Glasgow Underground Modernisation 1977-1980 Full Archive Film

Full Trans-Clyde archive film showing the modernisation of the Glasgow Subway and Argyll Line in Glasgow. As a point of interest, I have contacted both SPT and BFI to see if they have the original copy of this film and both have absolutely nothing. A crying shame that it's been lost and this poor quality tape transfer is all that's left.

[@m75s87]

These old vids are absolutely fantastic.

[@baconology3065]

wow this was excellently shot and produced, and speaks to a optimistic and secure age.

[@dooscooby9826]

when i worked for John Dickie in the 70's i remember we used to get given a trans card each month ,which enabled us to have unlimited travel on buses and trains in Glasgow.

[@JasperKloek]

Thanks for at least uploading "this poor quality tape transfer". You saved an interesting picture of the year 1980 from extinction!

[@knockshinnoch1950]

A real historic time capsule of what was once "the future". I remember the upheaval it was an exciting time getting ready for the 80s! The refurbished subway was so sleek and modern when first completed. It has worn well considering the amount of traffic it has dealt with over the past 40 years. It was always a nuisance that it closed early at nights and all day Sundays.

[@gradybraylen3569]

i know Im kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good website to watch new movies online?

[@jadbowen4652]

@Grady Braylen Flixportal :P

[@gradybraylen3569]

@Jad Bowen thank you, I went there and it seems like a nice service =) Appreciate it!!

[@jadbowen4652]

@Grady Braylen Glad I could help :D

[@captainsensible4843]

Ought to have been the present too, but transport deregulation had something to say about that. A terrible decision which is only now, haltingly, being reversed

[@theavenger775]

When white concrete was modern and clean, orange was bright, signs lit up, stairs moved and ticket barriers were magically automatic. It felt like the future. !!

[@adamclarke3485]

Nice little bit of history. Thanks for posting!

[@zakofrx]

Why do they allways have to tear up beautiful old buildings and replace them with concrete boxes.

[@smogmonster1876]

Mark Wilko They day it ‘Progress’.

[@michaeljames6953]

To be fair, they kept the original building for St. Enoch station as a travel centre, and after that, it exists to this today as a Costa Coffee. They also kept the building and gates for Cessknock too. To be honest, the other stations were never ever that lovely anyway, and they've since managed to retrofit the early 80s remakes with a much more airy and bright modern look. Buchanan Street in particular is far better than it's 70s equivalent.

[@MartinHannett_]

Personally I love all the modernisation they did. I wasn't alive to see what they got rid of, I just appreciated it for the 70s timeworn that it was. Similarly, I lamented the loss of all the 70s brown and beige with the recent sterile modernisation. The place really is soulless now.

[@stewartbinnie9528]

Great wee video showing the massive development work that happened just a few years before I was born - just watching this gives me a new sense of pride being a Glaswegian.

[@markcaldwell2831]

I bet you don't feel that same pride nowadays?

[@douglasbooth6836]

I was too young to remember much of it as I left in 78. Glasgow is still exciting to visit.

[@edwardoneil3962]

That was the most interesting half an hour I've seen for a long time. I loved those days. People really did work hard for their wages in those days lolx 😀❤😀

[@Nine-Signs]

Back in the days when public transport was not just used by the public but owned by it. FFwd to today and nearly all public transport outside of London is in the hands of a few private capitalist price gauging our balls through our eye sockets to travel from London to Liverpool in a train rented to a billionaire from a bank that owns them with the luxurious scent of urine to accompany you, all for the same cost as a thousand mile journey on Frances TGV.

[@mbaker335]

Actually they are owned by the German and French State railways. Northern for example is owned by Deutche Bahn. So the trains are literally museum pieces and Germany gets nice new trains from the rising fares. So it is not 'price gauging capitalists' but foreign countries owning and running into the ground our basic infrastructure. Would be nice to get away from them?

[@Nine-Signs]

@@mbaker335 It is price gauging capitalists, be they state capitalists or private, and while yes there are a few states that own portions of the various rail firms there are still many a fat private pocket being filled among them as major shareholders, also much of the rolling stock in this country is owned by HSBC and rented to the various firms, so again, it is capitalists.

[@Nine-Signs]

@@mbaker335 2nd message to you friend. If your polite probing about "getting away from them" was in reference to brexit, I can understand why some people think this would help matters, but the reality is this, We have democratically decided to move our economy from a top down anti democratic economy that favours EU and UK elites where workers rights and the nhs are relatively well protected, to a top down anti democratic economy that favours US and UK elites where workers rights and the NHS are not protected. Brexit, does not, and never could, alter the functions and incentives of capitalism. Now if you actually do want to return control to workers, and you actually do want democracy in your life, if the sound of the railway network being nationalised in a way that makes sure it is owned and operated via the public who know it best as opposed to a handful of private individuals Vs a handful or government ministers, if you want a way to truly kick the elites in the balls rather than giving half of them a christmas present via brexit, and if you want to truly change things for the better for working people via a model that can also be exported to others helping them retain their own citizens, and if you want the banks and the corporations and the rich to pay their taxes, if you want to tax the north of £30 trillion sat in UK tax havens protected not by the EU but by the city of london corp and parliament, If you want a secure NHS, and 100,000 homes for ordinary workers built per year and 28 million homes upgraded to meet modern efficiency standards And if you want a £10 minimum wage within the next 6 months, Then only one party is offering you that. Watch & read when you have time, kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHWxoJmaipmniac www.uk.coop/sites/default/files/uploads/attachments/worker_co-op_report.pdf

[@casskidd1]

brilliant thanks for sharing!

[@dronespace]

Great documentary, brilliant soundtrack!

[@iainstirling1475]

Loved the old Corpy buses. No 55 to Barmulloch college 25p from city centre to college. Conductor would give you a 10p ticket, take 10p himself and give you 5p back. Didn’t happen every day but when it did it paid for tea and roll in college canteen. Happy days. Love Glasgow.

[@helencaleb2188]

“Gripped by a twice daily spasm as the working day begins and ends with a surge of humanity” boy they don’t write documentaries like this anymore! Also love the guy driving a tractor through a busy crowd of shoppers and the huge gaping holes in the pavement with no barriers to stop members of the public falling in!

[@MartinHannett_]

Changed days, TV was also far cleverer than nowadays. It was far more sombre and informative - I love the BBC Archive KZbin channel for that reason! I too noted the absolute lack of health and safety. It's funny how society seems to progress and get better yet at the same time continually gets worse...

[@goose300183]

The intro montage reminded me of the intro to The Warriors.

[@MartinHannett_]

Here's the music if that's what is giving you the vibes - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGS1n2lodrSen80

[@danbreen6946]

Warriors come out to playaa

[@johndufton9686]

Now thats how to do things. Crossrail take note.

[@taiterobinson793]

John Dufton yes

[@SansXut]

This was so much better operator wise, its now scotrail with rail services & private companies on the bus services

[@marcleslac2413]

Really love the music

[@garybroadhurst3548]

I came to find this, like a lot I expect, because the new trains are starting to be rolled out. So the ones here lasted 44 years - I wonder if that was their expected lifespan. They've served VERY well anyway. I visited Glasgow in November and took a last ride on the old stock. A great system, but as somebody else said, it's a shame it closes so early in this day and age. I think around 6pm on a Sunday! I was staying in Govan and had to take a bus home after shopping.

[@MartinHannett_]

Near the end of the documentary the guy overseeing the modernisation is questioning on whether the Metro Cammell trains will last as long and he kind of laughs and says they will last a long time.

[@basictransportenthusiast4386]

No talk about Merkland Street being demolished to become Partick station? That was one of the biggies during the modernization

[@cedarcam]

Great documentary I seem to think I saw this all those years ago or extracts from it. Just a thought have you tried contacting Schulze Maclaren LTD who it seems in 2010 had some master recordings made in Shetlands in 1976

[@MartinHannett_]

Thanks for the comment. I can't find any contact details for Schulze McLaren Ltd. Do you have any?

[@adamclarke3485]

Also it makes me chuckle that, presumably, the makers of this documentary weren't allowed to use the track "Pulstar" by Vangelis so instead inserted a very similar piece of music. 6:00

[@MartinHannett_]

Adam Clarke Most of the music is from the library LP by Francis Monkman called Energism. My favourite couple of tracks are from another library LP by Francis Monkman.

[@tobysummers471]

Patrick Bradley There are several tracks by him on here. One called hyperdrive at the end. The demolition scene at Hill head station was the endurance of man. And then the scene of tunneling the argyle line was the achievements of man. A lot of this music was used in the states for nfl games.

[@tobysummers471]

Patrick Bradley just trying to find out what the track is at the beginning. Wonder if it is by him

[@MartinHannett_]

I have been searching for years and am about 30 library LPs from Bruton and KPM later and still no luck. It certainly sounds like Monkman but it isn't. It's fantastic nonetheless.

