THIS aerial picture of Greenock’s former Inchgreen gas works dates to around 1950.

The Corporation works opened in 1872 and remained in production into the 1960s.

Railway wagons can be seen next to the works on the Inchgreen branch line.

It came down from a tunnel at Cartsburn Junction on the Princes Pier line and crossed the A8 just to the east of Gibshill Road.

Immediately to the east of the latter location can be seen an area of housing known as the Garden City, where Chalmers Street was to be found.

Inchgreen dry dock was to be built next to the gas works site and every property shown to the north of the Gourock to Glasgow railway line has disappeared, with the possible exception of what appears to be the former Ladyburn School building in Pottery Street.

The lower left section of the photograph now includes private housing and Lithgow’s Kingston Basin, which was reconstructed after this picture was taken, has been filled in.

My other photograph shows the gas works in August 1961.

An excavator can be seen undertaking preparatory work on the new dry dock and temporary administration offices for the project had been erected.

In January 1964, it was announced that the works would close “as soon as possible” after 31 March that year, with the loss of almost 100 jobs.

After the closure, it was intended that gas would be piped in from a production unit in Fife.