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Summary

Description

William Williamson, 1901; extended 1909, 1912 and 1922. 2-storey, 5-bay, rectangular-plan, classically detailed former electricity generating station. Rusticated ashlar with polished dressings and channelled quoin strips; squared and snecked rubble to E, and brick to W and N. Base and eaves courses. Round and elliptical-arched windows. Keystones, voussoirs, stone mullions.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: lower bays to centre with 3 broad elliptical-arched, keystoned windows at ground, small window between bays 2 and 3, and door with deep fanlight between bays 3 and 4, all blocked; 3 tripartite windows at 1st floor with further windows between bays. Slightly advanced bay to outer right with broad, keystoned, channelled doorcase and 2-leaf part-glazed timber door with decorative astragals, flanking part-glazed screens and 3-part plate glass fanlight. 1st floor with round-headed, keystoned window with panelled, bracketed apron and oversized mutuled semicircular pediment. Taller, advanced shaped gable with flanking upright scrolls to outer left with 3 keystoned, round-headed windows at 2nd stage and louvered oculus in gablehead.

E ELEVATION: 2 broad gabled bays, that to left with door at ground below tall round-headed window at 2nd stage, bipartite window to left and further window to right. Advanced bay to right with doors to centre and left at ground, and large opening to right; 2 tall round-headed windows (boarded) to centre at 2nd stage with blind oculus to left and shaped gablehead.

N ELEVATION: bays to left with 7 round-headed windows and dividing pilasters and full-width ridge ventilator. Projecting wing to right with wide sliding door at ground, 3 blinded round-headed windows at 2nd stage and glazed oculus in raised centre of gablehead.

W ELEVATION: almost full-height lean-to extension of corrugated iron on brick base.

Grey slate and asbestos. Cavetto-coped ashlar stacks with polygonal cans and ashlar-coped skews.

INTERIOR: W gallery lined with enamel glazed polychrome bricks to S and E, latter also with 8-arch blind arcade. Mobile crane in situ.

Statement of Special Interest

As early as 1896, Professor Kennedy (of Messrs Kennedy and Jenkins) proposed a joint venture between power and tramways for Kirkcaldy. In 1898 he was appointed consultant engineer by the newly formed Tramways and Electric Light Committee. The main contractors were J & P McLauchlan of Larbert, but building was hindered by the difficulty in obtaining sufficient stone from Grange Quarry at Burntisland as well as the necessity for digging engine beds to a depth of 10ft. Three boilers and five engines (2 at 80hp and 3 at 250hp) were supplied by Browett, Lindley & Co Ltd. Victoria Road Power Station first generated electricity on 15th December, 1902, and was formally opened on 28th February, 1903 when the power was officially switched on by Provost Tait at 3pm. Guests from this ceremony were then driven in carriages to Gallatown to inspect the new tramway depot, and returned to town on a tram. The first service tram was run on Monday 2nd March. In 1909 the gallery was extended and a store added, a cooling tower was built in 1912 and a new engine room in 1922.

References

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