Alyth Railway

Introduction

This line between Alyth and Alyth Junction (Meigle) is closed. Today the nearest station is in Dundee.

The line was known as 'The Trappie Railway'. (Possibly a nickname which survived from the navvies - 'the trap' was a popular pub, the Banff Arms Hotel in Alyth.)

Why built

This railway, promoted in 1858, was built to link the village of Alyth to the railway network. By this date, nearby Blairgowrie already had a railway (1855) as did Kirriemuir (also 1855) and both were served by branches from the main line.





Dates

  /  /1858Alyth Railway
Act receives Royal ascent.
  /08/1861Alyth Railway
Brick single road shed opened at Alyth, Alyth Shed. (Later a sub shed of Dundee West Shed.) A 40ft turntable was later added.
12/08/1861Alyth Railway
Line opened.
01/02/1863Alyth Railway Scottish North Eastern Railway
The Alyth Railway is leased by the Scottish North Eastern Railway
  /  /1864Alyth Railway Scottish North Eastern Railway
Lease of the Alyth Railway by the Scottish North Eastern Railway authorised.
03/08/1868Dundee and Newtyle Railway Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
New line from Newtyle Junction to new platforms at Alyth Junction and line passing north of Alyth Junction to meet the Alyth Railway opened (the construction was known as the 'Forfarshire Works'). This replaced the earlier Newtyle and Glammis Railway curve north of Newtyle.
  /  /1869Alyth Railway
Authorisation to buy further land to expand Alyth station.
25/04/1874Alyth Railway
The Alyth Railway agrees to purchase by the Caledonian Railway.
  /  /1875Alyth Railway
Alyth Railway absorbed by Caledonian Railway.
03/01/1942 Blairgowrie Branch (Scottish Midland Junction Railway)
Alyth Railway
Blairgowrie Shed and Alyth Shed closed. Blairgowrie Shed closed, but not demolished. A sub-shed of Dundee West Shed. Alyth Shed closed, but continues to be used until 1951. By this date the turntable is 42ft.
15/01/1951Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Railway
Dundee West to Alyth passenger train withdrawn. Alyth Junction to Newtyle [2nd] essentially closed to passengers until 1952 when Ardler Junction to Newtyle [2nd] is closed and Dundee West to Blairgowrie trains diverted via Alyth Junction.
02/07/1951Alyth Railway
Alyth town to Alyth Junction closed to passengers. Alyth Shed track lifted.
  /  /1958Alyth Railway
Line becomes 'one engine in steam'.
  /  /1960Alyth Railway
Alyth Shed still stood, although out of use since 1942.
01/03/1965Alyth Railway
Alyth town to Alyth Junction closed to freight.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Alyth Junction to Alyth

This was one of the busiest stations on the Strathmore main line having main line trains from Perth to Aberdeen, branch trains to Alyth, and Dundee West to Newtyle [2nd] to Alyth trains.
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More details

See also
Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Junction looking east The flyover of the line from Newtyle can be seen to the left of the main line (bottom left to centre top). The flyover has ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
Alyth Junction looking to Aberdeen in 2023. From right to left: site of main station building, site of westbound platform, very obvious remains of the ...
Ewan Crawford 03/03/2023
This lattice post remains standing to the immediate east of the flyover at Alyth Junction on the southbound side of the line. Traces of black and ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
This bridge carried the Alyth branch over a minor road a little north of Alyth Junction. It looks like ballast spilling off the bridge was a problem ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
4 of 20 images. more


This was a single platform station to the south of the level crossing just outside Meigle, to its east, and west of nearby Fullarton.
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The remaining station building at Meigle, road entrance side (the line was beyond the building to the left), looking north over the former level ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
A view of the stone built station building on the south side of Forfar Road. The track was on this side of the building and a single track crossed the ...
Ewan Crawford //1998
Station building at Meigle, looking north over the level crossing. The building was to the right of the railway line. The goods yard was a single ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
Looking south over the site of the level crossing to the former Meigle station on the Alyth branch in July 2007. The station became a goods yard with ...
John Furnevel 12/07/2007
4 of 5 images. more


Meigle [2nd] closed when a new station opened north of the level crossing. The new station was also a single platform station. There was a timber station building.
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The site of Meigle station, now a hall, looking north from the former level crossing towards Alyth in 1998. The wooden station building and platform ...
Ewan Crawford //1998
Meigle, looking south towards Alyth Junction. The village is to the right and the white painted Motorland Car & Van Sales is to the left of the ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
2 of 2 images.


This bridge carries the Kirriemuir - Meigle road over the former Alyth branch north of Meigle and Meigle Burn. The view looks south. To the north, on ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
This bridge carried the Alyth branch over the Meigle Burn a short distance north of the station. This is probably the largest remaining structure on ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
2 of 2 images.


This bridge was built with stone abutments and iron girders, a single span of 60ft. The bridge required strengthening before the line opened.
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Looking south to Meigle showing the site of the Dean Water Bridge, a single span girder bridge. Beyond, the line has been partly ploughed out in ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
1 of 1 images.


This skew bridge, carrying the Alyth Railway branch, was built with stone abutments, a pier and iron girders. It had two girder spans, of 30ft and 82ft.
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The Alyth branch crossed the River Isla by a two span viaduct. The approach embankments on either side have been lowered almost every trace of the ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform station with the platform on the west side of the line. There was a loop with a siding serving a loading bank at the south end.
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North of the River Isla Viaduct ballast can still be found on the Alyth Railway on the climb to Jordanstone station. The portion from Hallyards right ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
View south east near Jordanstone station, a small wayside station between Meigle and Alyth. ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
The site of Jordanstone station in 1996. View is north west towards the branch terminus at Alyth. The branch lost its passenger service in 1951 and ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
3 of 3 images.


Initially a siding in a cutting, Porterockney Siding serving Pitcrocknie Farm to the north, a halt was opened here opposite the siding on the south side of the line.
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Looking to Alyth at Alyth Golf Club. The line had climbed from Jordanstone largely in a deep cutting to reach here. The railway was in a cutting on ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
View looking to Alyth near Pitcrocknie Platform, a halt. The railway is now a right of way footpath which passes through Alyth Golf Course. Alyth is ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
Pitcrocknie looking west, away from the platform and siding (now a carpark), to Alyth. ...
Ewan Crawford //1998
3 of 3 images.


A locomotive shed was provided at Alyth with the opening of the Alyth branch in 1861 from Meigle [1st] (later Alyth Junction). The original shed appears to have been on the south side of the line just east of the station, reached by reversal from the platform line. It was a short brick or stone one road building. A turntable was later added and more goods sidings added to the south ...

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This was a single platform terminus with a timber overall roof braced between the station building and the goods shed. This was removed before closure.
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Isla Road in Alyth was laid out on the site of the station. This view looks west from the station throat to the former terminus. The railway was in ...
Ewan Crawford //1998
This minor road running towards Alyth was the railway. The station site has been cleared and is now housing, the station site was just beyond where ...
Ewan Crawford 02/05/2023
The 1960 SLS/RCTS Joint Scottish Railtour photographed shortly after arrival at Alyth station on 16 June 1960. The locomotive is ex-Caledonian 0-6-0 ...
RB Parr, courtesy Stephenson Locomotive Society 16/06/1960
Alyth station. C.R. 0.4.4T 15195 on branch train. Glasgow Fair 1948. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow //1948
4 of 4 images.