to work in here... Inside of a relay room iirc
Workbenches and stores. All 3 of us was surprised on how intact the whole plant is, but rest asured demolition is going to pick up soon!
and if by magic, 1 by 1 we ended up mooching on the EE turbine turf, again....
the fact that we got up early, makes it worthwhile when you view the hall in this light This was around mid day....
The main doors, we had clocked the security guards previously. But a second after the shutter had clicked, a guard walked past the windows having a good nosy, The hit the floor and look like a sack of shit method worked once again like a treat, its very effective.
...and yes, there was a few Donkey jackets in the site!
For me, the second best part of Methil, is the Control room. Unlike Inverkip, this was used on a daily basis, and would have had people mingling all over, like the rest of the plant. The majority of documents where still there. However it was very dark...
A soviet approach...
2 more i havent included...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/-Demps-/Methil powerstation/IMG_5369800copy.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/-Demps-/Methil powerstation/IMG_5370800copy.jpg
A few more Misc shots...
The connecting corridor from the science labs above admin, and the Main hall.
View attachment 141362
Underneath the hall and boilers, is some fantastic gear, completely hidden in a world of filth and darkness.
Howden fans of Glasgow, another significant company. Dweeb discovered a lot of the history of Howden engineering not so long back...
Quite a few have being shot on film, damn im becoming old!
Fuel injected pitbull, well thats what we discusssed.
The majority of controls in Methil are wheel operated, even the overhead crane!
After spending x amount of time in the main hall, we began on the rest of this quirky place.
Behind of the control room, and hall, and between both of the Boilers...
mega industry fo sho
For Turbine 1, Mirrlees watson co. Glasgow.
some poor sod had to work in here... Inside of a relay room iirc
Workbenches and stores. All 3 of us was surprised on how intact the whole plant is, but rest asured demolition is going to pick up soon!
and if by magic, 1 by 1 we ended up mooching on the EE turbine turf, again....
the fact that we got up early, makes it worthwhile when you view the hall in this light This was around mid day....
The main doors, we had clocked the security guards previously. But a second after the shutter had clicked, a guard walked past the windows having a good nosy, The hit the floor and look like a sack of shit method worked once again like a treat, its very effective.
...and yes, there was a few Donkey jackets in the site!
For me, the second best part of Methil, is the Control room. Unlike Inverkip, this was used on a daily basis, and would have had people mingling all over, like the rest of the plant. The majority of documents where still there. However it was very dark...
A soviet approach...
2 more i havent included...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/-Demps-/Methil powerstation/IMG_5369800copy.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c326/-Demps-/Methil powerstation/IMG_5370800copy.jpg
A few more Misc shots...
The connecting corridor from the science labs above admin, and the Main hall.
View attachment 141362
Underneath the hall and boilers, is some fantastic gear, completely hidden in a world of filth and darkness.
Howden fans of Glasgow, another significant company. Dweeb discovered a lot of the history of Howden engineering not so long back...
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