[@Monst3rNetwork]

The intro track is wonderfull... found out yet?

[@michaeljames6953]

Just noticed at 18:40- Head of British Rail says: "I mean, this is going to be *the* original Clockwork Orange!". There was always a debate about who's idea it was to refer to Glasgow Underground as "the Clockwork Orange", as it didn't seem to be the Trans Clyde's original publicity, it was usually outside media. (Still is, even today.) Wonder if it's this quip in their promo that started it all off with the press?

[@marcnicol355]

Health and Safety pretty much non existent in that footage.

[@MartinHannett_]

Marc Nicol My favourite bit is the dump truck weaving in and out of pedestrians on Argyle Street. Simpler times.

[@jamesvickers5551]

yes indeed.These arseholes have Fcuk up everything

[@garethgriffiths8577]

And im still alive! x

[@mladenenglang]

Also I heard, if you lost your job those times, you could find another at the same day.

[@BokorRider]

skilled tradesmen no need for HS interference

[@Cypher791]

I drove buses for a while, i was excited to get started... but the days were too long, too early and too many, never ending fatigue, and disappointing to do a service like 46 Easterhouse to Castlemilk and have less than 10 paying passengers along the full route, hoards of wasters.. with a can of stella in one hand and a disabled pass with companion for their crackhead mate.

[@tonycunningham9872]

Same same in nz mate

[@danbreen6946]

@@tonycunningham9872 As long as you where happy 😊

[@danielbeggan8024]

Many times I did the 46. It was the Mill Hotel that was the problem. Even tried the police escort but eventually took he service off. The norm was "fairs please" and the answer.... F*** off

[@DK640OBrianYT]

Have you tried national and regional archives ? Here in Denmark, it is and has been mandatory to handover at least two copies for archival purposes.

[@MartinHannett_]

Brian Hougaard Baldersbæk Yes, no copy exists with SPT, BFI or National Library of Scotland. Such a shame!

[@DK640OBrianYT]

​@@MartinHannett_ It is indeed. But it has been a pleasure watching this anyway, as the second in a three in a row since the Glasgow Underground came up, as a "KZbin recommended". The first being the 1977 documentary The Final Days, also uploaded by you and the last being a 2015 upload by somebody else. I must insist in saying that is was a true delight watching these. Before watching the first, I thought the whole thing was shot down and filled up, but from the 1980 and more so from the 2015-video it was clear, that the Underground survived in a better shape than ever, so congratulations for that. :) Take care and thanks for answering with such short notice :) Cheers from Sonderborg, Denmark

[@MartinHannett_]

Brian Hougaard Baldersbæk It’s really good to think people outside Glasgow might appreciate it. Look up ‘Metro: The Way Ahead’ on the BFI player. It’s a very similar film to this about a scheme being built at the same time in Newcastle. player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-metro-the-way-ahead-1984-online

[@Mattieval]

The music has no right to be this good.

[@MartinHannett_]

I can name any pieces if you haven’t found them in the comments already

[@zeefour]

@@MartinHannett_ That intro tune if you know it would be really helpful. Such a tune.

[@MartinHannett_]

@@zeefour Effervescence - Trevor Bastow. It’s on KZbin 😀.

[@davidfowler729]

@@MartinHannett_ Have you ever came across the music used at 10:40 during the scenes of the old underground?

[@MartinHannett_]

@@davidfowler729 No but it's a jovial mix of ragtime and fat 70s/80s synth. I love it. It'll be lying around on a similar Bruton/KPM library LP of the era but there are dozens of them and they go for fortunes if you want to start collecting/hunting.

[@zeefour]

Any idea of the intro song? - Assuming it's Francis Monkman. Just discovered this name, and the tunes he's wrote are dynamite.

[@MartinHannett_]

Effervescence - Trevor Bastow

[@taiterobinson793]

They should white polish argyle street like it was back in 1970s

[@ExploringHabit]

I didn't even know Glasgow had a subway wtf.

[@scottyoung2602]

Third oldest subway in the world.

[@ExploringHabit]

@@scottyoung2602 that's cool.

[@jsl4228]

@@scottyoung2602 Yes, I also thought it was third oldest. www.oldest.org/geography/subway-systems/

[@alzyerpal-TV]

Just about to receive it's third generation of rolling stock, all driverless.

[@tonylaw196]

13:00 Hong kong's MTR has same smell before they install the plaform doors.

[@alexfernandohuenten1374]

Awesome

[@Scots_Diesel]

Did you try National Libraries of Scotland film archive?

