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Inveruglas, Loch Sloy Hydro-electric Power Station, Valve House

Valve House (20th Century)

Site Name Inveruglas, Loch Sloy Hydro-electric Power Station, Valve House

Classification Valve House (20th Century)

Canmore ID 264229

Site Number NN31SW 18

NGR NN 31738 10083

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/264229

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Arrochar
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Dumbarton
  • Former County Dunbartonshire

Activities

Aerial Photography (3 May 2007)

Field Visit (2010)

The Sloy Portal valve-House marks the transition between the tunnel which brings water through from Sloy Dam (see separate item) to the steel pressure pipes which conduct water down to the power station. The valve-house contains four large butterfly valves which are oil and air lubricated and provide the surge protection for the station as well as the ability to isolate the pipes as required for routine maintenance. The valve-house also contains a bogie, with winch gear located further up the slop, to haul plant as the road is too steep for large vehicular access. This is a relatively standard component with limited architectural detailing and a degree of later alteration. The addition of the bogie is of some interest, but this is also of largely standard functional design. P L Payne, 1988, 5; E Wood, 2002, 38; J Miller, 2002.

Note (26 October 2023)

The Loch Sloy hydro electric scheme

This was the first scheme to be tackled in 1945. Serious problems arose due to the post-war shortages of manpower and materials. The first of these was addressed by using hundreds of German prisoners of war. Access problems required the building of roads and conveyors for materials landed from Loch Lomond. Severe weather conditions delayed progress and the project was not completed until 1950.

A dam of massive buttress type was built at the south-eastern end of Loch Sloy leading to a tunnel through Ben Vorlich, followed by four circular pipelines leading to to the Loch Sloy power station at Inveruglas on the side of Loch Lomond. A surge shaft was incorporated in Ben Vorlich.

The generating sets consist of four vertical shaft Francis turbines each coupled to a 32,500 kW alternator. Delays due to adverse weather continued and transport problems for the heavy equipment which was finally installed by 1950. When fully loaded the turbines pass a million gallons of water per minute.

Information from NRHE item catalogue number WP007424 compiled by George Walker in 2005.

References

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