D
delongid95
Guest
Guest
First found Townhill Power Station during a walk round Townhill country park as a child, I can also remember there being a signpost for it at Sinclair Gardens Roundabout in Dunfermline. Joining this forum has reignited my interest in it, so considering it is so close to home, I decided to go down for a look. Built in 1909, this gas turbine generating station was running until 1985, and was still an active site through the early nineties during decommissioning, and also remaining as the Dunfermline Operations Base for Scottish Power. Not sure when this part of the complex was shut down, but everything there is now definitely abandoned.
I apologise for the quality of the pictures now, I wasn't expecting to make an entry, so only went armed with a maglite and a camera phone. Definitely want to go back, any members here who can actually take pictures are welcome to come along.
I walked round the back of the power station, down the path which is part of a national cycle route. Was just coming up to the back gate when to my horror, I seen a group of young kids inside the inner fence, bouncing a ball off the 1909 brickwork!
Put the frighteners up them, making them run off. Quickly ran in the same direction as them, and rather cleverly watched how they were leaving.
Returned late last night to go in through the entrance the kids had made. Wondered about within the inner compound for a bit, before discovering some open entrances. Cautiously went through the doors, to discover a series of small storage rooms, think the larger of these were battery storage rooms, as some nasty looking chloride cells were still in one of them, and they seemed to have the remains of fuses, switchgear etc- battery back up system for restarting the plant during a power failure? Each of these larger rooms had plenty of health and safety notices, and eyewash stations and sinks:
The smaller of the rooms contained labelled shelves and old switch panels heaped up on the floor.
Some, but few of the original fittings remained throughout the building:
However it was evident that the copper pinching pykies had been in, practically every cable has been cut and torn off the walls. The place has been trashed during this, most rooms were littered with discarded insulation and there was often large bundles of data cables which have been torn down, and then found to be copperless. The remaining fittings and artifacts that had been left seem to have been taken by light-fingered locals. People have definitely been using these shelters, some contained modern juice bottles, one contained the classic clue of ned presence:
Fire safety was obviously paramount, each room had at least one of these, however I could only find one single rusting fire extinguisher remaining within the entire complex.
Was considering heading home when I found an entry route into the main turbine room! Was pretty excited, and the tension was being raised by the significant number of birds flying about what felt far too close to our heads. The main part of the building is quite dangerous, as it has a false floor- this was to facilitate cable installation. Unfortunately the copper thieves haven't put the floor back together as well as what SSEB built it, we had to be careful not to drop 8ft down into the basement of the building. It was extremely dark in here, pictured is the most reflective thing I could find, and the tops of an emergency fire plan (in the event of fire anywhere within the complex, the turbines were to be shut down immediately), and an internal phone number list:
We explored until half way down the main turbine room. Only having one torch between us (we had no idea we were going to get in), it was becoming quite dangerous, and the pigeons were starting to get uncomfortably close. There only seems to have been one small fire in this part of the building, as there is scorch marks surrounding one room, the mountains of pigeon poo are disgustingly high, and the copper thieves have had a field day.
Each of a series of small rooms had a CO2 fire extinguishing system- the break glass panels for these have disappeared, however all the signage and indicator lamps remained.
We left the building the way we came in, deciding to return at a later date with more light and more cameras. I can only apologise for how bad the pictures I have taken are, blame it on the noobyness!
On the way out we decided to have a quick look around the operations centre, this was where the line maintenance teams for Dunfermline were based:
Quite off-putting, as the building still has working lights inside, however it is heavily boarded up. Will return at a later date to find out how heavily, as I seen the wheels of something from a gap in a shutter, would like to see what is inside it.
Quite proud of my first explore, can't believe that I got inside. Local members please feel free to leave a comment (I can't receive PMs at the moment) and I will happily take you on a visit.
I apologise for the quality of the pictures now, I wasn't expecting to make an entry, so only went armed with a maglite and a camera phone. Definitely want to go back, any members here who can actually take pictures are welcome to come along.
I walked round the back of the power station, down the path which is part of a national cycle route. Was just coming up to the back gate when to my horror, I seen a group of young kids inside the inner fence, bouncing a ball off the 1909 brickwork!
Put the frighteners up them, making them run off. Quickly ran in the same direction as them, and rather cleverly watched how they were leaving.
Returned late last night to go in through the entrance the kids had made. Wondered about within the inner compound for a bit, before discovering some open entrances. Cautiously went through the doors, to discover a series of small storage rooms, think the larger of these were battery storage rooms, as some nasty looking chloride cells were still in one of them, and they seemed to have the remains of fuses, switchgear etc- battery back up system for restarting the plant during a power failure? Each of these larger rooms had plenty of health and safety notices, and eyewash stations and sinks:
The smaller of the rooms contained labelled shelves and old switch panels heaped up on the floor.
Some, but few of the original fittings remained throughout the building:
However it was evident that the copper pinching pykies had been in, practically every cable has been cut and torn off the walls. The place has been trashed during this, most rooms were littered with discarded insulation and there was often large bundles of data cables which have been torn down, and then found to be copperless. The remaining fittings and artifacts that had been left seem to have been taken by light-fingered locals. People have definitely been using these shelters, some contained modern juice bottles, one contained the classic clue of ned presence:
Fire safety was obviously paramount, each room had at least one of these, however I could only find one single rusting fire extinguisher remaining within the entire complex.
Was considering heading home when I found an entry route into the main turbine room! Was pretty excited, and the tension was being raised by the significant number of birds flying about what felt far too close to our heads. The main part of the building is quite dangerous, as it has a false floor- this was to facilitate cable installation. Unfortunately the copper thieves haven't put the floor back together as well as what SSEB built it, we had to be careful not to drop 8ft down into the basement of the building. It was extremely dark in here, pictured is the most reflective thing I could find, and the tops of an emergency fire plan (in the event of fire anywhere within the complex, the turbines were to be shut down immediately), and an internal phone number list:
We explored until half way down the main turbine room. Only having one torch between us (we had no idea we were going to get in), it was becoming quite dangerous, and the pigeons were starting to get uncomfortably close. There only seems to have been one small fire in this part of the building, as there is scorch marks surrounding one room, the mountains of pigeon poo are disgustingly high, and the copper thieves have had a field day.
Each of a series of small rooms had a CO2 fire extinguishing system- the break glass panels for these have disappeared, however all the signage and indicator lamps remained.
We left the building the way we came in, deciding to return at a later date with more light and more cameras. I can only apologise for how bad the pictures I have taken are, blame it on the noobyness!
On the way out we decided to have a quick look around the operations centre, this was where the line maintenance teams for Dunfermline were based:
Quite off-putting, as the building still has working lights inside, however it is heavily boarded up. Will return at a later date to find out how heavily, as I seen the wheels of something from a gap in a shutter, would like to see what is inside it.
Quite proud of my first explore, can't believe that I got inside. Local members please feel free to leave a comment (I can't receive PMs at the moment) and I will happily take you on a visit.
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