[@MartinHannett_]

Yup, nothing p

[@J-Bahn]

2:46 There is only one traveling public; let that be a lesson for all those who operate and advocate for public transport

[@jockbawheid5089]

Fun Fact: I, my brother and friend where actually all rescued by Fire Brigade from sinking in clay a in a huge pit dug while doing this in 1977, at Broomloan Rd near Govan.I'ts the point where the trains go underground. My profile pic is actually of me in taken from a news article at the time, (altered). :)

[@Megan-zz2co]

I love looking at the fact there’s no healthy and safety in site! 👏🏻

[@SansXut]

shut up megan you cant be linked clyde wide today

[@leeosborne3793]

Yeah. Gruesome industrial accidents are fantastic!

[@Italian144]

That’s quite an analogue keyboard synthesizer they use for the music sounds like a moog

[@MartinHannett_]

It was a Prophet 5

[@Italian144]

@@MartinHannett_ thanks that makes sense too because the music for this documentary was probably composed in 1979 80 and the prophet 5 came out in 1978

[@MartinHannett_]

@@Italian144 There's some other comments I've pinned listing all the tracks, the majority of it is by Francis Monkman from the LP Energism.

[@Italian144]

@@MartinHannett_ nice thanks I’ll check it out

[@Italian144]

@@MartinHannett_ if I had to pick a favorite synthesizer it would have be the mini moog and the Yamaha CS80 but another favorite keyboard is the fender Rhodes

[@radioandtvmemories6178]

who's the plummy voiced narrator?

[@MartinHannett_]

Credits at the end

[@mbaker335]

A 1970s orange. The colour was everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. Wallpaper, clothing, settees. OK at the time but it does wear a bit.

[@danw1374]

I remember the 70s as a collage of brown and orange, together with avocado green bathroom suites that were all the rage, who could forget those!

[@JadMock]

Sad thing is most people interviewed are deeed

[@liborsionko]

No really. Ye'll be added yersel before too long.

[@trainrover]

wow..more fairytale-looking than even Budapest's 🍸

[@derekmatthew2921]

The reason these men achieved so much work there was no bloody health and safety

[@knockshinnoch1950]

Aye that's why so many of them got injured...

[@edmund-osborne]

And they went deaf, were injured or in the worst cases killed. Personally I'd rather wait a bit longer for projects to get done than have the workers building it harmed.

[@mattdavies7398]

Yes,it was so much better when men were killed at work. Ffs

[@smogmonster1876]

23:36 At Partick..... Is that the home of Partick Thistle F.C. I say Partick Thistle F.C because most English people think it’s called Partick Thistle Nil 🤣🤣🤣. Billy Connelly, you are a legend.

[@michaeljames6953]

Well, yes and no. Yes, Partick Thistle FC originated in Partick, but no, it's not their home. Their actual home is since 1908 is Firhill Stadium in Maryhill. (And yes, Billy Connolly is a legend for making that comment.) :)

[@smogmonster1876]

@@michaeljames6953 Oh right. Thanks Michael. I didn’t know they played outside of Partick. Cheers. Take care

[@bogershowie]

@@smogmonster1876 Two possible subway station stops.... St. George's or Kelvinbridge. I always arrived via the former and went home via the latter, as there were(in my opinion)better pubs down that way.

[@smogmonster1876]

@@bogershowie Haha. Nice one.

[@Tourist1967]

@@smogmonster1876 It's not uncommon. You didn't used to get off at West Ham if you wanted to see West Ham United - you got off at Upton Park. Now it's Stratford. IQ test for football fans, I suppose.

[@ghosthunter1818]

Driverless trains great idea a disaster waiting to happen when the computer system screws up.

[@benwherlock9869]

Music by a young Boards Of Canada.

[@MartinHannett_]

Ben Wherlock Not heard of them, but I’ve sourced all the library music used if you’re interested.

[@PeachBeach]

@@MartinHannett_ Definitely interested - what is it??

[@PeachBeach]

@@MartinHannett_ seen your other comments - thanks!

[@ayrshireman1314]

I am too.

[@MartinHannett_]

ayrshireman1314 I’ll update the description with the times and names of tracks

[@garyrea2320]

Partick station before they destroyed it with so called upgrades. Looked better back then.

[@bigbearfuzzums7027]

If that's progress I hate to see disaster!

[@markcaldwell2831]

The city is a disaster now. They should've left it the way it was. Modernisation is a bitch.

[@micc6462]

Building sites no hard hats