Fingask railway station
Fingask railway station, Fingask Platform railway station or Fingask Halt railway station was situated in the Fingask area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on a short branch, known as the Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway, from Inverurie to Old Meldrum. It served Fingask Castle and the surrounding farms, etc., in this rural area.[1]
| Fingask | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Fingask |
| Area | Aberdeenshire |
| Coordinates | 57.3319°N 2.3690°W |
| Grid reference | NJ778268 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Great North of Scotland Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| 1866 | opened |
| 2 November 1931 | closed to passengers |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z | |
History
Originally known as "Fingask", it was formally designated "Fingask Platform" from 1907 to 1924 and finally "Fingask Halt" from 1924 to 1931.[2] In 1886 timetable the designation was however "Fingask Platform".[3] It was one of only two intermediate stops on the line.
The station lay at 244 feet above sea level on a section of the single track line, that for down trains presented a climb that was not too challenging, but it was continuous. No signals or sidings were present and a gated minor road crossed the line giving passengers access. The short wooden platform lay on the northern side of the line in front of the Lochter Burn and had just a simple wooden shelter with a window and the name 'Fingask' on the front. A photograph appeared on 26 May 1926 in the Glasgow Bulletin and the articles title read "A Station Without a Staff".[4]
A station had originally been provided at Muirtown where the vice-chairman of the Oldmeldrum Company lived, half a mile away, however by 1866 trains were calling at the new Fingask Station.[5] At first tickets were not issued for the station and passengers from Oldmeldrum had to pay a fare to Inverurie and vice versa.[6]
The line itself remained open to freight until its official closure on 3 January 1966.[7] Nothing now remains of the station and the trackbed is used to the west as a field access.
Previous services
The 1866 timetable records that "Nos.1 and 6 Down and Nos.1, 3 & 6 Up Trains will stop at the platform. Other trains will stop only when a request by Passengers is made to the Guard at the Lethenty or Old Meldrum stations, or when passengers are upon the platform to be taken up."[3] The line had no Sunday services. The last railtour to visit the line was in June 1965 with a two car DMU.[8]
The branchline
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lethenty Line and Station closed |
Great North of Scotland Railway Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway |
Old Meldrum Line and Station closed | ||
References
Notes
- RAILSCOT
- RailScot - Fingask
- McLeish, p.15
- McLeish, p.11
- McLeish, p.10
- McLeish, p.12
- McLeish,p.65
- McLeish, p.66
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- McLeish, Duncan (2014). Rails to Banff, Macduff and Oldmeldrum. Pub. GNoSRA. ISBN 978-0902343-26-9.
- RAILSCOT on Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway